Belgium's position in relation to neighboring countries. belgian gpp

Economy of Belgium, priority sectors

Agricultural production and industry are actively developing in the country. All industries employ highly skilled workers. Half of the kingdom's output is exported.

Leading Industries:

Mechanical engineering (automotive industry);
Chemical industry;
Microelectronics;
Pharmaceutical;
Metallurgical;
Diamond.

Belgium occupies a leading position in the world in the export of metals (non-ferrous, ferrous), and is a leader in the field of chemical production. There are no mineral reserves in the bowels of the country. At the end of the twentieth century, the Belgians stopped mining coal. Therefore, hydrocarbons are supplied by the Netherlands, Algeria, and the Middle Eastern states. Coal is brought from the Republic of South Africa, USA.

For the woodworking industry, raw materials are supplied by Germany, Finland, and China.

In the energy sector, the main share falls on the nuclear component - two nuclear power plants. Uranium concentrators are imported from France, Canada, the United States of America, South Africa.

In the engineering industry, Belgium is known for its efficient food, electronic and electrical industries. The car assembly industry is developing well.

The largest number of industrial enterprises are located in:

Liege;
Namur;
Monse;
Charleroi.

More than two hundred companies operate in the biotechnological field. In this industry, there are reliable links between research organizations, university potential, and major economic players. The share of Belgian business in this industry in the total turnover in the European Union is 16%.

The kingdom does not produce its own cars. Low taxation of imports of automotive parts and the availability of highly qualified personnel contribute to the placement of car assembly production in the country. Millions of cars are assembled annually at factories representing well-known automobile brands.

The shipbuilding (ship repair) industry is well developed and is concentrated in Antwerp. This city, historically, is also a world center for trade and diamond cutting. Products of the Belgian glass and textile industry are popular.

Belgium has a well-developed infrastructure, the country is an ideal logistics base. The strategic location is the capital - Brussels. Leading European, Asian and North American international corporations are headquartered in the city. The main institutions of the European Union in Brussels. Here is the headquarters of NATO. The metropolitan population exceeds one million people.

Landmarks of a small country

The cultural and political life of the state is characterized by tolerance. On the territory of the country there are many unique attractions:

1. The ancient town of Tournai attracts tourists with the majestic architecture of the ancient Notre Dame Cathedral. Its simple, graceful gothic design impresses all visitors. Inside the cathedral are rare works of medieval artists.

2. From the observation deck of the Brussels Atomium, you can enjoy the view of the wonderful park complex "Europe in Miniature". At the exhibitions available here, in museums, the life of ordinary Belgians is presented. The Atomium contains a unique model - an iron molecule, which has been magnified 165 million times.

Thousands of tourists come to Brussels every day at the intersection of Oak and Bannaya streets to see a miniature sculpture of a little boy pissing into a pool. Manneken Pis is famous all over the world. For several centuries, this statue has been a landmark of the capital. By the way, his name is Julien. He is very fashionable, has more than two thousand suits in his wardrobe.

The capital's Royal Museum presents thousands of paintings by famous artists.

The small town of Waterloo is known for the fact that the French emperor Napoleon lost the battle here, which decided the outcome of the war. To visit this place is interesting for all lovers of history.

Here you can imagine how in 1815 the Anglo-Dutch troops, led by the Duke of Wellington, and the Prussian army, commanded by Marshal Blucher, met in battle with the Napoleonic army.

While in the museum complex, you can feel the spirit of that time, look at the personal belongings of the English commander. The museum is located in the building where this great Englishman once lived. In the exhibition of wax figures that is available here, the great emperor himself, Napoleon, is represented.

This is not the whole list, there are many different sights in the country. There are numerous monuments of the Roman era, the Middle Ages. The inhabitants of this small kingdom are very proud of their cultural heritage, they treat all cultural values with care.

1. General information

Belgium is a country located in Western Europe, bordering France in the Southwest, the Netherlands in the North, and Germany and Luxembourg in the East. In the Northwest it is washed by the North Sea. The area of Belgium is 30530 sq. km. The capital Brussels, the largest city - Antwerp, the highest point in Belgium is Mount Botronis, 694 m. The coastal regions of Belgium are occupied by low-lying plains.

2. Nature.

Most of the country has a flat surface and a mild climate.

Relief. The surface of the country gradually rises from the northwest. to the southeast, from the coastal lowlands to the Ardennes. During low tides, a strip of sandy watts up to 3.5 km wide is exposed. Dunes and dams protect from the tides a zone of fertile polders about 15 km wide, located below sea level (up to 2 meters). Behind the polders are the flat lowlands of the Low B.-Flanders and Campin (up to 50 meters high), composed of river and sea sediments; in some places in Flanders, remnant hills rise (up to 150-170 meters high). In central Belgium, undulating plains dominate (80–100 m in the north and up to 180 m in the south) with erosional relief forms. At the extreme Yu.-V. limestone cuesta ridges (up to 460 m) are widespread.

Geological structure and minerals

In the south of Belgium, Hercynian folded structures are developed, which have undergone strong denudation; to the north, they sink under the thickness of the Meso-Cenozoic sediments, being exposed only in places along the river valleys. In the far north, under a thick sedimentary cover, there is a Precambrian crystalline basement. In the Pleistocene, the territory of Belgium was repeatedly exposed to the impact of glacial melt waters, and the processes of loess accumulation became widespread.

Belgium is rich in hard coal, but there are few coking coals. In the Ardennes there are small deposits of iron and polymetallic ores (lead, zinc, copper), antimony, etc. Significant reserves of building stone (stone, sandstone, marble, etc.).

The climate is temperate, maritime. Moist western and southwestern winds are characteristic. In winter, cloudy weather prevails, with frequent fogs. Summers are quite cool, with frequent rains and thunderstorms.

Soils and vegetation

In Low Belgium, natural vegetation is represented by oak-birch, in Middle and High Belgium - beech and oak forests on podzolic and brown forest soils. Forests occupy about 18% of the country's area.

Animal world

Red deer, roe deer, wild boar, forest cat, pine marten, hare have been preserved in the forests. There are numerous rodents: shrews, dormouse, voles. The fauna of birds is diverse, including hunting and commercial species (pheasants, partridges, woodcocks, etc.).

Population.

According to the national composition, the population of Belgium is divided into two main groups: the Flemings (about 55 million people, 1970, estimate), occupying the northern half of the country (the provinces of West Flanders, East Flanders, Antwerist, Limburg), and the Walloons (about 4 million people) inhabiting the southern half of the country (provinces of Hainaut, Namur, Liege and Luxembourg); the border between the territories of their settlement runs south of Brussels, the district of which has a mixed national composition. Germans (about 60 thousand people) live in the eastern regions of Belgium, about 35 thousand Jews live in the cities. The Walloons speak French, which is the official language, along with the Flemish language; large population groups, especially in the districts of Brussels and the ethnic border strip, are bilingual (they speak both French and Flemish). At the end of 1966 in Belgium there were also St. 600 thousand foreigners: Italians (about 250 thousand), French (over 60 thousand), Dutch (over 50 thousand), significant groups of Germans from Germany, Spaniards, Greeks, etc. Most of the inhabitants of Belgium are Catholics, a small part professes Protestantism (various interpretations) and Judaism.

In terms of population density, Belgium occupies one of the first places in the world.

Economy

During the first and second world wars, Belgium was badly destroyed, but quickly restored its economy. The leading branch of agriculture is dairy and meat animal husbandry, which accounts for 2/3 of the total value of agricultural products. Developed esophagus (12 min.) Crop growing is subordinated to the maintenance of animal husbandry. About 2/3 of the entire agricultural area is allocated for fodder crops. Wheat, rye, oats, barley are grown. The average yield of wheat is 30 c/ha, barley 30 c/ha, oats 32 c/ha, rye 25.2 c/ha. Cultivation of industrial crops (beets, flax, chicory, tobacco, hops, potatoes) as well as vegetable growing, horticulture and flower cultivation.

Industry

In 1830 Belgium gained independence. Soon she got rich due to the development of industry.

The characteristic features of Belgian industry are its high technical level and highly skilled workforce, and at the same time, the narrowness of the raw material base. The old branches of the Belgian industry - coal, metallurgy, textiles - still retain their primary importance: new branches - chemical, petrochemical, electronics, etc. - are relatively slowly increasing their share in the overall structure of the industrial production.

Energy and mining industry. In the energy balance, about 30% comes from coal - the main mineral wealth of the country, and 60% from oil.

The manufacturing industry uses mainly imported raw materials; represented by the main processing branches of heavy industry - metallurgy, metalworking, basic chemistry; in these industries, production is often combined in the same plants. The food, textile and clothing sectors stand out from the light industry.

Ferrous metallurgy is one of the oldest and most developed industries in the country; in terms of steel production, Belgium ranks seventh in the capitalist world.

The oil-processing industry (plants with a capacity of about 30 million tons in 1969) is located primarily in the area of the port of Antwerp. In oil refining, the influence of foreign (primarily Anglo-American) oil trusts is strong; they own in Belgium ½ of the capacity for oil processing, tanks and storage and ½ of the fleet for transporting oil.

The industry of building materials is of considerable size, especially the production of glass (window, display, mirror), concentrated mainly in the province of Hainaut. In terms of glass exports (about 1/3 of the world export of capitalist countries), Belgium ranks first in the world. The diamond-cutting industry (Antwerp) has the largest number of cutting enterprises in the world (brilliants from imported rough diamonds).

Agriculture

Agriculture is highly intensive, but its role in the country's economy is small. Belgium is a country of small and medium-sized farms. Of all the land used in agriculture (1.6 million hectares in 1967), about 50% is farms with an area of 5 to 20 hectares. These farms, as a rule, specialize in supplying the cities with foodstuffs, provide the bulk of marketable products, and concentrate the bulk of the livestock population, machinery, machinery, and hired workers. The number of such farms in the total mass of farms is only 10% (1965), while at the same time 90% of the farms have plots of less than 5 hectares. The extreme fragmentation of land holdings is characteristic of industrial regions. 2/3 of all land plots are on leased land; among the tenants there are many industrial workers who combine work at the enterprise with gardening. In 1968, 84,600 tractors and 7,900 harvesters and 52,100 milking machines were used in agriculture.

Transport

Belgium is located at the crossroads of important transport routes linking many Western European countries. The geographical position between major countries contributes to the development of a dense transport network that serves transit traffic and links the industrial regions of Belgium with seaports and with neighboring countries. Belgium ranks first in the world in the density of railways (131 km per 1000 square kilometers), second in the density of inland waterways and fourth in the density of road networks. This country is considered the “gateway” to Europe. 200 thousand people or 5% of all employed in the country's economy work in the transport sector.

Transport engineering prevails, Ch. arr. assembly of cars of foreign brands (including cars "Volga" and "Moskvich"), which is made from imported parts (Antwerp and Ghent), as well as shipbuilding (Hoboken, Tamiz, etc.) and the production of railway equipment , railway wagons (Nivelles, Bruges, Tubize) and locomotives (Liège).

Foreign economy

The main feature of the Belgian economy is its strong dependence on the world market. Foreign trade is essential. Imports exceed exports. The trade deficit is covered by transit traffic and foreign tourism. Every year Belgium is visited by 8 million tourists. In recent years, petrochemistry has been rapidly developing and, on its basis, the production of plastics and synthetic materials. The petrochemical facilities are located mainly in the coastal towns of Estland and on the west coast. Belgium maintains very close economic ties with other European countries, and the headquarters of the European Union of States is located in its capital, Brussels. Belgium plays an important role in world trade. It provides 1/3 of the world export of carpets, glass, diamonds, hunting rifles, heavy non-ferrous metals and 1/6 of the output of rolled steel and film. Belgium is one of the first places in the world in the production and withdrawal of metallic germanium and cobolt, as well as in the export of drilling tools with diamonds, caprolactal and cars.

Belgium belongs to the group of small industrial highly developed capitalist states of Western Europe, which are characterized by a high degree of concentration of industrial production, which means the scale of capital export, large national and international monopolies. An important source of capital accumulation is the exploitation of natural resources and the population of the Congo.

Geographic location of Belgium

A small state of foreign Europe, located on the eastern coast of the North Sea. Not counting the sea area, the area of the kingdom is $30.5 thousand sq. km. Land borders in the north pass with the Netherlands, with Germany and Luxembourg - in the east, in the south and southwest the kingdom borders on France. The total length of the boundaries is $1,385$ km.

Traditionally, Belgium is divided into $3$ geographic regions. These include:

The coastal plain located in the northwest;
Low central plateau;
Arden Hill.

coastal plain- this is low Belgium with a height of up to $ 100 $ m above sea level, represented by dunes and polders.

Heights rise up to $200$ m central plateau This is middle Belgium.

High Belgium represents Ardennes elevation. Its height reaches $500$ m.

Definition 1

polders- These are low-lying areas of land protected from floods by dams.

The country has Mount Botrange, whose height is $ 694 $ m - this is the highest place in Belgium. There are also rivers, the largest of which are the Scheldt and the Meuse, originating in France. Both rivers are connected by canals. On a geographical map, Belgium looks like a small triangle, but it is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The average density of the country is $328$ people per sq km. This small country impresses with the diversity of its landscapes. The Ardennes, of medium height, cut by abysses and gorges, flaunt in the southeast of the country. They are a continuation of the Rhine Slate Mountains. On the border with Germany are the highest peaks. The mountains in the north are skirted by the most famous river in Europe - the Meuse. The slopes of the mountains are covered with forest, and the serpentine road connects small villages.

The Belgian population is divided into 3 linguistic communities:

French Community;
Flemish Community;
German speaking community.

Therefore, there are also three official languages - French, Flemish, German.

Languages are distributed throughout the territory as follows:

In the north of the country in Flanders, more than $5 million people use Flemish;
In the south of the country - Wallonia - more than $ 3 million people communicate in French;
In the eastern part of Wallonia, the German language is spoken by $67 thousand people.

To enter Belgium, you need to apply for a Schengen visa. The Belgians are mostly - $70% - Catholics, many Protestants and Jews, $2$% Muslims.

Economy of Belgium, priority sectors

Remark 1

The Kingdom of Belgium is a small, highly developed industrial country in Europe, where industry and agriculture are intensively developing. Developed transport infrastructure, large cities and ports of not only European but also international importance, large industrial enterprises. The kingdom exports half of its industrial and agricultural products.

The country is a world exporter of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and is one of the world leaders in the chemical industry. The leading branches of mechanical engineering are car assembly, electrical and radio-electronic industries. In the field of energy, the leading industry is the nuclear industry. $2$ nuclear power plants operate on the territory of the country. The bowels of the country do not have large reserves of mineral resources, so the extractive sector is not functioning. Back in the $80s of the last century, coal mining was completely stopped. Belgium imports hydrocarbons from the Middle East, from the Netherlands, from Algeria. France, USA, Canada, South Africa supply uranium concentrates, coal - USA and South Africa. The woodworking industry is also developing on imported raw materials; its supplies come from China, Germany, and Finland.

The economy of the Belgian regions varies greatly, for example, the Flemish and Walloon economies differ in many aspects. Belgian cities also have their own distinctive features in the economy. Cities such as Liege, Mons, Charleroi, Namur are among the largest industrial centers.

In the country's economy, a large place is given to food industry. Belgium hosts such global groups as Danone, InBev, Coca-Cola, Unilever Belgium, Kraft Foods Belgium, Nestlé, Materne, Ferrero and others.

highly developed biotechnological a sector in which more than $200$ of biotech companies are involved. In order for this industry to develop successfully, strong ties have been established between the main economic players, universities, and research centers. In the European Union, Belgian companies account for $16% of the industry's turnover. Approximately $10$% of expenses are spent on research and development activities.

Its automotive there is no industry in the country. The absence of the industry is compensated by the placement of large car assembly plants. This is facilitated by low duties on imports of car parts and, secondly, is the availability of highly qualified personnel. $1 million cars roll off the conveyors of assembly plants every year. Strong positions in the automotive industry in the country are provided by such plants as Ford Genk, Audi Forest-Brussels, Volvo Europa, Van Hool (buses) and Truco.

Belgium is perfect for logistics base. A full-fledged environment for attacking the European market is provided by infrastructure, skills, and IT tools. Brussels - the capital of Belgium - is a strategic location, an attractive real estate market for the main offices of the largest European corporations. Brussels is where the main organs of the European Union are located, where all the most important decisions are made. The headquarters of numerous American and Japanese multinational corporations are also located in the Belgian capital.

Definition 2

In general, for Belgium, the leading sectors of the economy are such as mechanical engineering, in particular the automotive industry, the chemical industry, microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, and the diamond complex.

Landmarks of a small country

A small speck on the geographical map is Belgium, but, nevertheless, the country deserves to be paid attention to. The cultural and political life of the kingdom is characterized by the word "tolerance".

On its territory there is a lot of things that you can and should see:

Cathedral Notre Dame. The cathedral is located in the city of Tournai and it is impossible to pass by this majestic architecture. The simplicity and elegance of the Gothic design are striking immediately. The cathedral has preserved unique examples of medieval painting;

architectural structure Atomium located in the capital of Belgium - Brussels. From the observation deck of the Atomium you can admire the beautiful park "Europe in Miniature". There are also exhibitions and museums where you can see the life of the Belgians in the $50$ years. You can visit the Atomium only in order to see with your own eyes a model of an iron molecule magnified $165 million times;

waterloo. Everyone who is fond of history remembers well that in $1815 the allied Anglo-Dutch army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian troops under the command of Marshal Blucher defeated Napoleon's army in this place. The complex accurately conveys the spirit of the Napoleonic era. There is also a wax museum in the complex, where you can see not only the commanders-in-chief of that time, but also the emperor of France himself;

Manneken Pis. The statue of the boy is located in Brussels and needs no introduction. By the way, the boy's name is Julien, he follows fashion and has more than $2,000 of suits in his own wardrobe.

Remark 2

Of course, these are not all the sights of Belgium, there are much more of them. The Belgians are proud of their cultural values and take good care of them.

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abstract

Hand the topic:

" Country of foreign Europe:Belgium"

Introduction

Belgium is one of the small capitalist countries of Europe; only Luxembourg and the microstates are smaller than it. The territory of Belgium occupies only 30.5 thousand square meters. km and its population is about 10 million inhabitants.

Belgium is a highly industrialized country, almost completely smoked with the smoke of factory chimneys, densely intertwined with steel rails and highways, with large cities and ports of European and international importance, with extensive foreign economic relations.

With a relatively small number of inhabitants, Belgium is one of the most densely populated, highly urbanized states in the world, the population of which consists of two national groups - the Walloons and the Flemings; a state that has managed to preserve to this day the freshness of folk customs and traditions, rooted in the depths of centuries, a country of museums and architectural monuments of antiquity.

1. Economic and geographical position

Belgium borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, only a narrow strip of the North Sea separates it from Great Britain. Within a radius of 250 km from Brussels - the capital of the country - there are such large cities as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Lille, Reims. Thus, Belgium is located in the center of the most densely populated and industrialized Europe. Transport routes linking neighboring states with each other and with the North Sea have long passed through its territory. This geographical position contributed to a high level of economic development and the establishment of extensive international relations, and at the same time brought a lot of trouble to the country. There were few wars in Western Europe that bypassed Belgium.

Its location between the major Western European countries took on a new aspect due to the abolition of some customs restrictions on trade with neighboring countries, which, together with Belgium, united in 1957 in the European Economic Community. Belgium becomes, as it were, the geographical center of the community, where enterprises are located that work for other countries of the “common market”. It is from here that it is most convenient to export to the Ruhr and Saar regions of Germany, Luxembourg, northern and eastern France, the Netherlands and Great Britain, the Belgian port of Antwerp turns into one of the largest ports in Europe in terms of cargo turnover, and Brussels - into the administrative and financial capital of the "common market". Brussels is also the headquarters of NATO. Many Western European countries are represented in the capital by three ambassadors or representatives "under the Belgian King", under the NATO Council and under the "common market".

2. Natural conditions and resources

The nature of Belgium has been changed by man to such an extent that the natural landscapes on its territory have almost not been preserved. The exception is the mountainous region of the Ardennes. The natural conditions of Belgium are favorable both for the population and for the economic development of the territory. The relief is generally flat and does not hinder the development of agriculture, transport and urban growth. Approximately 3/4 of the country is occupied by lowlands; rising slightly from the coast deep into the mainland to the south, it only in the southeast passes into the low mountain range of the Ardennes. The Belgian Plain is part of the Central European Plain between the lowlands of France and Germany.

The Belgian sea coast is small - it stretches for only 65 km - and besides, it is inconvenient for navigation, as it is devoid of natural harbors. Only two small rivers flow into the sea here, and their mouths are closed by locks. The gently sloping sea coast is composed mainly of fine white sand and is a beautiful natural beach that attracts tourists from both Belgium and other countries.

To the southeast, the coastal lowland rises, giving way to a strip of hilly plains crossed by rivers with heights from 100 to 200 m above sea level. This is average Belgium. The plains are composed of tertiary clays and sands, on which fertile loess soils have formed, which, in terms of their arable properties, occupy one of the first places in Europe. These are the best agricultural lands in the country.

To the south of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, high Belgium begins, which differs markedly in natural conditions from the rest of the country. Most of this territory is occupied by the heavily destroyed Ardennes and their foothills. It is a mountain range with rounded peaks and flat plateaus composed of shales, sandstones and limestones.

The proximity of the North Sea and the warm North Atlantic Current causes the formation of a maritime humid climate in Belgium with mild winters and cool summers, with a fairly favorable rainfall and temperature regime for agriculture. Winds prevail, so in winter and summer cloudy weather prevails with frequent foggy rains.

The mild climate favors the growth of broad-leaved forests of oak, beech, hornbeam and ash. However, the high degree of development of the territory has led to a reduction in forest areas.

The fauna of the indigenous forests has been preserved mainly in the Ardennes, where there are also katanas, fallow deer, roe deer, hares, squirrels, forest mice.

The natural conditions of Belgium are generally favorable for the development of agriculture. However, the country is relatively poor in minerals needed for industry. The only type of mineral resources that Belgium has in sufficient quantities is coal. Coal reserves amount to about 6 billion tons and are concentrated in two basins: the Northern, or Campin, which is a continuation of the Luxembourg basin in the Netherlands and Aachen in Germany, and the Southern, which stretches in a narrow strip along the Sambre valley, and then the Meuse from the French border to the border from Germany. The quality of coals is low, the thickness of the seams is small, the conditions for extraction are hampered by the large depth of occurrence and the complex geological arrangement of the seams.

Of economic importance are the reserves of building materials in the Sambre and Meuse valleys: granite, lime, clay and quartz sand, which served as the basis for the creation of a large glass industry. Small deposits of iron and lead-zinc ores in the Ardennes are almost completely depleted.

3. Population

More than 1/2 of the population of Belgium are Flemings and about 2/5 are Walloons. In addition, about 700 thousand people of other nationalities live in the country - Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Poles, etc.

Almost the entire believing population of the country are politicians. The religiosity of the Belgians is quite high, in any case, its external manifestations are very diverse. There are many Catholic churches in cities and villages.

Belgium has two Catholic languages: French and Flemish. Their application in public life is largely determined by the division of the country into two linguistic-territorial zones - the northern, Flemish (provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Western and Eastern Brabant) and the southern, Walloon (provinces of Liepse, Epo, Namur, Luxembourg, and the district of Nivelles of the province Brabant). In some Walloon families, the Walloon dialect of French is still spoken, but in Walloon schools literary French is taught as the mother tongue. The literary Flemish language is similar to Dutch, but the spoken Flemish language, which is divided into the Brabant-French and Limburg dialects, is somewhat different from the spoken Dutch.

Mostly for a long time it was for the French language, the spread of which was supported by the socio-cultural influence of France.

Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It ranks second in Europe after the Netherlands. The central part of the country is especially populated - the valley of the Sambre and the Meuse and the strip along the Antwerp - Brussels - Charleroi axis, where the main industrial, commercial and transport life of the country is concentrated and the largest cities are located.

There are almost no uninhabited territories and unused lands in Belgium, there are many cities and urban-type settlements. Belgium is one of the most "traditionally urban" countries in the world. About 70% of the total population lives in cities, which include settlements. However, the boundary between the city and the countryside is very arbitrary. Some villages have outward signs of the city, and a significant part of their inhabitants work outside of agriculture. Therefore, in fact, the urban population is larger. Officially, there are 5 large (for Belgium) agglomerations in the country: Brussels, Antwerp, Liepe, Ghent and Charleroi. More than a quarter of the total population of the country lives in these agglomerations. At the same time, several highly urbanized territories, representing a cluster of small towns and industrial settlements that have developed together, can also be considered relatively significant agglomerations, for example, Borinage-Monnet, Center-Epoux, Courtrai, Aalst-Ninove, La Louviere-Senef-Manage. Such clusters are distinguished by the absence of a clearly defined single center, as if absorbing other cities and towns. Urban agglomerations are located so close to each other that the zones of their influence and the boundaries of buildings are in contact.

The wars sweeping over Belgium relatively weakly affected its cities, so many monuments of ancient architecture dating back to the early Middle Ages have been preserved in them. In each city, its old, as a rule, central part and the new, usually located on the outskirts of industrial and residential areas with modern-type houses, stand out quite clearly.

4. Household

The basis of the Belgian economy is, first of all, industry, before the importance of which gigantic ports, museum cities filled with tourists, and agriculture go far into the background. Belgium's share of world industrial output is more than three times its share of the world's population. The country ranks second in the world in steel production per capita, second only to Luxembourg, and in terms of industrial production is in twelfth place in the capitalist world.

Belgium plays an important role in world trade. Belgium is one of the first places in the world in the production and export of metallic germanium and cobalt, as well as in the export of drilling tools with diamonds, caprolactam and cars. Although the country's agriculture does not reach the level that it has in the neighboring Netherlands, it still belongs to the most highly organized in the capitalist sense in Western Europe, giving some of the products for export.

Important transport routes pass through the territory of Belgium, providing a significant amount of international transit traffic. The transit position, the abundance of historical and architectural monuments, the famous beaches of seaside resorts attract many foreign tourists to the country, who leave a lot of currency in hotels, campsites, shops and restaurants.

A favorable geographical position, extensive intermediary trade, available coal deposits, combined with once large reserves of iron and zinc ore, colonial exploitation of the wealth of the Belgian Congo - all this contributed to the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century. Belgium entered as an industrial imperialist power, the owner of large accumulations of free capital. In terms of the development of capitalism, it occupied one of the leading places in Europe. However, in the years that followed the two world wars, Belgium gradually lost its former role as one of the leading industrial powers, falling increasingly under the influence of stronger imperialist states.

After the Second World War, the economic development of Belgium was slow, the country was one of the last places in Europe in terms of growth in industrial production, it lags behind in the development of scientific research, labor productivity, the development of new industries and some other indicators. The Belgian industry, unlike most other small states, specializes in the production of semi-finished products that are converted into finished products in other countries.

Foreign capital plays an important role in the economic development of Belgium. The increased interest of foreign monopolies in the economy of this small country is explained, first of all, by its favorable geographical position, the presence of a highly skilled workforce and a well-developed network of communications of all kinds (primarily the large seaport of Antwerp), as well as an incentive tax system in relation to foreign enterprises and the possibility of obtaining a Belgian loan. As a rule, foreign firms invest their capital in the most dynamic and advanced industries, such as car assembly, radio electronics and petrochemicals, and seize leading positions in these industries.

The first place in direct investment in the Belgian economy is occupied by the United States. About 3/5 of the cars imported from Belgium are assembled at the General Motors and Ford factories.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering (car assembly, electrical engineering, electronics) and chemical industries became the main branches in the industrial structure. The glass, diamond-granite and weapons industries play a significant role.

Energy is based on oil and natural gas, which make up more than 2/3 of Belgium's energy balance. The rest comes from coal and nuclear energy. Belgium has a developed oil refining industry.

Since oil refineries operate on imported raw materials, almost all of them are located in the port area of Antwerp and in the zone of the Gent-Terneuzen canal. Antwerp became a significant center of the oil refining industry in Western Europe. However, it is located 90 km from the sea. To improve the supply of Antwerp plants with oil, the Antwerven-Rotterdam oil pipeline was built and the Antwerp-Zeebrugge oil pipeline was being laid.

Coal mining, which in the 1950s was one of the main branches of Belgian industry, now occupies one of the last places. Belgium's accession to the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) had a particularly painful impact on the coal mining industry, which could not withstand competition from other countries of the "common market". The difficulty of exploitation, the low level of mechanization and poor quality make Belgian coal more expensive than imported. In addition, the Belgian mines have the most difficult working conditions in all of Europe: accidents often occur in them, the level of occupational morbidity of miners here is higher than in the most hazardous industries. Since 1957, more than 100 unprofitable mines have been closed and coal production has fallen. Belgium imports almost half of the coal it needs, which seriously affects its solvent balance.

Almost all electricity is generated by thermal power plants using coal, fuel oil and natural gas. Nuclear power plants are currently in operation.

Ferrous metallurgy remains the main branch of the Belgian industry. It serves as a base for many industries either serving the metallurgical complex or consuming its products.

In addition, ferrous metallurgy is the country's main export industry. More than half of Belgian ironworks operate on high-quality Swedish iron ore and only on ores in Lorraine.

Ferrous metallurgy enterprises are concentrated on the territory of the Southern Coal Basin and mainly in two centers - around Liège and Charleroi. In addition, there are metallurgical enterprises in Brabant (Klabek) and in the extreme southeast, on the border with Luxembourg (Athus). Large metallurgical plants are located in Salzate on the Ghent-Terneuzen sea channel.

One of the leading places in the capitalist world is occupied by Belgium in the development of non-ferrous metallurgy, despite the almost complete absence of deposits of non-ferrous metal ores. It is among the top five - seven world producers and exporters of heavy metals (copper, zinc, lead), cobalt, germanium and radium. In addition, Belgium is one of the exporters of such rare metals as tantalum, niobium and selenium.

In Belgium, almost all branches of non-ferrous metallurgy are developed. The largest copper-smelting plant not only in Belgium, but also in capitalist Europe is located in Olen, and an equally large zinc-smelting plant is in Balen. In general, the main centers of non-ferrous metallurgy in Belgium are located in the Antwerp region, where all imported raw materials come from, in the Liepse region, connected by the Antwerp port of Alberg - the canal and along the canals in Campina. Since most of the smelted metal is exported in ingots, smelting predominates over processing.

The creation of a significant metallurgy and metalworking in the region of Lieps, Charleroi and Mens marked the beginning of mechanical engineering. the main area of metalworking and mechanical engineering, working on a local metallurgical base, is a narrow strip along the valleys of the Sambra and Maas rivers. Belgian mechanical engineering specializes in the production of metal-intensive capital equipment, which is closely related to the development of railway transport, the tram industry, and the construction of power plants in many European countries.

The main branches of mechanical engineering are the car assembly industry, which mainly limits the assembly of finished imported parts and assemblies; and electrical, specializing mainly in the production of power equipment.

Factories producing equipment are located along the valleys of the rivers Sambre and Meuse. Car assembly plants are located in Genk, Antwerp and Brussels; electrotechnical - in Charleroi, Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liepse. Shipbuilding and ship repair are concentrated in Antwerp and Saintes. The most important area of mechanical engineering in the north of the country is Antwerp and its surroundings, followed by the Brussels industrial center, and in third place is the area of Liege and Charleroi - Mons - Nivelles.

The Belgian chemical industry has historically been linked to the coal and metallurgical complex of the Southern Coal Basin. By making extensive use of coking products and blast-furnace processes, it has reached a fairly high level in the production of the main products of mineral chemistry.

The textile industry is one of the oldest branches of the Belgian industry. All major branches and cycles of textile production are developed. The enterprises of the cotton, linen and jute industries are located almost throughout Flanders, where they originated. The woolen industry is concentrated in Verviers, near Liège; its development here is due to the good quality of local waters, which give wool a special softness and elasticity. The largest centers for the production of fabrics from artificial fibers and lace are Brussels, Alet, Ninove.

The products of the Belgian glass industry are very famous: sheet and mirror glass, special glasses and crystal. This industry is one of the few that has its own raw material base.

The processing of diamonds has a centuries-old tradition; it originated in Belgium on the basis of Congolese raw materials. Belgium is one of the world's largest manufacturers of diamond tools, especially drill bits. The diamond-granite industry is concentrated in Antwerp, where all diamond processing operations are carried out and both polished and industrial diamonds are produced. Antwerp is a world center not only for diamond cutting, but also for diamond trading.

5. Climate

As for the weather, Belgium does not shine with a special variety. Here is the realm of a seaside climate with hot summers and mild winters. Snow falls high in the Ardennes, where there are plenty of excellent ski slopes. And the influence of the Gulf Stream is reflected in the fact that there are no sharp temperature changes on the coast, although the prevailing westerly winds often bring rain clouds with them. The tourist season here, depending on the interests, is open almost all year round. The best time for city tours is spring and autumn, when most of all kinds of festivals and holidays are held. And the Ardennes and the coast are best visited in winter and summer.

The territory of Belgium is located in the temperate climate zone, in the zone of deciduous forests. The proximity of the North Sea and the warm North Atlantic Current further soften the climatic conditions. The climate of Belgium is typical for Western Europe - maritime, humid, with moderate temperatures: mild winters and cool summers. Humid western and southwestern sea winds predominate, therefore, both in winter and in summer, the weather is most often overcast, with thick fogs and lingering drizzling rains. There is a lot of precipitation. Rainy days in a year are at least half (in Brussels, for example, from 154 to 244 days).

The maritime climate is more pronounced in the west. Here the snow falls occasionally and immediately melts. Rivers don't freeze. As you move southeast, into the Ardennes, the influence of the sea decreases: the climate becomes more severe with frosty and snowy winters. If the average January temperature for the whole of Belgium is +3°, then for the Ardennes it is below -1°; in general, the country is characterized by 80 frosty days a year, and for the Ardennes - 120; the average July temperature is +18 and +14°, respectively. The annual rainfall is 700-900 mm, but in the Ardennes, where the damp winds are held back by the mountains, it rises to 1500 mm.

Belgium's position in relation to neighboring countries. belgian gpp

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Introduction

1. Economic and geographical position

2. Natural conditions and resources

3. Population

4. Household

5. Climate

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