BELGIUMBELGIUM. The best kept secret of Europe Belgium, the best kept secret of Europe.

BELGIUMBELGIUMBELGIUMBELGIUM

The best kept The best kept secret of Europesecret of Europe

The best kept The best kept secret of Europesecret of Europe

Belgium, the best kept Belgium, the best kept secret of Europesecret of Europe

Belgium, the best kept Belgium, the best kept secret of Europesecret of Europe

Where is Belgium?Where is Belgium?Where is Belgium?Where is Belgium?

In the Centre of Europe

Belgium, the best kept secret of

EuropeIndependent since 1831, a constitutional monarchy 君主立憲體制

A Federal Country 聯邦制國家Three regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels-

Capital

Three Cultural communities: the French Speaking

Community, the Dutch Speaking Community and

the German Speaking Community

Three official languages : Dutch, French, German

10.63 million inhabitants

30528 KM²

Currency: euro, EUR, €

Euroland includes 15 out of 27 EU member states

   Eurozone (15)

joining Eurozone on 1 Jan 2009 (Slovakia)

盎格魯薩克遜盎格魯薩克遜盎格魯薩克遜盎格魯薩克遜

日耳曼與日耳曼與北歐北歐

日耳曼與日耳曼與北歐北歐

拉丁拉丁拉丁拉丁

BrusselsBrussels

比利時位於歐洲三大主要文化的

中心

歐盟 27國人口 : 4.99 億

歐盟 27GDP : 世界 GDP的 31%

比利時地方自治結構

荷語

法語

荷法雙語Flanders

Brussels

Wallonia

A Federal Country with three Regions 3 個自治區

Belgium, the best kept secret of Europe

A Federal Country withThree Cultural Communities 三個語言文化

區

法語文化區 荷語文化區 德語文化區

Brussels-Capital布魯塞爾首都區

• Capital of Belgium (and of Europe)

• An international business center: 2000 foreign companies, 160 multi-national companies HQs

• Inhabitants : 1 million• Official languages : French and

Dutch• 2 universities

Flanders 法蘭德斯The northern part of Belgium

• 13522 km• 6 million inhabitants• Official language :

Dutch/Flemish• 5 universities• Major cities:

Antwerp, Ghent, Bruge, Ostend, Leuven

• Regional airports: Antwerp, Ostend

• Seaports: Antwerp, Zeebrugge

Wallonia 瓦隆尼亞The southern part of

Belgium

– 16844km²

– 3,4 million inhabitants

(French speaking +

71500 German speaking )

inhabitants

– Official language : French

– 9 universities

– Major cities:

Namur, Liège, Charleroi,

Mons, Nivelles, Eupen

– 2 regional airports

(Charleroi, Liège)

Belgium, the best kept secret of Europe

Economy

GDP structure: (source: World Bank)

agriculture 1.4%, industry 27%, services 71.6%

GDP in 2007: 448.6 billion USD (source: World Bank)

GNI per capita 2007: 40710 USD (source: World Bank)

Economic growth rate 2007: 2.8% (source: World Bank)

Major industries: Automobile, Chemical & Petro-

chemical, Biotech & pharmaceutical, Micro-

electronics, Textile, Machinery, etc.

• Export: 430.11 billion USD (2007 +7.6%)• Import: import: 412.52 billion USD (2007 +

7.5%)• Ranking 10th in the world leading exporters

& importers• Major trading partners: DE, FR, NL, UK, US, • Trade with Taiwan (2007) Import from Taiwan: 1126.8 million USD Export to Taiwan: 579.3 million USD

Belgium, the best kept secret of Europe

Foreign Trade

Belgium, the best kept secret of Europe

Trade with Taiwan (2007)

• Major imports From Taiwan

1. Machinery & equipment

2. Base metals & products

3. Transport equipment

4. Chemicals

5. Plastics

• Major exports to Taiwan

1. Chemicals

2. Base metals & products

3. Machinery

4. Plastics

5. Food products

Belgium, the best kept secret of Europe

Education system • Free primary and secondary education• Schooling is compulsory from the age of 6 to 18• Education policies are made by the three communities• Structure:

– Primary (age 6-12)– Secondary (general, specialized, technical,

vocational, professional) (age 12-18)– Higher education (vocational and university)

Bachelor (3 years), Master (1-2 years), and Doctorate (2 years at least)

The Past glory…

In 1910, Belgium was ... the third trade nation in the world, home to the inventors of the saxophone, the trolleybus, the rollerskates, the stroboscope, the first plastics, ... and the fathers of cartography, human anatomics, plantgenetics, the bigbang theory ;

and ... the origin of SPA !

The Origin of SPA

• The City of Spa Spa from the latin word « spagere »

A country with leading technologies

and rich culture

• To beer or not to beer… By Shakespeare

Belgium is also a paradise of beers

• To beer or not to beer… By ShakesBeer

A land of gastronomy

A few more famous Belgians• Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin• Eddy Merckx (the greatest cyclist)• Ernest Solvay (the Solvay process)• The Dardenne Brothers (twice Palm d’Or winner)• Georges Lemaïtre (the Big Bang Theory)• César Auguste Franck (composer)• Paul Henri Spaak (founder of Benelux, Mr.

Europe)• Dries Van Noten (fashion designer)• Georges Remi (Hergé, creator of Tintin)• Andreas Vesalius (anatomist and physician)

Quiz Time Quiz Time Quiz Time Quiz Time

Which of the following countries are neighbours of Belgium?

• Denmark• Germany• France• Austria• The Netherlands• Italy• Luxembourg

Which of the following countries are neighbours of Belgium?

• Denmark• Germany• France• Austria• The Netherlands• Italy• Luxembourg

Which of the following person is Belgium’s incumbent head of

state?

• Queen Elisabeth• Queen Beatrix• King Albert II• Queen Margrethe• King Baudouin• King Harald

Which of the following person is Belgium’s incumbent head of

state?

• Queen Elisabeth• Queen Beatrix• King Albert II• Queen Margrethe• King Baudouin• King Harald

Which of the following cities is the capital of Belgium?

• Strasbourg• Salzburg• Maastricht• Brussels• Antwerp• Belgrade

Which of the following cities is the capital of Belgium?

• Strasbourg• Salzburg• Maastricht• Brussels• Antwerp• Belgrade

Which of the following monuments or buildings is

located in Belgium?

A. B. C.

D.E.

Which of the following monuments or buildings is

located in Belgium?

Atomiumbuilt in 1958 for the Brussels

World Fair (103 m)

C.

Which of the following languages are official languages in Belgium?

• English• French• Dutch• German• Spanish

Which of the following languages are official languages in Belgium?

• English• French• Dutch• German• Spanish

Which of the following chocolate brands are not

Belgian?

• Godiva• Café Tasse• Charlemagne• Neuhaus• Galler• Pierre Marcolini• Léonidas

Which of the following chocolate brands are not

Belgian?

• Godiva• Café Tasse• Charlemagne• Neuhaus• Galler• Pierre Marcolini• Léonidas

Which of the following comic strip personalities are of Belgian

origin?

• Pop Eye• Tintin• Pink Panther• Snoopy• Smurfs

(Schtroumpfs) • Winnie the Pooh

Which of the following comic strip personalities are of Belgian

origin?

• Pop Eye• Tintin• Pink Panther• Snoopy• Smurfs

(Schtroumpfs) • Winnie the Pooh

Which of the following artists are Belgian?

• Rembrandt• Cézanne• Rubens• Renoir• Van Dyck• Magritte• Delvaux• Titian

Which of the following artists are Belgian?

• Rembrandt• Cézanne• Rubens• Renoir• Van Dyck• Magritte• Delvaux• Titian

Which of the following singers is of Belgian origin?

• Yves Montant• Edith Piaf• Jacques Brel• Céline Dion• Nana Mouscuri

Which of the following singers is of Belgian origin?

• Yves Montant• Edith Piaf• Jacques Brel• Céline Dion• Nana Mouscuri

Which of the following International Organizations are

located in Belgium?

• WTO• UNESCO• NATO• European

Commission• WHO

Which of the following International Organizations are

located in Belgium?

• WTO• UNESCO• NATO• European

Commission• WHO

Which one of the following emperors was born in Belgium?

• Alexander the Great• Napoleon• Peter the Great• Charlemagne (Charles the

Great)

Which one of the following emperors was born in Belgium?

• Alexander the Great• Napoleon• Peter the Great• Charlemagne (Charles the Great,

742/747-814, King of the Franks, coronated as Holy Roman Emperor in 800)

Do you know any of the following movie stars who was born in

Belgium?

• Jean Réno• Jean Claude Van

Damme• Audrey Hepburn • Olando Boom• Johnny Depp

Do you know any of the following movie stars who was born in

Belgium?

• Jean Réno• Jean Claude Van

Damme• Audrey Hepburn • Olando Boom• Johnny Depp

Which of the following musical instruments was invented by a

Belgian?

• Piano• Trumpet• Cello• Violin• Saxophone • Oboe

Which of the following musical instruments was invented by a

Belgian?

• Piano• Trumpet• Cello• Violin• Saxophone • Oboe

Adolph SAX made the first saxophone in 1846 at the age of 20

Which of the following writers are Belgian?

• Georges Simenon• Françoise Sagan• Maguérite Duras• Amélie Nothomb• Dan Brown• Agatha Christie

Which of the following writers are Belgian?

• Georges Simenon• Françoise Sagan• Maguérite Duras• Amélie Nothomb• Dan Brown• Agatha Christie

For More information…

• www.belgium.gov.be • www.brusselsinternational.be• www.flanders.be • www.wallonia-international.be• www.beltrade.org.tw

Belgium, the best kept Belgium, the best kept secret of Europesecret of Europe

Belgium, the best kept Belgium, the best kept secret of Europesecret of Europe

Thank you for your Thank you for your attention !attention !

MichMichèèle Decaux Wangle Decaux WangTrade and Investment Commissioner for WalloniaTrade and Investment Commissioner for Wallonia

Belgian office TaipeiBelgian office Taipei