MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

TIRASPOL STATE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF GEOGRAPHY
HUMAN, REGIONAL AND TOURISM GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
General field of studies: Educational sciences
 Specialty: Geography and informatics 

General comparative characteristic of the economy of

Belgium and the Netherlands.Agriculture.Industry

Author:First cycle student Totomir Dumitru

Chişinău 2020
 In order to achieve this objective, the
following tasks have been outlined.

1. Bibliographic documentation.
2. The study and selection of techniques of comparative characterization of two
states.
3. The accumulation of the necessary material, including the statistical data for the
physical, geographic and socio-human description of the Belgian and Netherlands.
4. Deduction of conclusions based on the study.
 Proposed tasks
• General feature of the economy
• The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of these 2 countries
• The main sector of Industry in both countries
• Agriculture
• The strengths and weaknesses of the economy in these countries
 BELGIUM

Capital: Brussels
Size: 30,510 square kilometres
Currency: Euro
Population: 11,580,647
Religion: 90% Catholic. The remainder are Protestants,and Muslims
System of government: Federal parliamentary democracy.
Language: Dutch, French and German. Most Belgians also speak English.
International country code:32
 NETHERLANDS

Capital:Amsterdam
Size: 41,848 square kilometres
Currency: Euro
Population: 16,491,500 (2006)
Religion: 31% Catholic, 20% Protestant-Calvinist, 6% Muslim
System of government: Parliamentary democracy
Language: Dutch. Many Dutch people speak English as well.
International country code: 31
Population density.
Growth rate population.

Fig.1.Growth rate population in Netherlands Fig.2.Growth rate population in Belgium

Blegium, population proietion
. Current projections say that the
population will be 11,619,972 in
2020, 12,001,594 in 2030,
12,293,880 in 2040 and 12,488,233
in 2050.
Netherlands, population proiection
 General feature of the economy
Netherlands
1 ) The Netherlands is the sixth largest
economic power in the Eurozone and the fifth
largest exporter of goods.
2) The country is very open to trade and
consequently to the global economic
conjuncture.  household demand, but the recent
3) The Netherlands presents a very high
income per capita, which is distributed in a
relatively equal manner.
Belgium
1) Belgium benefits from a strategic
geographical position: situated between the
UK, Germany and France, Europe’s three
main economies.
2)  Growth is driven by investment and
weakness in private consumption, despite
continued employment growth supported
by labour tax cuts, has caused a slight drop
of the economic growth to 1.4% in 2019. 
3) Inflation rate fell from 2.3% to an estimated
1.2% in 2019 (IMF), mainly because of the
fall in energy prices.
 BELGIUM
For the past few years, the recovery in Europe
has allowed the Dutch economy to grow at a
dynamic pace, and despite a maturing business
cycle the country’s growth remained resilient in
2019, at 1.8% of GDP (from 2.6% one year
earlier). The main growth drivers were domestic
demand and exports, however trade uncertainty
at global level and lower business investments
should contribute to a moderate slowdown of the
Dutch economy, with a projected growth of 1.6%
and 1.5% for 2020 and 2021, respectively (IMF).
NETHERLANDS
Economy growth is driven by investment and
household demand, but the recent weakness in
private consumption, despite continued
employment growth supported by labour tax
cuts, has caused a slight drop of the economic
growth to 1.4% in 2019. According to the
updated IMF forecasts from 14th April 2020,
due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, GDP
growth is expected to fall to -6.9% in 2020 and
pick up to 4.6% in 2021, subject to the post-
pandemic global economic recovery.
Main Partner Countries (% of exports)

Netherlands Belgium
18%
22% 10% 8%
41%

14%
8%

5%
7% 8% 12%

47%

Belgium UK France Germany France Netherlands

USA Other Germany UK USA Other
 Main Supliers of countries (% of imports)

Netherlands Belgium
18%
18%

10% 48% 13%

49%

9%
9%
6% 5% 7%
8%
Germany Belgium China Netherlands Germany France
USA UK Other USA Irland Other
 555.9 bn USD of products exported in 2018 468.6 bn USD of products exported in 2018
Petroleum oils and oils 9.7% Motor cars and other m 7.3%
obtained from bitumin otor vehicles principally
ous... ...
Transmission apparatu 3.4% Petroleum oils and oils 6.8%
s for radio-telephony,... obtained from bitumino
us...
Automatic data process 3.2%
ing machines and units Medicaments consisting 5.9%
... of mixed or unmixed...
Medicaments consistin 2.9% Human blood; animal bl 3.8%
g of mixed or unmixed ood prepared for therap
... eutic...
Instruments and applia 2.1%
nces used in medical,...
Diamonds, whether or n 3.2%
Other products 78.8% ot worked, but not mou
nted...
Other products 73.1%
 NOTES: Netherlands data. Belgium data. (E) Estimated data
https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/belgium-population/

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/netherlands-population/

https://www.coface.com/cofaweb/comparer/691-862?fbclid=IwAR1_c
zPLnoHoZuMpEuoYbGSZmHf62tp1Wxc3fzhXkyGNMOASE9KyfS
mZTVc

https://www.nordeatrade.com/en/explore-new-market/be
lgium/economical-context?vider_sticky=oui