Belgium's Political Geography:
Conventional Long Name of Country:-KIngdom of Belgium
Capital City(-ies):-Brussels
Type of Government:-Federal Parliamentary Democracy Under a Constitutional Monarchy
Description of Executive Branch:-Belgium has a chief of state and head of government position, and a cabinet, which is a Council of Ministers appointed by the Monarch. Elections: The monarch is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and then approved by parliament.
Description of Legislative Branch:-Bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members directly elected by popular vote, 31 indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms).
Description of Judicial Branch:-Constitutional Court (12 judges, 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking, appointed by the King); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice Council).
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Date of Independence:-4 October 1830
National Holiday(s):-21 July 1831; ascension to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I
Chief of State:-King Albert II
Head of Government:-Prime Minister Elio di Rupo
Suffrage:-18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Name of their ambassador to the US:-Ambassador Jan Matthysen
Location of their embassy:-3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of their consulate:-Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York
Name of US Ambassador to them:-Ambassador Howard W. Gutman
Location of US Embassy there:-27 Boulevard du Regent (Regentlaan), B-1000 Brussels
Location of US consulate there:-N/A on Factbook
Name of their rep. to the UN:-Jan Grauls
Flag Description:-three
equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the
vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those
of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and
tongue on a black field)
National Symbol:-Lion
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