Belgium

Belgium is divided into three regions: The Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, the francophone Wallonia in the south and the bilingual capital Brussels, where French and Dutch share official status. Also, there is a small minority in the eastern part of the country who speak German. Belgium has a varied landscape with 67 kilometers of sea coast and flat coastal plains along the North Sea. In addition, a central plateau and the rolling hills and forests of the Ardennes region in the south. In 2012, the most important sectors of Belgium’s economy were public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (22.8 %), wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (19.9 %) and industry (15.9%). Important partners for both export and import are Germany, France and the Netherlands.