Language: Dutch, French, German
Currency: Euro (EU)
Calling Code: 32
Belgium is a federal state in Western Europe. It
lies between the North Sea and the Ardennes and borders the
Netherlands,
Germany, Luxembourg and France.
In 2020, Belgium had around 11.6 million inhabitants in an area of
30,688 square kilometers. With 378 inhabitants per square kilometer,
Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries. At almost 98
percent, Belgium's level of urbanization is the highest in Europe.
Brussels is the capital and seat of the Belgian royal family as well
as the center of the largest agglomeration. The most populous city
is Antwerp, followed by Ghent, Charleroi, Liège (Liège), Brussels,
Bruges (Brugge), Namur and Leuven.
Since independence in 1830
and the constitution in 1831, Belgium has been a parliamentary
hereditary monarchy (see also Belgian monarchy). The north of the
country with the Flemish is a Dutch-speaking area, the south with
the Walloons is a French-speaking area (see Flemish and French
Community). The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual, but
has a majority Francophone population. In the German-speaking area
in East Belgium, Standard German and West Central German dialects
are widespread (see German-speaking Community).
The
Flemish-Walloon conflict, which has been ongoing since the 19th
century, has shaped the often conflicting interests of
representatives of the two major population groups in Belgian
politics. Language legislation is a consequence of this conflict.
Since the 1970s, attempts have been made to address this problem by
decentralizing the state organization. For this purpose, Belgium was
transformed into a federal state consisting of three regions and
three communities. The regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels
Capital as well as the Flemish, French and German-speaking
communities have since formed the basic political structure of the
country. Belgium's state structure is considered complex because,
among other things, the territories of the regions do not coincide
with those of the communities. The responsibilities of the French
and Flemish communities overlap in the officially bilingual
Brussels-Capital region, and the small area of the German-speaking
Community belongs to the predominantly French-speaking Wallonia
region. However, the German-speaking community is aiming to be
separated from Wallonia and become the fourth Belgian region with
equal rights alongside Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels-Capital.
Belgium is a founding member of the European Economic Community
(EEC), now the European Union (EU), whose main institutions are
based in its capital, Brussels. The Belgian state is a member of the
Benelux Economic Union alongside the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
According to calculations by the Royal Belgian Institute of
Natural Sciences, Belgium has an area of 30,688 km². Of which
includes
the Brussels-Capital region 162 km²
the Flemish
Region 13,624 km²
the Walloon Region 16,901 km² (including
German-speaking Community 854 km²)
25% of Belgium's land area
is used for agriculture.
As a result of the post-Ice Age Flemish Transgression, beach
ridges were formed, which still exist today as a closed dune
belt up to 50 meters high on the Belgian coast. This is followed
by a zone of marshland approximately 10 to 20 kilometers wide.
Further inland lies the so-called Flussgeest. Here the
deposits of the Meuse alluvial fan were covered with sands of
great thickness during the last glacial period. In the slightly
undulating country, fields and meadows alternate with forests
and heaths; Some raised bogs also occur. To the west of an
Antwerp-Brussels line lies the wide Flemish plain. In its
northern part it is also covered by sand, while in the south it
is dominated by clay soils, which are more favorable for
agriculture. Here the plain is overlooked by a loose chain of
Tertiary hills. To the west, the plain leads to the North French
strata, which is largely made up of Mesozoic sediments.
The valleys of the Sambre and the Meuse form a sharp boundary on
a tectonic fault zone that separates the Tertiary and Cretaceous
plateaus in the northwest from the Ardennes as part of the
Rhenish Slate Mountains in the southeast. The heavily forested
Ardennes consist of Palaeozoic shales, sandstones, greywackes
and quartzites of varying resistance. In Belgium they reach a
height of 694 meters with the Botrange in the High Fens.
There are rich deposits of hard coal on the fault zone of the
Haine-Sambre-Maas furrow. There, in the northern French
coalfield, the first continental European mining and heavy
industrial area was created in 1830. From 1901 the Limburg coal
mining area was also developed.
Flanders forms the northern part of the country and consists largely of flatland. It is the most populous region in the country. The politically independent capital region of Brussels is located as an enclave within the Flemish region. This part of the country consists partly of sandy ridges - for example in the province of Limburg, which is located in the east of the Flemish region. The Geest is also interrupted by marshland, which particularly affects the river area. The most important of these are the Meuse and the Scheldt. In the far west of Flanders is the 65 kilometer long coast with the port city of Ostend.[20] In particular, the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant with the surrounding area of Brussels and East Flanders are very densely populated.
The Walloon Region covers the southern part of Belgium. In terms of area, it is the largest region in the country. Its area is mountainous and sparsely populated in the Ardennes region and is cut through by the river valleys of the Meuse, Sambre and Ourthe. The region's most important cities are located along the rivers mentioned, in particular Liège, Namur and Charleroi. In the west of the region there are also Mons as well as Mouscron and Tournai, which are located in a cross-border metropolitan area with the northern French city of Lille. Nil-Saint-Vincent (municipality of Walhain) in the densely populated province of Walloon Brabant is the geographical center of Belgium. The highest point in the country is the Signal de Botrange (694 m O.P.) in the High Fens in eastern Belgium near the border with Germany. The highest town in Belgium is Mürringen in eastern Belgium (655 m above sea level).
Both on the border with the Netherlands, border between Belgium and the Netherlands with the municipalities of Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog, and in East Belgium, border between Belgium and Germany, there are numerous exclaves and enclaves, among others. the Vennbahn exclaves. There are also exclaves and enclaves within Belgium, e.g. the municipality of Voeren is an exclave of the Belgian province of Limburg and the Flanders region. The municipality of Comines-Warneton is also an exclave of the Belgian province of Hainaut and the Wallonia region.
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.
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.
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.
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 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:
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.
Fire 100
Police 101
Ambulance 100
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.
As the province of Belgica - a name introduced by Caesar - the
current territory of Belgium experienced many reigns. In the early
Middle Ages it was part of the Frankish Empire and was repeatedly
politically divided during its divisions. Later it was predominantly
part of the Holy Roman Empire and broke up into individual duchies
and counties.
From the High Middle Ages to the early modern
period, the cities of Flanders, with their cloth industries,
represented one of the two centers of the European economy (along
with the cities of northern Italy). The individual territories came
politically under the House of Burgundy, which was inherited by the
Habsburgs in 1477 as a result of the marriage of the sole Burgundian
heir, Mary of Burgundy, to Maximilian I, Archduke of Austria and
later Roman-German king and emperor. In 1555/56 the Habsburgs were
divided into a Spanish and an Austrian line. The Dutch provinces
were awarded to the Spanish Habsburgs.
In 1579 the Catholic
Union of Arras and the Calvinist-Protestant Union of Utrecht were
formed. The provinces of the Union of Utrecht broke away from Spain
in 1581 and founded the Republic of the Seven United Provinces,
whose independence was recognized in the Peace of Westphalia of 1648
after the end of the Eighty Years' War. The provinces of the Union
of Arras, Flanders and Brabant, were administered as the Spanish
Netherlands by a Spanish governor. After the extinction of the
Spanish Habsburgs (1700) and the resulting War of the Spanish
Succession, the then Austrian Netherlands came under the rule of the
Austrian Habsburgs in 1714.
As a result of the
absolutist-centralist efforts of the Austrian ruler Joseph II, the
Brabant Revolution occurred in 1789 and the short-lived United
Belgian States were proclaimed in 1790. Revolutionary France annexed
the Austrian Netherlands between 1792 and 1794, followed by its
incorporation into the French Republic in 1795. At the Congress of
Vienna (1815) the provinces were awarded to the (northern)
Netherlands. Brussels became the residence of the Dutch king.
The country became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 as a
result of the Belgian Revolution. A parliamentary monarchy was
established and Leopold of Saxe-Coburg was named the first King of
the Belgians. Leopold II, son of the first king, acquired the Congo
in Africa as a private property. After the Congo atrocities (brutal
excesses in the economic exploitation of the Congo) became
internationally known, Leopold had to cede the area as a colony to
the Belgian state in 1908. During Leopold's reign of terror, an
estimated 10 million people died through slavery and forced labor in
the African country. Congo became independent in 1960.
During
the First World War, neutral Belgium was invaded by the German
Empire in accordance with the Schlieffen Plan and was almost
completely occupied by the German army. The German military also
took action against civilians with shootings, fires and taking
hostages. Massacres of the civilian population occurred in Dinant
and several other Belgian cities. These attacks were justified by
partisan activities, although their real basis is disputed (see
Francs-tireurs). In the course of the trench warfare, many cities in
Flanders were destroyed and parts of the country were devastated.
When labor became scarce in the German Empire, tens of thousands of
Belgian civilians - Flemings and Walloons - had to do forced labor
for the imperial military and the German arms industry.
After
the war, the predominantly German-speaking area of Eupen-Malmedy was
placed under Belgian administration through the Treaty of Versailles
in 1919. After a controversial referendum in 1920, East Belgium
became Belgian territory in 1925. Belgium also took part in the
occupation of the Ruhr.
During the Second World War the
country declared itself neutral. In May 1940 it (like the
Netherlands and Luxembourg) was occupied by the German Wehrmacht in
the so-called Western Campaign. Belgium remained occupied until
1944/45, minorities such as Jews and Roma were deported to
concentration camps. Until its liberation by the Western Allies, it
had to suffer - like half of Europe - from the arbitrary rule of the
National Socialist dictatorship and the Jewish population from its
persecution and extermination; However, cities and landscapes were
largely spared from the destruction of the war. Only the Battle of
the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945 led to severe
destruction in the east of the country, especially around Saint Vith
and Bastogne.
The customs and economic unity of Belgium, the
Netherlands and Luxembourg, which had been planned since 1944, was
agreed in the Hague Treaty on February 3, 1958 and came into force
on November 1, 1960 (Benelux countries). Belgium is one of the
founding states of the European Economic Community (EEC) and has
played an important role in the European unification process. The
country or the Belgian capital Brussels became the headquarters of
international organizations such as NATO and the European Union.
Domestic policy after the Second World War was characterized by
federalization, which attempted to mitigate secessionist tendencies
in the various language areas, especially in the Flemish north. In
Flanders, separatist parties achieve high vote shares.
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.