Center of Europe: Belgium
Belgium, which taken named of the Belgae, a mixture of Celtic and Germanic people, has been known as; it is known as a center of prosperity from a commercial and cultural perspective. The country, which is mostly known for taking over the administration of the European Union, also attracts great attention with its medieval structures and Renaissance works.
The Kingdom of Belgium which is located Western Europe sided with the Atlantic Ocean in the northwest, the Netherlands in the northeast, Germany in the east, France in the southwest and Luxembourg in the south.
There are three regions in Belgium which defined as autonomous and officially recognized; Flemish, Walloon and Brussels. Due to the rising political tension between the Flemish in the north and the French living in the south, Belgium has recently granted autonomy and authority to these regions wtih the constitutional changes. The official language of Belgium, which has a federal state structure with a population of approximately 10 million people, is French.
Belgium ranks among the world’s largest trading countries
Belgium, the headquarters of the European Union (EU), is home to several EU institutions in its capital Brussel and the headquarters of NATO in which it is a member. With its highly industrialized economy, Belgium is among the 15 largest trading countries in the world.
Belgium, which continues its economy on machinery, food products, textiles, plastics and petroleum, is known to have one of the most open economies among EU countries. Belgium has felt the effects of the economic and financial crisis, which have affected the EU and the Eurozone more heavily in recent years, to a lesser degree. Among the main economic problems of Belgium, budget problems, aging population and low employment rate come to the fore.
Reducing labor costs in Belgium, reducing the bureaucracy brought by the federal system and increasing competitiveness are among the structural reforms that the country should undertake.
Belgium exports to Turkey decreased compared to last year
Turkey ranks 14th in the ranking of countries in which Belgium exports in 2018, imports ranks in the 16th. In this context, Turkey’s exports to Belgium in 2018 decreased by 6.4% compared to the previous year (-341.4 Million Euros) fell to around 5 billion Euros. Turkey’ share of Belgium’s total exports was 1.3%. On the other hand, Belgium’s imports from Turkey during the same period increased by 6.7% (+305.9 Million Euro) reached 4.8 billion Euros.
Belgium, the tourist attraction
Belgium is a country rich in terms of sights, including the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the Wellinton Museum, the Beer Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Palace of Justice and the Atomium. ‘The Curious Mannaken Pis’ bronze fountain, which attracts many tourists, is also located in this country.
