Belgium Infor

Population: 10,414,336

GDP: $389.7 Billion ('08)

GDP Growth Rate: 1.3% ('08)

GDP per Capita: $38,300

Government: Federal Parliamentary

Democracy under Constitutional

Monarchy

Belgium

Belgium is the world’s biggest exporter of diamonds and carpets. Joint second on the country’s list of exports are vegetable fibres, chocolate and margarine, third is glass and joint fourth are eggs, non-alcoholic drinks and cars assembled in Belgium.

The majority of these new entrepreneurs are men between 25 and 44 years old. However, there are four times more male entrepreneurs than female.

* 18/02/2011) Belgium seventh in the European ranking of fastest-growing companies

* (31/01/2011) Belgium sixth place among world's most globalised countries

* 18/02/2011) Belgium seventh in the European ranking of fastest-growing companies

* (31/01/2011) Belgium sixth place among world's most globalised countries

On 4 January 2010, the Burj Khalifa (former Burj Dubai) was officially opened. With its height of 818 metres, it is now the tallest tower in the world. The tower was built by the Belgian Besix Group for the Saudi crown prince AlWaleed bin Talal.

The Entrepreneur

Distribution Sector Entrepreneur

Jef Colruythas followed in the footsteps of his father in making the Colruyt Group a booming business. The Colruyt Group, which includes Okay and Dreamland, has a workforce of around 17,000 and owns over 260 stores in Belgium and some 40 in France, is one of the biggest players on the distribution market. In 14 years it has hired 11,000 members of staff, and in 2007 boasted a turnover of €5.21 billion. Jef Colruyt was ‘Manager of the Year’ in 2002.