Language: Dutch, French, German
Currency: Euro (EU)
Calling Code: 32
Belgium, officially Kingdom of Belgium (in Dutch:
Koninkrijk België, in French: Royaume de Belgique and in German:
Königreich Belgien), is a sovereign country, member of the European
Union, located in northwestern Europe. The country covers an area of
30,528 square kilometers and has a population of 11,409,077
inhabitants according to the estimate of 2016. Its capital and most
populated city is Brussels. It is a multilingual state with three
official languages: 57% of its population, in the Flanders region
mainly, speaks Dutch, while about 42% speaks French (in the Wallonia
region, to the south, and in the Brussels Region -Capital, an
officially bilingual region that hosts a majority of French
speakers). Less than 1% of Belgians live in the German-speaking
Community, where they speak German, next to the eastern border of
the country. Often, this linguistic diversity leads to severe
political and cultural conflicts, very similar to those of other
bilingual countries, reflected in the complex system of government
of Belgium and in its political history.
Belgium receives its
name from the Latin name of the northernmost part of Gaul, Gallia
Belgica, which, in turn, comes from a group of Celtic tribes, the
Belgians. Historically, Belgium has been part of the Netherlands of
the Habsburgs, which included the current Netherlands and the Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg, occupying a region somewhat larger than the
modern Benelux. From the late Middle Ages to the 17th century, it
was a flourishing center of commerce and culture. From the 18th
century until the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Belgium, at that time
called the Southern Netherlands, was the site of many battles
between the European powers and that is why it has earned the
nickname of "the battlefield of Europe" or "Europe's cabin".
It is one of the founding members of the European Union, whose main
institutions are located in the country, as well as a significant
number of other international organizations, such as NATO.
The territory of Belgium is divided into three geographical
regions: the coastal plain (low Belgium, up to 100 m above sea
level) in the northwest, the central plateau (middle Belgium,
100-200 meters above sea level) and the Ardennes highlands in
the southeast (high Belgium , 200-500 meters above sea level).
Low Belgium is mostly sand dunes and polders. Polders are
low-lying areas of land (not necessarily below sea level) that
are at risk of flooding and are protected from floods by dams
or, further from the sea, fields with drainage channels. Polders
are distinguished by soil fertility. Between the western
polders, the Lys and the Scheldt lies the Flemish Lowland, a
hilly area with sandy soil in places. Beyond the Flemish
Lowlands lies the geographic region of Kempen. The Kempen
landscape mainly consists of coniferous forests, meadows and
cornfields.
Central Belgium is the area between Kempen
and the Sambre and Meuse valleys. This is an area of clay
plains, gradually rising towards the Sambre and Meuse. Here are
the most fertile soils in Belgium. Due to the developed
urbanization of the area, natural landscapes are rare, but south
of Brussels there is still a beech forest with an area of five
thousand hectares (Dutch Zoniënwoud, French Forêt de Soignes).
Central Belgium includes the territory of the province of
Hainaut and the geographical region of the netherl. Haspengouw,
fr. La Hesbaye (south of the province of Limburg and north of
the province of Liege). These fertile lands are mainly occupied
by arable lands and meadows, between which lie large rural
estates (farms).
High Belgium is characterized primarily
by low population density and an abundance of forests. Due to
the mountainous terrain, agriculture is not developed here, but
this region attracts many tourists. High Belgium begins south of
the valleys of the rivers Sambre and Meuse. Immediately beyond
the valleys of these rivers, the geographical region of Condroz
(fr. Condroz) begins - low hills 200-300 meters high. This area
includes parts of the provinces of Hainaut, Liège and Namur.
Next are the Ardennes - high hills (or even low mountains). The
Ardennes are mostly covered with forest, and winding serpentine
roads connect small villages, the inhabitants of which still use
the Walloon dialect. The highest point of the Ardennes (and all
of Belgium) is Mount Botrange (fr. Botrange), 694 meters above
sea level.
Minerals
In the northern part of Belgium,
under a thick Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover, there is a
Precambrian crystalline basement. When moving south, the
foundation is exposed in places along the river valleys, and in
the south of the country it emerges in the form of Hercynian
folded structures, which have undergone strong denudation. In
the north of Belgium, as a result of repeated exposure to
glacial melt waters, loess is widespread.
Minerals: coal
(in Campina and along the valleys of the rivers Meuse and
Sambre); lead, zinc, copper, antimony (Ardennes); granite,
sandstone, marble.
Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and the federal government. Officially the head of the state is the king, while actual head of a state is the Prime Minister.
The climate of Belgium is a temperate maritime, oceanic climate, characteristic of the whole of Western Europe. The climate of Belgium is characterized by mild and rainy winters and cool, rainy summers. The weather is usually cloudy. Snow is rare in Belgium, in some years it does not fall at all, sometimes there are frosts in winter. Summers are cool; Belgium is characterized by cyclonic weather. Heat is rare and short-lived.
Boars, fallow deer, roe deer, hares, squirrels, wood mice are found mainly in the Ardennes. Partridges, woodcocks, pheasants, ducks are found in swampy thickets.
Belgium is a highly developed post-industrial state. The basis
of the economy is the service sector (primarily transport and
trade) and industry.
Advantages: one of the most
significant manufacturers of metal products and textiles.
Flanders is a leading region in the high-tech industry, Antwerp
is the world center for the diamond trade. Highly developed
chemical industry. Well educated and highly motivated
multilingual workforce with high productivity. Attractive
location for American TNCs. Good water transport network across
the North Sea, access to the Rhine from Antwerp to Ghent.
Weaknesses: public debt of about 87.7% of GNP far exceeds
the maximum allowable level in the Eurozone of 60% (2006 data).
In some regions, a large number of chronic and unskilled
unemployed. Frequent early retirement of employees, which
results in a high level of state pension payments. More
bureaucracy than the EU average.
Belgium is a member of
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - OECD),
the European Union (EU), the country became the first member of
the European Monetary Union in 1999.
The production of
steel, cement and chemical products is mainly concentrated in
the valley of the rivers Sambre and Meuse. The largest
industrial cities are Mons, Charleroi, Namur and Liège.
Previously, coal mining was also carried out in this area, but
in the 1980s. the last mines were closed. The center of the
steel industry is Liege. Products of the chemical industry -
fertilizers, dyes, pharmaceuticals, as well as various plastics.
The center of the petrochemical industry is located in Antwerp,
the headquarters of the large chemical and pharmaceutical
company Solvay is located in Brussels.
The textile
industry, which originated in the Middle Ages, includes the
processing of cotton, linen, wool, and synthetic fabrics. One of
the most important products of the textile industry is carpets
and blankets. The main centers of the textile industry are
Ghent, Kortrijk, Tournai, and Verviers. Brussels, Bruges and
Mechelen are known as the ancient centers of lace production
(see Flemish lace).
Other industries are diamond
processing (primarily in Antwerp), cement and glass production,
woodworking, and the food industry. There are several automotive
industries.
The Belgian economy is strongly oriented
towards the international market.
The main imports are
food, machinery, rough diamonds, oil and petroleum products,
chemical products, clothing, and textiles. The main export
commodities are automobiles, foodstuffs, iron and steel,
polished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products and
non-ferrous metals.
In 1970 - 80 years. The economic
center of the country moved from Wallonia to Flanders. This is
due to the decline of the traditional sectors of the Walloon
economy - coal mining and ferrous metallurgy. At present, coal
mining has been completely stopped, while metallurgy remains an
important branch of the economy, although its importance has
greatly decreased. The Flanders economy is now receiving more
investment. In Flanders, much attention is paid to applied
research and development. The unemployment rate in Wallonia is
twice that of Flanders.
The main branch of energy is
nuclear. Belgium has two nuclear power plants, one near Antwerp
and the other in the Huy region. Currently, 75% of the
electricity in the country is produced by nuclear power plants.
Belgium has a developed transport system. The port of
Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe. Internal transport
is also well developed.
Agricultural production accounts
for only 1.4% of GDP (according to 2006 data), however, such a
low indicator does not indicate a weak development of
agriculture, but a strong development of other sectors of the
economy. The most important plants are wheat, oats, rye, barley,
sugar beets, potatoes and flax. Animal husbandry is mainly the
breeding of cattle and pigs. Closely related to agriculture are
traditional food industries such as brewing and cheese
production.
According to 2006 data, per capita income was
$31,800. Despite a significant share of heavy industry in the
structure of the economy, the service sector accounted for 72.5%
of GDP. As of May 2017, the average wage in Belgium is €3401
($3821.72 gross) and €2170 ($2438.35 net) per month. As of
January 1, 2019, the minimum wage in Belgium is €1562.59 per
month (gross) and €1472 (net) per month.
The contribution to the development of science and technology in
Belgium can be traced throughout the history of this country. In
the sixteenth century, the Southern Netherlands became famous
for its scientists, such as the cartographer Gerardus Mercator,
the anatomist Andreas Vesalius, the herbalist Rembert Doduns,
and the mathematician and engineer Simon Stevin, among the most
influential in the scientific community.
In the first
half of the 17th century, the Walloon method of making bar iron
spread to Sweden and was used there for 260 years.
The
economically important underground coal mining during the Great
Industrial Revolution required highly specialized mining
research.
The end of the 19th century and the 20th
century were marked by significant achievements of Belgium in
applied science and theoretical fundamental research. Industrial
chemist Ernest Gaston Solvay and engineer Zenob Theophilus Gramm
gave their names to scientific concepts: the Solvay process and
Gramm's dynamo in the 1860s. Georges Lemaitre is credited with
the authorship (along with other scientists) of the theory of
the expanding universe.
Three Nobel Prizes in Physiology
or Medicine, one Nobel Prize in Chemistry and one Nobel Prize in
Physics have been awarded to Belgians:
Jules Bordet, "For
discoveries connected with immunity" (1919);
Korney Heymans,
"for their discovery of the role of the sinus and aortic
mechanisms in the regulation of respiration" (1938);
Albert
Claude, Christian de Duve, George Palade, "for their discoveries
concerning the structural and functional organization of the
cell" (1974);
Ilya Prigogine, "for his work on the
thermodynamics of irreversible processes, especially for the
theory of dissipative structures" (1977);
François Engleroux,
"For the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that helps us
understand the origin of the mass of subatomic particles,
recently confirmed by the discovery of the predicted elementary
particle in the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron
Collider at CERN" (2013).
Urbanization
Almost the entire population of Belgium is urban
- 98.1% in 2021.
Belgium has a high population density
(376 people per km²), yielding in this parameter in Europe only
to the Netherlands and some dwarf states, such as Monaco. The
highest population density in the country is observed in the
area bounded by the cities of Brussels-Antwerp-Ghent-Leuven (the
so-called "Flemish diamond"). The lowest population density is
in the Ardennes (Province of Luxembourg).
In 2010, the
population of the Flemish Region was about 6,251,983, including
the most populous cities of Antwerp (483,505), Ghent (243,366)
and Bruges (116,741). The population of Wallonia was 3,498,384,
including the most populous cities of Charleroi (202,598), Liège
(192,504) and Namur (108,950). Brussels has a population of
1,089,538 in 19 metropolitan district municipalities, three of
which, Anderlecht, Brussels and Schaarbeek, have over 100,000
inhabitants.
Age and sex structure of the Belgian
population
0-14 years old: 17.22% (boys 1,033,383 / girls
984,624);
15-24 years old: 11.2% (men 670,724 / women
642,145);
25-54 years old: 39.23% (men 2,319,777 / women
2,278,450);
55-64 years old: 13.14% (men 764,902 / women
775,454);
65 years and over: 19.21% (male 988,148 / female
1,263,109) (2020 figures)
Average age
Overall
indicator: 41.6 years
Men: 40.4 years
Women: 42.8 years
(2020 figures)
Population growth
The population from
2020 to 2021 increased by 0.59%.
Birth rate: 11.03
Death
rate: 9.71.
Net migration in Belgium is 4.58 migrants per
1,000 inhabitants (25th in the world, as of 2021)
Gender
composition of the population
At birth: 1.05 males / female
0-14 years old: 1.05 men / female
15-24 years old: 1.04 men /
female
25-54 years old: 1.02 men / female
55-64 years old:
0.99 male / female
65 years and over: 0.78 male / female
The ratio of the total number: 0.97 male / female. (as of 2020)
Child mortality rates
Overall rate: 3.24 deaths/1000
births
Male: 3.68 deaths/1000 births
Female: 2.78
deaths/1000 births (as of 2021)
Average life expectancy
Overall indicator: 81.65 years
Men: 79.02 years
Women:
84.4 years (as of 2021)
Total fertility rate
According
to the data for 2021, on average, one resident of Belgium has
1.77 children. The same indicator for 1994 was 1.50 children.
The two main groups that make up the country's population are
the Flemings (about 60% of the population) and the Walloons
(about 40% of the population). The Flemings live in the five
northern provinces of Belgium (see Flanders) and speak Dutch and
its many dialects. The Walloons live in the five southern
provinces that make up Wallonia and speak French, Walloon and
some other languages. According to The World Factbook, the
ethnic composition of the population of Belgium as of 2012:
75.2% Belgians, 4.1% Italians, 3.7% Moroccans, 2.4% French, 2%
Turkish, 2% - Dutch, 10.6% - other ethnic groups. Belgian
languages by number of speakers: Dutch - 60%, French - 40%,
German - less than 1%. As of 2021, 67.3% of the Belgian
population was indigenous, 20.1% foreign-born Belgians and 12.6%
immigrants.
After gaining independence, Belgium was a
French-oriented state, and the only official language at first
was French, although the Flemings always made up the majority of
the population. Even in Flanders, French remained for a long
time the only language of secondary and higher education.
After the end of World War I, a movement began in Belgium
for the emancipation of the Dutch-speaking population. As a
result, the so-called "language struggle" (Dutch. taalstrijd)
arose. The struggle began to bear fruit by the year 1960. In
1963, a package of laws was adopted to regulate the use of
languages in official situations. In 1967, an official
translation of the Belgian constitution into Dutch was published
for the first time. By 1980, both main languages of the
country were actually equal in rights. In 1993, Belgium was
divided into regions that are federal subjects. The only
official language in the Flemish region is Dutch.
Despite
the successes achieved, language problems still lead to an
escalation of tensions between the two main groups of the
country's population. Thus, in 2005, the problem of dividing the
bilingual electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde almost
led to the resignation of the government and a political crisis.
The most important ethnic minority in Belgium is the Germans.
Their number is approximately 70,000 people. The places of
compact residence of Germans (in the east of Wallonia) are part
of the German-speaking community, which has great autonomy,
especially in matters of culture.
The largest groups of
migrants are Italians, people from the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (the former Belgian Congo), people from Turkey, as
well as from Morocco and other Arab countries.
According
to various sources, between 150,000 and 200,000 migrants from
Turkey live in Belgium, including both ethnic Turks and members
of the Kurdish minority. Clashes and conflicts arise between
representatives of the two ethnic communities from time to time.
Thus, in April 2006, an anti-Turkish demonstration took place in
the center of Brussels on the initiative of the Kurds. On the
night of April 2, 2007, clashes broke out between ethnic Turks
and representatives of the Kurdish immigrant community in the
capital of Belgium, not far from the headquarters of NATO and
the EU. As a result, seven people were arrested and several
others were injured. "It all started with an attack by Turkish
teenagers on a small group of Kurdish youth," Brussels police
spokesman Johan Verleien said. Aggression was also directed
against the policemen who tried to restore order. According to
law enforcement agencies, about 250 people, mostly young people,
took part in street clashes. During the pogroms, unknown people
set fire to a cafe, which was considered the center of the
Kurdish community, after which spontaneous rallies were
organized. Conflict situations in Belgium related to interethnic
confrontation are an acute political problem, a solution to
which has not yet been found.
Spaniards, Greeks, Poles
and people of other nationalities also live in Brussels. As of
2016, 69.8% of the Belgian population was indigenous, 16.5% were
first-generation immigrants, and 13.7% were second-generation
immigrants. As of 2019, the United Nations estimated that there
were 2 million immigrants living in Belgium, representing 17.2%
of the country's population.
19% of allegations brought before the courts and 24% of juvenile offenses involve people of non-European origin. There was some controversy on this issue in 2002 when a Muslim teenager was found guilty of robbery and murder, but received only a warning from the court. This judgment was overturned and the protests subsided.
Brussels, according to various sources such as Interpol and
local newspapers, is considered one of the centers for the
radicalization of the population and the recruitment of people
to terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda. Recruitment usually
takes place in mosques, followed by basic training in
Afghanistan. In 2005, a suicide bomber in Iraq, Muriel Degauque,
became known as the first Western-born terrorist in the history
of modern terrorism. She did not train in Brussels, but in
Charleroi, the Belgian city with one of the highest crime rates.
Belgium has also seen racially motivated crimes against
minorities, including the Hans Van Themsche case and other
racially motivated acts, highlighting the urgency of the issue
and Belgian concerns about the racial issue.
French
police believe that at least 3 of the 11 main suspects involved
in the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris come from or lived in
Belgium.
On the morning of March 22, 2016, a series of
terrorist attacks took place in Brussels. Three explosions
thundered at the airport and the subway. As a result, at least
34 people were killed and more than 250 were injured.
According to The World Factbook, the composition of the
population of Belgium by religion as of 2009: 50% Catholics,
2.5% Protestants and other Christians, 5.1% Muslims, 0.4 Jews,
0.3 Buddhists, 9.2% are atheists, 32.6% are the rest. The
Belgian constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
The
composition of the population of Belgium by religion as of 2019:
54% - Catholics, 31% - irreligious, 5% - Muslims, 3% -
Protestants, 1% - Orthodox, 2% - other Christians, 0.3% -
Buddhists, 0 3% Jews, 4% other religions.
Teaching
religion (or substitute courses) in general education schools
takes up about 7% of all school hours. The set of religions
offered varies depending on the preferences of the students. If
there are seven or more students in a school who want to study a
particular religion, the school is required to provide the
required teacher or provide a replacement course. The content of
the course largely depends on the preference of a particular
teacher, but some denominations standardize their courses. For
example, the program of "orthodox Christianity" includes the
basics of Orthodoxy taught by the Orthodox Church. As in other
compulsory subjects, students take an exam on the basics of
religion, and a mark is placed in the certificate based on the
results of the training. If you do not want to study religion,
you can choose a course in morality or a course in philosophy
and civic responsibility (philosophie et citoyenneté).
A feature of the cultural life of Belgium is the lack of a
single cultural field. In fact, cultural life is concentrated
within linguistic communities. There is no nationwide
television, newspapers or other media in Belgium. There are also
no bilingual universities (with the exception of the royal
military school) and major scientific or cultural organizations.
Painting
Even in the Renaissance, Flanders became famous
for its painting (Flemish primitivists). Later, Rubens lived and
worked in Flanders (in Belgium, Antwerp is still often called
the city of Rubens). By the second half of the 17th century,
however, Flemish art had gradually declined. Later in Belgium,
painting developed in the styles of romanticism, expressionism
and surrealism. Famous Belgian artists are James Ensor
(expressionism and surrealism), Constant Permeke
(expressionism), Leon Spilliart (symbolism), Franz Richard
Unterberger (romanticism), Guy Huygens, Rene Magritte
(considered one of the most important representatives of
surrealism).
On June 2, 2009, the new museum of the
Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte (1898-1967) opened in
Brussels. The exhibition includes approximately 250 works -
thus, it has become the most representative in the world. The
museum is housed in the complex of the Royal Museums of Fine
Arts.
Literature
In literature, the division according
to the linguistic principle is noticeably strongest. Francophone
literature tends to the French tradition, which is due in
particular to the fact that many French writers worked in
Belgium (for example, Baudelaire).
The situation with the
literature of Flanders is more complicated. In the 19th century,
the literature of Flanders split into two currents:
representatives of one wrote in French, the second in Dutch. The
works of the representatives of the first current can be called
typically Belgian literature, since the appearance of such
literature would not have been possible in a monolingual
country. The most famous work of this group is The Legend of
Thiel Ulenspiegel and Lamm Gudzak, written by the Flemish
Charles de Coster. Now this book has been translated into many
languages and has received the nickname "The Bible of
Flanders". However, most of the Francophone Flemish literature
is now forgotten: the Walloons, and even more so the French, are
not interested in it, and the Flemings do not read it due to the
reduced level of knowledge of the French language (previously,
when French was the only official language, its knowledge was
necessary; now the Dutch language equal rights with French).
Representatives of the second group were mainly supporters
of the emancipation of Flanders and were often nationalists. The
most famous representative of this group is the poet Guido
Geselle. He opposed not only the French language, but also the
variant of the Dutch language adopted in the Netherlands. His
poems are written in the West Flemish dialect and are not always
well understood by today's Flemings. Some famous Belgian poets:
Guido Geselle (wrote in West Flemish), Emile Verhaern (Flemish,
wrote in French), Maurice Maeterlinck (Flemish, wrote in
French).
Flemish literature of the 20th century developed
in parallel and was influenced by international literary
processes: for example, Cyril Beuysse was a naturalist, while
Stein Streuvels and Felix Timmermans are close to
neo-romanticism.
Significant authors of the period
between the First and Second World Wars were the expressionist
poet Paul Van Ostyen, the writers Gerard Walschap, Willem
Elsshot and Marnix Geissen. During the Second World War, the
first novels of magical realists by Johan Dehne and Huber Lampo
were published. The period after its completion was marked by
the poems of Anton van Wilderode and Christine D'Han and the
novels of Louis-Paul Boon. The most prominent figure of this
time is the poet and writer Hugo Klaus, who was repeatedly
included in the lists of contenders for the Nobel Prize in
Literature.
Eddie Van Vliet and Herman de Koninck made
their debuts in the 1960s, and Ivo Michils and Paul de Vispelare
wrote. In the 1980s, the Louis-Paul Boon tradition was continued
by Monica van Pamel and Walter van den Broek. New names of the
time included Christine Hemmerechts and Erik de Kuyper, Paul
Hoste and Anne Provost, Zeph Gerarts and Stefan Hertmans. The
generation of the 1990s includes Tom Lanois and Herman
Brusselmans.
Comic
Belgium is one of the largest
centers of French-language comics (bande dessinée). At the
beginning of the 20th century, it was here that the most
intensive development of this genre took place. The artist and
screenwriter Hergé gained worldwide fame, having created a
series of comics about the travel reporter Tintin. In the
post-war years, France became the center of the industry, but in
Belgium, major publishers such as Le Lombard and Dupuis continue
to release the popular BD series. Among the most famous are the
Smurfs, Torgal, Lucky Luke.
Many outstanding examples of architecture have been preserved in
Belgium, ranging from the Romanesque style (XI century) to Art
Nouveau (early XX century). The most famous Belgian architect is
Victor Horta (1861-1947), one of the most important architects
of Art Nouveau.
The most architecturally interesting
cities are Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, Mechelen. In
Wallonia there are many interesting examples of extra-urban
architecture - castles, rural estates.
Belgium is famous for its cuisine. Many highly ranked
restaurants can be found in highly influential food guides such
as the Michelin Red Guide. Belgian food, like Belgium itself, is
a mixture of Germanic and Latin influences. The Belgians have a
reputation for waffles and fried potatoes. Both of these dishes
originated in Belgium. National dishes: fried meat with salad
and fried mussels.
Belgian chocolate and praline brands
such as Callebaut, Côte d'Or, Neuhaus, Leonidas, Guylian and
Godiva are world famous and widely sold.
The country
produces over 500 brands of beer, some of which have a history
of 400-500 years. The Confederation of Belgian Brewers has
existed since the 16th century. For more than 300 years, its
headquarters has been located in an old mansion on the Grand
Place in Brussels, here is a museum with detailed expositions.
In November 2016, UNESCO inscribed the Belgian brewing culture
as a World Heritage Site.
Telecommunications in Belgium
Telecommunications in Belgium are at a very high level. The
infrastructure of mobile communication, television, Internet,
radio is developed. Belgium's Internet domain is ".be".
There are 61 ISPs in Belgium. They serve 5.1 million Internet
users (data for 2004).
In 1998 Belgium had 79 FM radio
stations, 7 AM stations and 1 shortwave station. Served 8.075
million radio listeners. In 1997, there were 25 television
stations and 10 repeaters. So far, 4.72 million TVs have been
purchased nationwide.
The level of functional literacy has been overcome, the
proportion of literates among the adult population is 98%.
In Belgium, education falls within the competence of the
Communities. The Flemish Community is responsible for education
in the Dutch-speaking part of the country, while the French
Community is responsible for education in the French-speaking
part of Belgium. The number of vocational education institutions
(secondary and higher) is about 380.
Higher educational
institutions and universities in Belgium introduced the
bachelor-master system from the 2004-2005 academic year. Before
that, there was a system of higher education, namely the basic
course of one cycle, the basic course of two cycles and the
academic course, but it was abolished. Higher education,
organized according to the bachelor-master type, is divided into
two types:
Higher professional education
Academic
education
Higher professional education is limited to
bachelor's and master's courses and is offered in 22 higher
schools.
Academic education consists of bachelor's and
master's courses. Academic education can be obtained at
universities and institutes/colleges.
Catholic University
of Leuven, Ghent University.
Health care costs account for 9.6% of GDP, of which 71.4% are
from public sources, 28.6% from private sources (2005).
Social protection
Social protection of the population is
handled by the Belgian Ministry of Social Welfare. The standard
retirement age is 65 years. From 2025, it is planned to increase
it to 66, and from 2030 to 67 years.
Main article: Belgian Armed Forces
The Belgian Armed Forces
were formed in 1830. The total number of active military
personnel for 2012 is 34,000 people (32,000 military and 2,000
civil servants). The Commander-in-Chief is King Philip I (since
July 21, 2013). The draft age is 18 years. The budget of the
Armed Forces is 3.4 billion € (2008). The share of the sun is
1.3% of Belgian GDP.
The armed forces are organized into
one unified structure, which consists of four main components:
Ground Troops, or Army
Air Force, or Air Force
Navy
Troop medical component
The operational command of the
military components reports to the Personnel Department for
Operations and Training under the Ministry of Defense, which is
headed by the Assistant Chiefs of Departments Committee for
Operations and Training, and the Minister of Defense.
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Historically, Belgium was part of the area known as the Low Countries, a region somewhat larger than the modern Benelux, which also included parts of northern France and western Germany. The name of the country comes from the ethnonym of the Celtic tribe - Belgi, which gave the name to the Roman province of Belgica (lat. Gallia Belgica), formed in 16 BC.
The name of the state comes from the name of the Belga tribe, of
Celtic origin, who inhabited this territory at the beginning of our
era. In 54 BC e. the region in northern Gaul, corresponding to
modern Belgium, was conquered by the troops of Julius Caesar (from
the notes of the consul about the Gallic war: “half of the Belgians
were killed, the rest became slaves ...”). After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire in the V century, the Roman province of Gaul
was conquered by the Germanic tribes of the Franks, who created
their kingdom here.
In the Middle Ages, Belgium was part of
the Duchy of Burgundy.
1477-1556 - the dynastic marriage of
Mary of Burgundy introduced Burgundy into the Holy Roman Empire.
1556-1713 - as part of Spain. The eighty-year war marked the
beginning of the separation of Belgium from the Protestant
Netherlands.
1713-1792 - as part of the Holy Roman Empire as the
Austrian Netherlands.
1792-1815 - as part of France.
1815-1830
- as part of the Netherlands according to the decision of the Vienna
Congress. However, many in Belgium were unhappy with the forcible
unification with the Netherlands (primarily the French-speaking
population and the Catholic clergy, who were afraid of the
increasing role of the Dutch language and the Protestant
denomination, respectively).
September 23, 1830 - the Belgian
revolution, and in the same year, Belgium withdrew from the Kingdom
of the Netherlands and gained independence. Belgium becomes a
neutral kingdom led by Leopold I (king since 1831).
In the XIX
century, the country's economy developed very intensively. Belgium
became the first country in continental Europe to build a railway
(Mechelen-Brussels, 1835).
At the end of the 19th century,
Belgium became a colonial power. In 1885-1908, the Congo (now the
Democratic Republic of the Congo) was the property of the Belgian
King Leopold II (under the name "Independent State of the Congo").
At the end of the 19th century, Belgium became a colonial power.
In 1885-1908, the Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
was the property of the Belgian King Leopold II (under the name
"Independent State of the Congo"). The exploitation of the colony
was one of the significant sources of capital accumulation and the
development of industry in Belgium. Since 1908, the colony has
received the name Belgian Congo (the King transfers his possession
to Belgium).
Belgium suffered greatly during the First World
War, which is still called the “Great War” in this country. Although
most of the country was occupied, throughout the war, Belgian and
English troops held a small part of the country, sandwiched between
the North Sea and the Isère River.
The history of the city of
Ypres is tragic - during the war it was almost completely destroyed,
for the first time in the history of wars, poisonous gas (chlorine)
was used. Applied two years later, mustard gas was named after this
city.
On April 3, 1925, an agreement was concluded between
Belgium and the Netherlands on the revision of the 1839 agreement.
The abolition of the long neutrality of Belgium and the
demilitarization of the port of Antwerp.
1940-1944 During the
Second World War, the Germans occupied Belgium. The government flees
to England, King Leopold III is deported to Germany, he signed the
act of surrender on May 28, 1940. The introduction of Belgian German
military command under the command of General von Falkenhausen. On
September 3, 1944, British troops liberated Brussels. On February
11, 1945, a government was formed, led by the right-wing socialist
van Acker.
April 4, 1949 - Belgium joins NATO.
1957 -
Belgium joins the European Economic Community (EEC).
July 31,
1993 - King Baudouin passed away; his younger brother, Albert II,
inherited the throne.
2001 - the birth of the first child at
the Crown Prince Philip and his wife Matilda, a continuation of the
dynasty.
2003 - as a result of the parliamentary elections,
Guy Verhofstadt becomes Prime Minister again.
In 2003,
Belgium became the second state in the world to legalize same-sex
marriage (after the Netherlands).
January 12, 2006 - Belgium
is chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE).
Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigned
on December 19, 2008 due to a scandal over the sale of Fortis, the
largest Belgian financial company. Herman van Rompuy, leader of the
Flemish Christian Democratic Party, took over as prime minister. The
new government of Herman van Rompuy included representatives of the
same five political parties led by his predecessor. On June 13,
2010, early parliamentary elections were held, but the formation of
the government did not happen. Belgium celebrated 540 days without a
government, thus setting a world record. On December 6, 2011, a new
cabinet headed by Elio di Rupo took the oath to the king.
On July 25, 1921, the Belgian-Luxembourg Economic Union was created.
The Netherlands later joined the union. In 1932, the countries entered
into a tripartite agreement on the gradual reduction of economic and
customs barriers.
The Treaty Establishing the Benelux Customs
Union was signed on 5 September 1944 by the deported governments of the
three countries in London and entered into force in 1948. The union
lasted until November 1, 1960, when it was replaced by the Benelux
Economic Union as a result of the signing of the treaty in The Hague on
February 3, 1958.
On April 4, 1949, Belgium became a founding
member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), headquartered
in Brussels.
On April 18, 1951, Belgium, together with five
European countries, signed the Treaty Establishing the European Coal and
Steel Community (ECSC).
In 1957, six states, including Belgium,
established the European Economic Community (EEC, Common Market),
officially renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993, and the European
Atomic Energy Community.
In 1964 Belgium joined the Group of Ten.
The Schengen Agreement was originally signed on June 14, 1985 by
five European states (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France,
Germany), it entered into force on March 26, 1995.
The European
Free Trade Association (EFTA) supervisory body and the European
Commission are headquartered in Brussels. The European Parliament holds
plenary sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels. The Economic and Social
Committee, an advisory body of the EU, meets once a month in Brussels.
Plenary sessions of the EU Committee of the Regions are held in Brussels
5 times a year.
Belgium joined the Global Initiative to Combat
Nuclear Terrorism in June 2007.
Belgium has 12 official public holidays. Two of them always fall on a
Sunday.
New Year January 1
Easter is changing
Easter Monday
1st Monday after Easter
Labor Day May 1
Ascension of the Lord 6th
Thursday after Easter
Holy Trinity Day 7th Sunday after Easter
Holy Spirit Day 8th Monday after Easter
Belgian National Day 21 July
Ascension of Our Lady 15 August
All Saints Day November 1
Armistice Day November 11
Christmas December 25
July 21 is the
National Day of Belgium, the main holiday of the country. It was on this
day in 1831 that Leopold I swore an oath to the Belgian parliament of
loyalty to the constitution. On this day, a military parade (Grand
Place) is held in Brussels, and a major street dance and music festival
is held in Ghent.
Epiphany January 6
Valentine's Day February 14
Day of the
Flemish Community in Belgium 11 July
French Community Day in Belgium
27 September
Day of All the Faithful Departed November 2
Day of
the German Community in Belgium 15 November
Feast of the King
November 15
Saint Nicholas Day December 6
Football and cycling are the most popular sports among Belgians.
Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff is recognized as one of the greatest
goalkeepers in football history. Belgian Eddy Merckx is considered one
of the world's greatest cyclists. He has 5 Tour de France victories to
his credit and a large number of other cycling awards. His hourly speed
record was set in 1972 and held the top spot for 12 years. Belgium has
given the sport two tennis players who quickly took first place in the
world, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, and many other medal-winning
athletes.
Belgium hosts the Formula 1 Grand Prix in the town of
Spa, the Belgian circuit is one of the most famous in the world and is
liked by both racers and fans. Belgian racing drivers are also known:
Jacky Ickx, Thierry Boutsen, Bertrand Gachot, Francois Duval, Olivier
Gendebian and many others.
In 1920, the Summer Olympics were held
in Antwerp.
Belgium hosts many famous international cycling
competitions such as:
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
La Fleche Wallonne
Gent Wevelgem
In 2000, the European Football
Championship was held in Belgium and the Netherlands.
In 2018, at
the World Cup in Russia, the Belgian team took 3rd place. At the
European Championships in 2021 (Euro 2020), Belgium lost in the
quarterfinals to Italy, the eventual winners of the tournament.