An Introduction to Belgium

• Belgium Facts:  Location, Geography and Climate
  Belgium, a population dense country, encompasses 11,784 square miles [30,527 square kilometers] and is about the size of the American state of Maryland, but its coastline stretches only forty miles.  It is bordered by the North Sea [the Channel] to the north, the Netherlands to the north east, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast and France to the west. 
  
  The geography of Belgium shows it to have three major areas: lower Belgium (up to 100m above sea level), central Belgium (between 100 and 200m above sea level) and upper Belgium (from 200 to over 500m above sea level). 
  
  Lower Belgium begins in the west at the coast.  It has beaches and dunes which extend along the coast for 65 km.  This coastal plain extends inland from 10 to 30 miles [16 to 48 km] and consists of dunes and "polders" [land reclaimed from the sea and swamps] which were developed from the 13th to 15th centuries.  In the past, this flat and fertile land used to suffer from flooding by the sea.  It is now totally dry, thanks to the sluices which protect it from tidal erosion. 
  
  Between the western polders, the Leie and the Scheldt, are the Flemish lowlands, a sandy region which is hilly in places such as the Kemmelberg and the Kluisberg.  The Kempen lie in the east of the country.  The soil in the Kempen is poor and the landscape comprises conifer woods, heath lands, ponds, marshes, pastures and corn fields [quoted from the official Belgium website].
  
  Upper Belgium is composed of the Ardennes highlands, a rocky but densely forested plateau.  It extends across south eastern Belgium and into north eastern France.
  
  Belgium has a moderate climate, and is rarely very hot or cold.  The climate near the sea is humid and mild.  Inland, there is a greater range in temperature.  In the south, through the Ardennes, the summers are hot and the winters are cold and rain is plentiful, with April and November being the wetest months.  Belgium's average annual temperature is 46 degrees F [8 degrees C].  The country's annual rainfall is 28 inches [699 mm].
  
  The capital of Belgium is Brussels [Bruxelles].  The capital's population is just under a million, divided between Flemish and Wallon; the country as a whole has a population of just over 10 million.  The Flemish population is in the range of six million, while the Wallon population is just over 3 million.  For a Brussels Belgium Street Map, click here.
   
• Detailed Map Of Belgium
  For a Detailed Map Of Belgium, click here.  For more information on Belgium's geography, and related information, click here.
   
• Food and Drink
  Many beers are brewed in Belgium and are enjoyed in the outdoor cafés where Belgians go to relax.  Mussels, oysters, endive and frites, the deep-fried potatoes [French fries] are favorite dishes.  Click here for more information on specialty dishes of Belgium.  For more gourmet information, including cheeses, chocolate, herbs [both botanical and Latin names] and Belgium gourmet websites.
  
  Belgium is a world leader in the brewing of great beers, and produce over 450 different beers.  They are broken down into categories, and are sough after by beer connoisseurs around the world.  Click here for more information on Belgium beers.
   
• Art/Culture
  Three primary languages have contributed to a rich cultural history.  Painters and weavers come from the Flemings in the north and west.  The French Walloons brought a French heritage.  The 15th century had a flowering of painting, music, architecture and literature.  Another surge in the arts followed Belgian independence in 1830.  There are many village fairs and festivals where the traditional arts, including Belgium Lace Curtains, are displayed.  Van Eyck, Breughel, Rubens, Magritte, Dufay, Ockeghem, Deprés, de Lassus, Lully are all Belgian artists and composers.
   
• Education
  Freedom of organization in the Belgian educational system has been guaranteed by the Constitution since 1831.  In a highly industrialized society, education plays a crucial role.  Someone once said that 'grey matter' was Belgium's sole raw material.  For this reason the post-war educational system was explicitly oriented towards raising the level of education of the population and the democratization of education.  The financial barriers which restricted school attendance were removed. Primary and secondary education became free and an extensive system of social allowances and grants was introduced.  The level of education in Belgium today is one of the highest in Europe.
  
  For more on education click here [from nursery schools through Universities] together with other educational information from Belgium's official website.
   

• History
  Burgundians, Habsburgs, Bourbons and Bonapartes have all involved Belgium in their struggles.  Belgium, like Luxembourg, has often been Europe's battleground.  Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830.  Invaded during both world wars, Belgium has been instrumental in the formation of the European Economic Community.
  
  Click on this link for History information from the Belgian Tourist Office, which includes the Medieval Belgium, The Burgundian Period, The Battle Ground and The New Kingdom.
  
  The following history information is from the official Belgium portal website, in sequence from prehistoric times to modern times.
  • Prehistoric and antiquity [800,000 B.C to 400 A.D] in English/French
  • The early middle ages [Moyen Age to 900 A.D] in French
  • The middle ages in General [to 1302] French
  • The late middle ages [1300 to 1500]
  • Modern times [1482 to 1794]
  • Periods of French and Dutch rule [1794 to 1830]
  • Belgium from 1830  [Belgium's independence to present time]
  • Belgium's Independence Day is celebrated on July 21st
     
• People, Religion, Ethnic background, Language
  The Flemings speak a language similar to Dutch.  Belgian French differs little from the French spoken in France, and German is spoken by large numbers of the population.  The population is primarily Roman Catholic [81%], with the Walloons following a more liberal interpretation than the Flemish.
  
  From the official Belgium portal website, the people of Belgium are as follows:  Although we have the same flag, or leap up like a single Belgian when the Red Devils score a goal, Belgium has evolved greatly over the last decades to take more account of the aspirations and characteristics of its inhabitants.  From a unitarian State, almost Jacobin, Belgium has evolved towards a federal model.
  
  There are three communities living there.  The Flemish, in the north of the country, speak Dutch.  They are the most numerous.  Then come the Walloons, in the south, who speak French.  Brussels is a bilingual region. However, most of its inhabitants are French-speaking.  Finally, in the extreme east of the country there is a small German-speaking community.
  Its estimated that 56% of the population speaks Flemish, 32% speak French and about 1% speaks German.  ll% of the population is considered to be legally bilingual.
  
  These characteristics make attempts to describe the Belgian population difficult.  Nevertheless a number of characteristics can be found in most Belgians.  Click here for more information on the three communities of Belgium..
   
• Economics
  Belgium is a trading center due to its location in the heart of Europe and the Rhine and Meuse rivers.  It exports many manufactured goods being more industrialized than some other European countries.  It exports many manufactured goods being more industrialized than some other European countries which results in a high standard of living.
  
  Belgium's land remains the same, but the means by which it is worked are changing.  Increased production has also become a vital goal for farmers.  Small independent farmers are disappearing.  Mechanization, new technologies and scientific agronomic research are making for higher yields.  More is being produced on each field.  Cowsheds are becoming bigger.  Cattle rearing represents 63 % of 1993 agricultural production.
  
  Thanks to its central location, Belgium serves as a spring board to the European Union (EU).  Its neighbours are France, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.  Brussels is the capital of Europe, the site of the headquarters of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. Other major international organizations, such as NATO, are also located in Brussels.  As a result, Brussels is the number two city in the world (after Washington) in terms of its number of accredited journalists, and fourth in terms of the number of international meetings and seminars held there. 
  
  Some 65% of the EU's economic activity is located in an area 1,500 km long and 200 km wide running from Liverpool (UK) to Genoa (Italy). Belgium is located right in the centre of this area and therefore deserves to be called the hub of Europe.  Belgium's role as a transit zone is due chiefly to the fact that 20% of Europe road traffic is performed by Belgian carriers.  In addition, Antwerp is Europe's second largest port (after Rotterdam) and one of the 10 largest in the world.  For more information from Belgium's official website on their economy click here.
   
• Government
  Belgium has been independent since 1830 and is a constitutional monarchy.  In 1993 the country was divided into three governmental regions, Flanders [the Flemish Region], Wallonia [the Walloon Region] and Brussels [Bruxelles].  The capital is Brussels, with a population of almost a million.  These regions took on more responsibility and reduced the influence of the Federal government.  Parliament, a Senate and Chamber of Representatives share power with the constitutional monarch.