CORE —
EXTRACTED
EXTRACTED
THICKNESS ∝ EVENTS
← THE SECTION CUT · EUROPE
Belgium
50.8N 4.0E · 29 EVENTS · 9 DOMAINS
THE BELGIAN REVOLUTION AND THE BIRTH OF AN INDEPENDENT KINGDOM · 1830
▼ PULL DOWN TO EXTRACT THE CORE
1945 – present · A Federal Kingdom at the Heart of Europe
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
4 Apr 1949 · Founding member of NATO 2 REFS
1951–1957 · Founding the European Community 2 REFS
1914 – 1945 · The Two World Wars and the Gains of Versailles
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
4 Aug 1914 · Germany invades neutral Belgium 2 REFS
1919–1920 · Versailles: Eupen-Malmedy and the end of Moresnet 3 REFS
1865 – 1914 · Leopold II, the Congo, and the Curiosities of the Border
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
1816–1920 · Neutral Moresnet 2 REFS
1885 · Foundation of the Congo Free State 2 REFS
1713 – 1865 · Revolution, Independence and the Guaranteed Neutral Kingdom
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
1815 · Union with the Netherlands 2 REFS
21 Jul 1831 · Leopold I, first King of the Belgians 2 REFS
1384 – 1713 · The Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands
5 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
1477 · The Habsburg inheritance 1 REF
1555 · Abdication of Charles V in Brussels 1 REF
c. 850 – 1384 · The Medieval Low Countries: Flanders, Brabant and the Cloth Towns
4 EVENTS · READ THE BED →
12th–14th c. · The Flemish cloth boom 2 REFS
11 Jul 1302 · Battle of the Golden Spurs 2 REFS
Read the chronicle
EVERY ERA, EVENT AND REFERENCE ON ONE PAGE
↓
Quick facts · atlas reference
- Capital
- Brussels
- Population
- 11 m
- Area
- 30,528 km²
- Region
- Western Europe
- Languages
- German, French, Dutch
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Demonym
- Belgian
- UN member
- Yes
Dossier · press a specimen — it turns over
Specimen bench
PRESS A SPECIMEN — IT TURNS OVER
Economy
GDP
$725 B’25 WB-WDI
GDP per capita
$60,750’25 WB-WDI
GDP growth
1.0%’25 WB-WDI
Inflation
2.5%’25 WB-WDI
Trade openness
152.9%’25 WB-WDI
Society
Population
12 m’25 WB-WDI
Life expectancy
82.3 yrs’24 WB-WDI
Urban population
87.7%’25 WB-WDI
Fertility rate
1.4’24 WB-WDI
Governance
Voice & accountability
83.1’24 WB-WGI
Political stability
68.0’24 WB-WGI
Government effectiveness
74.6’24 WB-WGI
Regulatory quality
74.5’24 WB-WGI
Rule of law
79.0’24 WB-WGI
Control of corruption
77.6’24 WB-WGI
Health
Health spending
10.8%’23 WB-WHO
Physicians
3.57’22 WB-WHO
Under-5 mortality
3.7’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Measles immunisation
96.0%’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Safe drinking water
99.5%’24 WB-WHO
Education
Education spending
6.3%’22 WB-UNESCO
Primary enrolment
102.1%’23 WB-UNESCO
Secondary enrolment
143.0%’23 WB-UNESCO
Tertiary enrolment
82.1%’23 WB-UNESCO
Technology
R&D spending
3.3%’23 WB-UNESCO
Researchers (per million)
5,990’23 WB-UNESCO
Internet users
95.8%’24 WB-ITU
Mobile subscriptions
104’24 WB-ITU
High-tech exports
20.4%’24 WB-WDI
Geography
Land area
30,494 km²’23 WB-WDI
Forest area
22.6%’23 WB-WDI
Agricultural land
44.4%’23 WB-WDI
CO₂ per capita (t)
7.3’24 WB-WDI
Renewable energy
11.7%’21 WB-WDI
Resources
Resource rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Oil rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Mineral rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Forest rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Electricity access
100.0%’24 WB-WDI
Military
Military burden
1.3%’24 WB-SIPRI
Defense spending
$8.6 B’24 WB-SIPRI
Armed forces
24,000’20 WB-SIPRI
A hatched gap has no underside — there is nothing to turn over. Absence is stated, never zeroed.
The record · what changed here
- GDP — 2025 observation published ($725 B), superseding 2024 ($671 B) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- GDP per capita — 2025 observation published ($60,750), superseding 2024 ($56,615) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- GDP growth — 2025 observation published (1.0%), superseding 2024 (1.1%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Inflation — 2025 observation published (2.5%), superseding 2024 (3.1%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Trade openness — 2025 observation published (152.9%), superseding 2024 (158.9%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Electricity access — 2024 observation published (100.0%), superseding 2023 (100.0%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Population — 2025 observation published (12 m), superseding 2024 (12 m) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14
- Urban population — 2025 observation published (87.7%), superseding 2024 (87.6%) → THE SPECIMENLEDGER № 0001 · 2026-08-14