國名：比利時王國(The Kingdom of Belgium ，Le Royaume de Belgique) 代碼BE
獨立日：１０月４日（１８３０年）
國慶日：７月２１日（１８３１年前國王利奧波德一世登基日）
國旗：呈長方形，長與寬之比為１５∶１３。旗面從左到右由黑、黃、紅三個平行相等的竪長方形相連構成。黑色是莊重而具有紀念意義的色彩，表示悼念在１８３０年獨立戰爭中犧牲的英雄；黃色象徵國傢的財富和畜牧業與農業的豐收；紅色象徵愛國者的生命和熱血，還象徵獨立戰爭取得的偉大勝利。比利時是世襲君主立憲製國傢。國王乘坐的汽車懸挂王旗，王旗與國旗不同，為四方形，旗地近似咖啡色，旗中間有比利時國徽，旗地四角處各有一頂王冠和在位國王名字的第一個字母。
國徽： 為鬥篷式。整個圖案中心為盾面上一隻直立的獅子，其後為交叉的君王節杖，象徵王權。盾形圖案由利奧波德勳章飾帶環繞，兩側各有一隻舉着國旗的獅子，上端為一頂王冠，飾環之下懸挂着一枚利奧波德（比利時第一代君主）勳章，底部的飾帶上寫着“團结就是力量”。鬥篷上端裝飾着王冠和代表比利時九個省的九面旗幟。
國歌：《布位班人之歌》
國花：虞美人
國鳥：紅隼
國傢政要：國王阿爾貝二世 (Albert II) ，１９９３年８月９日登基；首相萊特姆，２００８年３月任職。
官方語言：荷蘭語（1980年荷蘭語聯盟建立之前稱弗拉芒語）、法語
貨幣： 歐元、比法郎(BEF)
民族： 弗拉芒族占59.3%；瓦隆族占40.1%；日耳曼族占0.6%
宗教： 90%的居民信奉天主教
同北京時差： -7
國際電話碼： 32
語種分佈
官方法語和荷蘭語為主,大多數居民講法語,沿海港口城市則同時流通西班牙語和葡萄牙語,這和比利時人民飽受戰爭侵略是有重要關係的.稍微懂點歷史的朋友都能瞭解.
國傢地理
行政區劃
全國地方分為10個省和589個市鎮。10個省：安特衛普、西弗蘭德、東弗蘭德、林堡、北布拉邦、南布拉邦、列日、埃諾、那慕爾和盧森堡。
自然地理：面積為３．０５萬平方公裏，位於歐洲西北部，東與德國接壤，北與荷蘭比鄰，南與法國交界，西臨北海。海岸綫長６６.５公裏。全國面積２／３為丘陵和平坦低地，最低處略低於海平面。
比利時王子洛朗和新娘剋萊爾·庫姆斯在布魯塞爾市政廳陽臺上接受人們的新婚祝賀。
全境分為西北部沿海佛蘭德倫平原、中部丘陵、東南部阿登高原三部分。最高點海拔６９４米。主要河流有馬斯河和埃斯考河。屬海洋性溫帶闊葉林氣候。
人口：１０３５.６萬（２００３年），其中講弗拉芒語的弗拉芒大區５９９.６萬，講法語的瓦隆大區３３６.８萬（包括講德語的約７.１萬），使用弗法兩種語言的布魯塞爾首都大區９９.２萬。官方語言為法語和弗拉芒語。9０%的居民信奉天主教。
首都：布魯塞爾 (Bruxelles) ，有人口９９. ２萬（２００３年）。有“歐洲首都”之稱，是歐洲聯盟、北大西洋公約組織等多個國際組織的總部所在地，每年有衆多國際會議在此召開，另有２００多個國際行政中心和超過１０００個官方團體在此設有辦事處。
交通：以公路為主。1989年交通運輸情況大致如下：鐵路總長3513千米；公路總長1.61萬千米，其中高速公路1631千米；內河航道總長1559.5千米；有3個海港，最大的安特衛普港年吞吐能力約1億噸。有各種類型運輸飛機793架，運輸網絡聯繫49個國傢的74個城市；布魯塞爾國際機場可停63傢外航班機。
天然的地理優勢使比利時成為西歐的“十字路口”。歷屆政府因地製宜，大力發展交通和航運，並以此帶動商業和外貿的繁榮，為國傢經濟的發展奠定了堅實的基礎。比利時是世界上第一個在全部高速公路設置照明路燈的國傢。比利時鐵路網的密度在世界上首屈一指，而且早在十多年前就已全部實現電氣化。
比利時是世界十大商品進出口國之一，按人均出口量計算排名世界第一。比利時５０％以上的工業産品供出口，其中金屬絲綫、平板玻璃、梳洗毛綫、鑽石等的出口量均列世界前茅。
2003年9月28日，在比利時格雷杜瓦索舉行的布拉邦特民間藝術節上，真假稻草人在街頭遊行。比利時的布拉邦特人自14世紀以來，每年9月底都舉行自己的民間藝術節
大力吸引外國資本的政策為比利時經濟帶來了活力，也帶來了新技術和新興工業。１９９８年５月，歐盟首腦會議確定比利時為首批加入歐元區國傢。２００２年，比利時國內生産總值為２６３６．５億歐元，人均國民收入２．６３萬歐元。 比利時根特國際花卉博覽會
比利時各旅遊景點
蒙斯市/MONS
在中世紀埃諾公爵的土地上，城市都要面臨從其首府蒙斯開始的多次圍攻及入侵……因此中世紀的遺産就很稀少，衹存在一些11和13世紀圍墻的遺跡，一些單人囚室，地道及一些伯爵城堡的斷瓦殘垣。
城市的確遭受了路易十四的轟炸，就如同布魯塞爾一樣。它的市政府大廈斯德烏特教務會還有百分之百巴羅剋風格的鐘樓，使這座城市成為一個保存完好的珍寶。然而，對於那些曾打算把牧場的緑蔭大道丟給公共工程的工程師們的人，你會看到他們很值得挨一耳光。
博物館，建築物和景點
大廣場的益處表現在其建築風格和市政府大廈上。人們也能觀察到並贊嘆顔色之精美。在這裏，自從70年代城市不幸地被損壞後，人們就立刻給一些特殊房子的正面重新塗上鮮豔的色彩。在一些紙報及一些過去草圖的基礎上，蒙特爾人重新找到了以前曾使用的色調及灰漿。每個城市都有它的色調。在十八世紀末法國兼併主義盛行的時代，好幾個城市都被迫將建築物的下面刷白並除去大量的巴羅剋風格的裝飾，否則就有反共和主義的嫌疑？
沙勒羅瓦
是美與醜的絶妙混合，它擁有許多美麗的建築物卻任其自然風化，破舊的建築讓人們忘記了往昔的美麗。同時兼有建築藝術的嶄新和破落之美，對此黑村的人們並沒有給予應有的重視。您衹能自己去發現(或者成為這些房屋的主人……還可以做生意)。這也是黑村人熱情好客的一種方式。
查理二世廣場/Place Charles II
位於上城的這個廣場保留了最初的格局，並依原樣再造了外觀。這是星狀的軍事建築遺跡。最初的佈局出自於西班牙時代工程師萬艾斯和德讓·布郎依之手。(後者是比利時軍事工程師，不僅將這種格局用於沙勒羅瓦，還用於奧斯唐德歐德那德和柯斯)。其後，烏邦也采用了上法。
市政府，查理二世廣場這是30年代的傑作，上面落了一層厚厚的黑塵。市政府大樓為梯形，高貴典雅、精雕細琢。主建築表面形狀抽象，凝結了大量勞動。相對而言，沙勒羅瓦是一個年輕的城市，並未經歷過鐘樓時代。因此高明的建築師斯紮爾，添加了一個鐘樓，中心偏移，從而留有餘地，主建築外觀對稱。
您一定會流連於建築的內部。淺浮雕風格一致。除非這座美麗的建築被摧毀，否則它以後肯定有價值。現在各種塔樓，停車場、商業畫廊正在取代它的位置。
公共博物館和宏偉的戲劇廳為城市旅館的附屬建築。
藝術成就
拉桑波爾橋和龔斯坦·莫尼耶的雕像（面嚮下城的南部火車站），欄桿和雕刻同樣有吸引力。
然而遺憾的是，古老的裝飾藝術照明裝置已經被取代。
新藝術成就
-上城/La ville haute那烏街（電影宮）和滑鐵盧大道有一些非常有趣的建築。它們中的一部分受到維也納新藝術幾河化的強烈影響。
·德封丹大道，"黃金宮"值得一看。粗刻點綴着具有新藝術模糊回憶的折中派建築。
·醫學大樓（裏榮.拜呂斯街40號）是那個時代沙勒羅瓦的優美建築之一。它建於1908年，當時比利時的新藝術活動已經銷聲匿跡，因此現在呈現出的外觀是一個較好的綜合體：植物風格，鞭狀的鑄鐵，淺浮雕讓人聯想起哥特建築、柱子、窗戶和假對稱前臉。
·昂利商店，大山街38號：保爾·古西的精妙粗刻，可同時看看同一側其他的房屋。
在上城的那烏街盡頭保爾·讓鬆大道十字路口，都可以看到保爾古西和剋爾拜的其他粗刻作品。
·拉夫勒宮，蘇勒白大道7號，離藝術宮兩步遠。
新藝術綜合了昂卡爾風格和維也納分離派。附件和柵欄都是由BD當代的畫傢弗朗斯瓦.斯於當完成的。（撒馬瑞斯，布魯塞爾的城墻），拉夫勒宮不是建築師的作品，是一個墜入愛河的人的作品。
·布蒙路，保爾，巴斯特大道164～174號，離相片博物館不遠，有五個磚屋是重新塗漆和裝飾過的，它們使整個街道大放光彩。它們並不著名。您可嚮行人介紹其可愛之處（座站在另一側以便觀賞整個場景和手繪陶器畫）。
新式下城的成就
下城是沙勒瓦羅的商業區，位於萬艾斯的防禦工事旁（17世紀）。
沙勒瓦羅是比利時最年輕的城市。盧旺，拉，那烏和拉魯韋耶並不是歷史名城。前者是奧弟尼的一個郊區、它既無旅館，也沒有獨立的行政。至於後者，是産業革命後産生的一個城市中心點，因其人口和規模而取得了城市的地位。
下城廣場和大郵局/La Place de la ville basse et Grand-Poste，
阿貝爾一世廣場，大郵局帶有世紀初漂亮的木偶戲小劇院的特點，藍白色石頭相間。靈感來自哥特和復興式風格。
交易所通道和大學街/Le Passage de la Bourse et la rue du College（19世紀末）
毫無疑問這是全城最美的一組建築。大學街上帶葉瓣飾，齒輪飾或法國式閣樓的房屋以迷人的節奏交替出現。而交易所通道的前臉是新古典式的，豪華壯麗。
在這組建築裏，不要忘記還有聖·安托尼奧教堂，這個長方形大教堂看上去很笨重，但是新古典式拱廊很有意思。
玻璃博物館/Musee du Verre，德楓丹大街10號/Boulevard Defontaine，電話071/310838，沙勒羅瓦曾是世界玻璃製品中心，所以這個博物館有可能是最漂亮最有趣的。大量的裝飾藝術風格作品，玻璃階梯，5000年的熔沙……
攝影博物館/Musee de la Photographie 保羅.帕斯圖爾大街，11號/Avenue Paul Pastur，馬奇安峰/Mont-sur-Marchienne，電話071/435810周二～周日，10點～18點，比利時唯一專專供攝影展的地方，從攝影發明到最新攝影技術展示了攝影發展的全部歷史，經常展出初步攝影嘗試，老攝影設備。臨時展覽登在布魯塞爾報紙上登出。
最後的建議
給現代建築愛好者，在馬西拿爾有一個用鋼鐵製成的實驗居民區-R3出口，戶布林布（墓地後面），經由那林路。
煤礦博物館/Musee de la Mine
在主教楓丹城堡地下，城堡和幾座老房子（蒙斯路）值得看看。
工業博物館（天命）/Providence
在馬西安橋（蒙斯方向）。
還有帝.勒城堡，伯爾賽，哈姆和蒙梭等地的一些城堡。
國傢歷史
簡史：公元前剋爾特族的比利其人在此居住。公元前５７年起長期為羅馬人、高盧人、日耳曼人分割統治。９—１４世紀被各諸侯國割據。１４─１５世紀建立了勃艮第王朝。隨後又先後被西班牙、奧地利、法國統治。１８１５年維也納會議將比利時並入荷蘭。１８３０年１０月４日獨立，定為世襲君主立憲王國，並選擇了一個德國人、薩剋森－科堡－哥達公國的王子利奧波爾德作比利時第一任國王。翌年，倫敦會議確定其中立地位。兩次世界大戰中均被德國占領。二戰後加入北約。１９５８年加入歐洲共同體，並與荷蘭、盧森堡結成經濟聯盟。１９９３年完成國傢體製改革，正式實行聯邦製。比利時是北大西洋公約組織創始國，也是歐洲聯盟的成員國。２００５年５月，比利時衆議院批準《歐盟憲法條約》，這樣比利時成為歐盟２５個成員國中第１０個批準該條約的國傢。
國傢政治
政治：１９９４年２月１７日，比利時國王阿爾貝二世正式簽署了新憲法文本。 憲法規定，比利時實行世襲君主立憲的聯邦製。國王為國傢元首，三軍最高統帥。國王和議會共同行使立法權，和政府共同行使行政權，實權在政府，政府對議會負責。 議會實行兩院製，衆議院行使立法權，參議院僅有立法建議和咨詢權，衹在修憲和國傢體製改革方面仍與衆議院享受同等權力。同時擴大地區政府的內政和外交權力。議員經普選産生，任期４年。新憲法首次承認女性王室成員的王位繼承權。
【憲法】 1994年2月17日，比利時衆參兩院通過比體製改革後的新憲法。這是1831年以來比利時第一次對憲法進行重大修改。新憲法從原來的140條增至198條，保留了原憲法有關基本自由、權力分享和國傢民主的2/3條款。憲法規定比實行世襲君主立憲的聯邦製。國王為國傢元首、三軍最高統帥。國王和議會共同行使立法權，和政府共同行使行政權，實權在政府，政府對議會負責。議會實行兩院製，衆議院行使立法權，參議院僅有立法建議和咨詢權，衹在修憲和國傢體製改革方面仍與衆議院享受同等權力。同時擴大地區政府的內政和外交權力。
新憲法首次承認女性王室成員的王位繼承權。
【議會】 聯邦議會由150名衆議員和71名參議員組成，任期4年。衆議員由全國20選區直選産生。在71名參議員中，地區直接選舉40名，語言區議會指派21名，另外遴選10名，國王成年子女是法定參議員。新一屆比利時聯邦議會於2003年5月18日選舉産生。
衆議院議長赫爾曼?德剋羅（Herman De Croo，荷語自民黨，1999年7月就任，2003年5月連任）。參議院議長阿爾芒?德戴剋爾（Armand De Decker，法語革新運動黨，1999年7月就任，2003年5月連任）。
【政府】 本屆政府於2003年7月12日組成，除首相外共有14名大臣，6名國務秘書。主要成員：首相伏思達（原譯居伊?韋爾霍夫斯達特，Guy Verhofstadt），副首相兼司法大臣洛蕾特?翁凱蘭（Laurette Onkelinx），副首相兼預算、社會一體化及社會經濟大臣約翰?範德拉諾特（Johan Vande Lanotte），副首相兼外交大臣路易?米歇爾（Louis Michel），副首相兼內政大臣帕特裏剋?德瓦爾（Patrick Dewael）,國防大臣安德烈?弗拉奧（Andre Flahaut），財政大臣迪迪埃?雷恩代爾（Didier Reynders）。
【司法機構】 全國設222個治安審理所，26個初審法院，5個上訴法院，1個最高法院。10省各設1個重罪法庭。三級法院均有相應的檢察機構。各級法院的法官均由國王直接或根據同級議會的提名任免，終身任職。各級檢察長由國王根據政府提名任免。最高法院院長拉烏斯（M. Lahousse）。最高檢察院檢察長亞丁（Jean du Jardin）。
【政黨】 主要有9個政黨：
（1）荷語自由民主黨（Vlaams Liberalen en Democraten，VLD.）：執政黨，1992年11月成立，前身為1972年從自由黨分裂成立的荷語自由進步黨（Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang，PVV），黨員9萬（2003年）。2004年2月，原黨主席卡雷爾?德?古赫特（Karel De Gucht）因言論不當遭緻批評被免職，新任黨主席是迪剋?斯戴剋斯（Dirk Sterckx）。
（2）法語社會黨（Parti Socialiste，PS）：執政黨，黨員約10萬（2003年）。前身是1885年成立的比利時工人黨。1945年改稱比利時社會黨，1978年因民族和語區矛盾分裂為法語社會黨和荷語社會黨。1999年10月11日，該黨召開代表大會，埃利奧?迪呂波（Elio Di Rupo）當選為主席。
（3）法語革新運動黨（Mouvement Réformateur，MR）：執政黨。前身是1846年成立的自由黨。1972年自由黨分裂為荷語自民黨和法語革新自由黨（PRL），2002年3月24日法語革新自由黨與法語民主陣綫（FDF）、國民革新運動（MCC）合併組成法語革新運動黨。2004年2月，原黨主席、布魯塞爾首都大區首席大臣杜卡姆因逃稅風波辭職，現任主席是安托尼?迪凱納（Antoine Duquesne）。
（4）荷語社會黨（Sociaal Progressief Alternatief，SP.A）：執政黨，黨員約6.8萬（2003年）。1978年由比利時社會黨分裂而成，原名Socialistische Partij（SP），2001年改現名。現任黨主席是斯蒂夫?斯特瓦特（Steve Stevaert）。2002年7月該黨與荷語社會自由黨（SPIRIT）組成2003年競選聯盟。
（5）荷語社會自由黨（SPIRIT）：黨名為社會、進步、國際、區域、完全民主、面嚮未來的外文所寫，執政黨，黨員約3000（2003年）。於2001年由1954年成立的人民聯盟（Volksunie）分裂而成。黨主席是範維特（Els van Weert）。
（6）荷語基民黨（CDV）：在野黨，黨員約14萬（2003年）。前身是1815年成立的基督教社會黨。1846～1936年稱天主教聯盟，1945年改稱基督教社會黨。1968年因民族矛盾分裂為荷語基督教人民黨（CVP）和法語基督教社會黨。2000年荷語基督教人民黨更名為荷語基督教民主黨（CDV）。
（7）法語人道主義民主中心黨（CDH）：在野黨，黨員4.6萬（1999年）。1968年由基督教社會黨分裂而成法語基督教社會黨（PSC），2002年更現名。1999年10月23日，該黨召開代表大會，饒愛樂?米勒蓋（女，Joelle Milquet）當選為主席。
（8）弗拉芒緑黨（Groen）：在野黨，黨員6559人（2003年）。前身為1982年成立的荷語生態黨（Agalev），2003年更現名。黨主席維拉?杜阿（Vera Dua）。
（9）法語生態黨：在野黨，黨員4116人（2003年）。成立於1980年。該黨實現集體領導。
此外還有弗拉芒集團、比利時勞動黨、比利時進步團结共産黨（前比馬列共）等小黨。
國傢經濟
經濟：發達的資本主義工業國傢，經濟高度對外依賴，８０％的原料靠進口，５０％以上的工業産品供出口。據估測，煤藴藏量為３７億噸，其中有開採價值的１８億噸，瓦隆地區的煤層已開採殆盡。此外尚有少量鐵、鋅、鉛、銅等。核電站７座，占總發電量的６５%。森林及緑地面積６０７０平方公裏（２００２年）。主要工業部門有鋼鐵、機械、有色金屬、化工、紡織、玻璃、煤炭等行業。 外貿為比利時經濟命脈。主要貿易夥伴為歐共體成員國，其次為其他歐洲國傢及北美、亞洲和非洲國傢。 對外投資主要在遠東地區，其次是紮伊爾、布隆迪、盧旺達、歐洲、拉美和北美。主要投資部門為冶金、建築材料和服務業。每年對外援助總額約250億比法郎（約合6.7億美元），受援國達100餘個，非洲國傢占75％。貸款援助中的50％用於亞洲國傢。
文化教育
新聞出版：１９９８年有日報３０種，周報千餘種，其他期刊５０００餘種，主要用弗拉芒文和法文出版，極少數用德文出版。主要報刊有：《標準報》（弗拉芒語）、《自由比利時報》（法語）、《最新消息報》（法語）、《晚報》（法語）。《標準報》發行量３０餘萬份，居首位，其餘１０～３０萬份。
比利時通訊社於１９３６年創建。國傢廣播局建於１９３０年，１９６０年分為兩個獨立的廣播電視臺，分別用法語、弗拉芒語播送廣播、電視節目，隸屬地區政府領導。
文化教育： 實行6～18歲免費義務教育製。教育由地區政府管理。有盧汶大學等19所大專院校；每年招收的外國學生約占在校大學生總數的12％。主要報刊有《標準報》(荷文)、《自由比利時報》（法文）、《最新消息報》(法文)、《晚報》（法文）等。比利時通訊社建於1936年。國傢廣播局建於1930年；1960年分設2個獨立的廣播電視臺。
對外關係
外交：推行積極的歐洲政策，主張加快歐洲一體化建設步伐；支持和參與聯合國維和行動與人道主義援助；重視與美國的關係；主張加強與獨聯體和東歐國傢的交往；在積極推動發展中國傢民主化進程的同時，註意緩和與它們的關係。
與中國關係：１９７１年１０月２５日，中比兩國建交。幾十年來，兩國關係發展順利。１９９８年底，比利時首相德阿納訪華。２０００年，比利時王儲菲利普親王率領２００多人的大型經貿代表團訪華。２００２年，比利時首相伏思達訪華。２００４年５月，溫傢寶總理對比利時進行正式訪問，中比簽署關於加強政治對話的聯合聲明。２００５年６月，比利時國王阿爾貝二世對中國進行國事訪問。
The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometers (11,787 square miles) and has a population of about 10.5 million.
Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, with 58% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 32%. The Brussels-Capital Region, although officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region and near the Walloon Region, and has 10% of the population. A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
The name 'Belgium' is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, which used to cover a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the 16th century until the Belgian revolution in 1830, many battles between European powers were fought in the area of Belgium, causing it to be dubbed "the battlefield of Europe" and "the cockpit of Europe" — a reputation strengthened by both World Wars. Upon its independence, Belgium eagerly participated in the Industrial Revolution, generating wealth and also a demand for raw materials; the latter was a factor during the era of its African colonies.
The area of present-day Belgium has seen significant demographic, political and cultural upheavals over the course of two millennia. In the first century, the Romans, after defeating the local tribes, created the province of Gallia Belgica. A gradual immigration by Germanic Frankish tribes during the 5th century, brought the area under the rule of the Merovingian kingdom, which evolved into the Carolingian Empire in the 8th century. During the Middle Ages small feudal states emerged, many of which rejoined as the Burgundian Netherlands in the 14th and 15th centuries. Emperor Charles V completed the union of the Seventeen Provinces in the 1540s, and unofficially also controlled the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.
The Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) divided the area into the northern United Provinces ('federate' Belgica Foederata in Latin) and the Southern Netherlands ('royal' Belgica Regia). The latter were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs and comprised most of modern Belgium. Until independence the area was sought after by numerous French conquerors and was the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and Franco-Austrian wars during the 17th and 18th centuries. Following the campaigns of 1794 in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Low Countries — including territories that were never nominally under Habsburg rule, such as the Prince-Bishopric of Liège — were annexed by the French First Republic, ending Spanish-Austrian rule in the region. The reunification of the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the dissolution of the First French Empire in 1815.
The 1830 Belgian Revolution led to the establishment of an independent, Catholic, and neutral Belgium under a provisional government and a national congress. Since the installation of Leopold I as king in 1831, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Initially an oligarchy ruled mainly by the Catholic Party and the Liberals, the country had evolved towards universal suffrage by World War II with the rise of the Belgian Labour Party and trade unions playing a strong role. French, once the single official language and adopted by the nobility and the bourgeoisie, had by then lost its overall importance as Dutch, the language of the majority of the population, had become recognized as well, be it only in 1898. However, it was not until 1967 that an official Dutch version of the Constitution was accepted.
Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 (1834)
by Egide Charles Gustave Wappers,
in the Ancient Art Museum, Brussels.The Berlin Conference of 1885 gave the Congo Free State to King Leopold II as his private possession. In 1908, it was ceded to Belgium as a colony, henceforth called the Belgian Congo. Belgian control of the Congolese population, particularly under Leopold II, was savage, and the country was plundered of resources such as ivory and rubber.
Germany invaded Belgium in 1914 as part of the Schlieffen Plan, and much of the Western Front fighting of World War I occurred in western parts of the country. Belgium took over the German colonies of Ruanda-Urundi (modern day Rwanda and Burundi) during the war, and they were mandated to Belgium in 1924 by the League of Nations, of which it was a founding member. The Treaty of Versailles had subjected several German border towns, most notably Eupen and Malmedy, to a controversial plebiscite, which led to their annexation by Belgium in 1925, thereby causing the presence of a small German community. Belgium was again invaded by Germany in 1940 during the Blitzkrieg offensive, and occupied until its liberation by Allied troops in the winter of 1944–1945. The Belgian Congo gained independence in 1960 during the Congo Crisis; Ruanda-Urundi followed two years later.
After World War II, Belgium joined NATO as a founder member, headquartered at Brussels, and formed the Benelux group of nations with the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Belgium became one of the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951,and of the 1957 established European Atomic Energy Community and European Economic Community. The latter is now the European Union, for which Belgium hosts major administrations and institutions, including the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the extraordinary and committee sessions of the European Parliament.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Belgium
See also: Belgian federal parliament, Belgian federal government, and Political parties in Belgium
Further information: List of Belgian monarchs, List of Belgian Prime Ministers, Foreign relations of Belgium
Belgium is a constitutional, popular monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.
In the 19th century, the Francophile political and economic elite treated the Dutch-speaking population as second class citizens. At the end of the 19th century, and during much of the 20th century, the Flemish movement evolved to counter this situation. Following World War II, Belgian politics became increasingly dominated by the autonomy of its two main language communities. Intercommunal tensions rose and even the unity of the Belgian state became scrutinized. Through constitutional reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, regionalization of the unitary state led to a three-tiered federation: federal, regional, and community governments were created, a compromise designed to minimize linguistic, cultural, social and economic tensions.
Prime Minister Yves LetermeThe federal bicameral parliament is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Representatives. The former is made up of 40 directly elected politicians and 21 representatives appointed by the 3 community parliaments, 10 coopted senators and as senators by Right who in practice do not cast their vote, currently Prince Philippe, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent, children of the King. The Chamber's 150 representatives are elected under a proportional voting system from 11 electoral districts. Belgium is one of the few countries that has compulsory voting, and thus holds one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the world.
The King (currently Albert II) is the head of state, though with limited prerogatives. He appoints ministers, including a Prime Minister, that have the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives to form the federal government. The numbers of Dutch- and French-speaking ministers are equal as prescribed by the Constitution. The judicial system is based on civil law and originates from the Napoleonic code. The Court of Cassation is the court of last resort, with the Court of Appeal one level below.
Belgium's political institutions are complex; most political power is organized around the need to represent the main cultural communities. Since around 1970, the significant national Belgian political parties have split into distinct components that mainly represent the political and linguistic interests of these communities. The major parties in each community, though close to the political centre, belong to three main groups: the right-wing Liberals, the socially conservative Christian Democrats, and the Socialists forming the left-wing. Further notable parties came into being well after the middle of last century, mainly around linguistic, nationalist, or environmental themes, and recently smaller ones of some specific liberal nature.
A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 was broken in 1999 after the first dioxin crisis, a major food contamination scandal that led to the establishment of the Belgian Food Agency. A 'rainbow coalition' emerged from six parties: the Flemish and the French-speaking Liberals, Social Democrats, Greens. Later, a 'purple coalition' of Liberals and Social Democrats formed after the Greens lost most of their seats in the 2003 election. The government led by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from 1999 to 2007 achieved a balanced budget, some tax-reforms, a labour-market reform, scheduled nuclear phase-out, and instigated legislation allowing more stringent war crime and more lenient soft drug usage prosecution. Restrictions on withholding euthanasia were reduced and same-sex marriage legalized. The government promoted active diplomacy in Africa and opposed the invasion of Iraq. Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the June 2007 elections. Since then the country has been experiencing a long-lasting political crisis. This crisis is such that many observers have speculated on a possible partition of Belgium. Since December 21, 2007 the Verhofstadt III Government has been in office. This coalition of the Flemish and Francophone Christian Democrats, the Flemish and Francophone Liberals together with the Francophone Social Democrats was an interim government until 20 March 2008. On that day a new government, led by Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme, the actual winner of the federal elections of June 2007, was sworn in by the King.
In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Belgium (along with Finland and Sweden) 5th out of 169 countries.
Communities and regions
Flemish Community
(Dutch-speaking)
French Community
(French-speaking)
German-speaking
Community
Flemish Region
Walloon Region
Brussels-Capital
Region
Based on the four language areas defined in 1962–63, consecutive revisions of the country's constitution in 1970, 1980, 1988 and 1993 established a unique federal state with segregated political power into three levels:
The federal government, based in Brussels.
The three language communities:
the Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking);
the French (i.e., French-speaking) Community;
the German-speaking Community.
The three regions:
the Flemish Region, subdivided into five provinces;
the Walloon Region, subdivided into five provinces;
the Brussels-Capital Region.
The constitutional language areas determine the official languages in their municipalities, as well as the geographical limits of the empowered institutions for specific matters.
By Law, inhabitants of 27 municipalities can ask limited services to be rendered in a neighbour language, forming 'facilities' for them.
'Facilities' exist only in specific municipalities along the borders of the Flemish Region and the Walloon Regions.
Regions and provinces of Belgium (blue: Dutch language, yellow: French language)Although this would allow for seven parliaments and governments, when the Communities and Regions were created in 1980, Flemish politicians decided to merge both; thus in the Flemish Region a single institutional body of parliament and government is empowered for all except federal and specific municipal matters.
The overlapping boundaries of the Regions and Communities have created two notable peculiarities: the territory of the Brussels-Capital Region (which came into existence nearly a decade after the other regions) is included in both the Flemish and French Communities, and the territory of the German-speaking Community lies wholly within the Walloon Region.
Conflicts between the bodies are resolved by the Constitutional Court of Belgium. The structure is intended as a compromise to allow different cultures to live together peacefully.
Political authority
The Federal State retains a considerable "common heritage". This includes justice, defence, federal police, social security, nuclear energy, monetary policy and public debt, and other aspects of public finances. State-owned companies include the Post Office and Belgian Railways. The Federal Government is responsible for the obligations of Belgium and its federalized institutions towards the European Union and NATO. It controls substantial parts of public health, home affairs and foreign affairs.
Communities exercise their authority only within linguistically determined geographical boundaries, originally oriented towards the individuals of a Community's language: culture (including audiovisual media), education, and the use of the relevant language. Extensions to personal matters less directly connected with language comprise health policy (curative and preventive medicine) and assistance to individuals (protection of youth, social welfare, aid to families, immigrant assistance services, etc.).
Regions have authority in fields that can be broadly associated with their territory. These include economy, employment, agriculture, water policy, housing, public works, energy, transport, the environment, town and country planning, nature conservation, credit, and foreign trade. They supervise the provinces, municipalities, and intercommunal utility companies.
In several fields, the different levels each have their own say on specifics. With education, for instance, the autonomy of the Communities neither includes decisions about the compulsory aspect nor allows for setting minimum requirements for awarding qualifications, which remain federal matters. Each level of government can be involved in scientific research and international relations associated with its powers.
Geography, climate, and environment
Main article: Geography of Belgium
Belgium shares borders with France (620 km), Germany (167 km), Luxembourg (148 km) and the Netherlands (450 km). Its total area, including surface water area, is 33,990 square kilometres; land area alone is 30,528 km². Belgium has three main geographical regions: the coastal plain in the north-west and the central plateau both belong to the Anglo-Belgian Basin; the Ardennes uplands in the south-east are part of the Hercynian orogenic belt. The Paris Basin reaches a small fourth area at Belgium's southernmost tip, Belgian Lorraine.
High Fens (Hautes Fagnes)The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Further inland lies a smooth, slowly rising landscape irrigated by numerous waterways, with fertile valleys and the northeastern sandy plain of the Campine (Kempen). The thickly forested hills and plateaus of the Ardennes are more rugged and rocky with caves and small gorges, and offer much of Belgium's wildlife but little agricultural capability. Extending westward into France, this area is eastwardly connected to the Eifel in Germany by the High Fens plateau, on which the Signal de Botrange forms the country's highest point at 694 metres (2,277 ft).
The climate is maritime temperate, with significant precipitation in all seasons (Köppen climate classification: Cfb). The average temperature is lowest in January at 3 °C (37 °F), and highest in July at 18 °C (64 °F). The average precipitation per month varies between 54 millimetres (2.1 in) in February or April, to 78 millimetres (3.1 in) in July. Averages for the years 2000 to 2006 show daily temperature minimums of 7 °C (45 °F) and maximums of 14 °C (57 °F), and monthly rainfall of 74 millimetres (2.9 in); these are about 1 degree Celsius and nearly 10 millimetres above last century's normal values, respectively.
Because of its high population density, location in the centre of Western Europe, and inadequate political effort, Belgium faces serious environmental problems. A 2003 report suggested Belgian rivers to have the lowest water quality of the 122 countries studied. In the 2006 pilot Environmental Performance Index, Belgium scored 75.9% for overall environmental performance and was ranked lowest of the EU member countries , though it was only 39th of 133 countries.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Belgium
Belgium's economy and its transportation infrastructure are integrated with the rest of Europe. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helps make it one of the world's ten largest trading nations. The economy is characterized by a highly productive work force, high GNP, and high exports per capita. Belgium's main imports are food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, clothing and accessories, and textiles. Its main exports are automobiles, food products, iron and steel, finished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products, and nonferrous metals. The Belgian economy is heavily service-oriented and shows a dual nature: a dynamic Flemish economy, with Brussels as its main multilingual and multi-ethnic centre, and a Walloon economy that lags behind. One of the founding members of the European Union, Belgium strongly supports an open economy and the extension of the powers of EU institutions to integrate member economies. In 1999, Belgium adopted the Euro, the single European currency, which fully replaced the Belgian franc in 2002. Since 1922, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market within a customs and currency union: the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union.
Steelmaking along the Meuse River at Ougrée, near LiègeBelgium was the first continental European country to undergo the Industrial Revolution, in the early 1800s. Liège and Charleroi rapidly developed mining and steelmaking, which flourished until the mid-20th century in the Sambre-Meuse valley, the sillon industriel. However, by the 1840s the textile industry of Flanders was in severe crisis and the region experienced famine from 1846–50.
After World War II, Ghent and Antwerp experienced a rapid expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries. The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy into a recession; it was particularly prolonged in Wallonia, where the steel industry had become less competitive and experienced serious decline. In the 1980s and 90s, the economic centre of the country continued to shift northwards and is now concentrated in the populous Flemish Diamond area.
By the end of the 1980s, Belgian macroeconomic policies had resulted in a cumulative government debt of about 120% of GDP. As of 2006, the budget was balanced and public debt was equal to 90.30% of GDP. In 2005 and 2006, real GDP growth rates of 1.5% and 3.0%, respectively, were slightly above the average for the Euro area. Unemployment rates of 8.4% in 2005 and 8.2% in 2006 were close to the area average.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Belgium
At the start of 2007 nearly 92% of the Belgian population were national citizens, and around 6% were citizens from other European Union member countries. The prevalent foreign nationals were Italian (171,918), French (125,061), Dutch (116,970), Moroccan (80,579), Spanish (42,765), Turkish (39,419), and German (37,621).
Main areas and places in Belgium
Urbanisation
Almost all of the Belgian population is urban — 97% in 2004. The population density of Belgium is 342 per square kilometre (886 per square mile) — one of the highest in Europe, after that of the Netherlands and some microstates such as Monaco. The most densely inhabited area is the Flemish Diamond, outlined by the Antwerp-Leuven-Brussels-Ghent agglomerations. The Ardennes have the lowest density. As of 2006, the Flemish Region had a population of about 6,078,600, with Antwerp (457,749), Ghent (230,951) and Bruges (117,251) its most populous cities; Wallonia had 3,413,978, with Charleroi (201,373), Liège (185,574) and Namur (107.178) its most populous. Brussels houses 1,018,804 in the Capital Region's 19 municipalities, two of which have over 100,000 residents.
Languages
Main article: Languages of Belgium
Both the Dutch spoken in Belgium and the Belgian French have minor differences in vocabulary and semantic nuances from the varieties spoken in the Netherlands and France. Many Flemish people still speak dialects of Dutch in their local environment. Walloon, once the main regional language of Wallonia, is now only understood and spoken occasionally, mostly by elderly people. Its dialects, along with those of Picard, are not used in public life.
As no census exists, there are no official statistics on Belgium's three official languages or their dialects. Various criteria, including the language(s) of parents, of education, or the second-language status of foreign born, may affect suggested figures. An estimated 59% of the Belgian population speaks Dutch (often referred to as Flemish), and French is spoken by 40%. Total Dutch speakers are 6.23 million, concentrated in the northern Flanders region, while French speakers comprise 3.32 million in Wallonia and an estimated 0.87 million or 85% of the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region. The German-speaking Community is made up of 73,000 people in the east of the Walloon Region; around 10,000 German and 60,000 Belgian nationals are speakers of German. Roughly 23,000 more of German speakers live in municipalities near the official Community.
Bilingual signs in Brussels.The Capital Region having bilingual status obliges its authorities to attend to people and organisations in French or Dutch language as these prefer, and to show street names in both languages on the plates, but does not allow a bilingual school as education belongs to either the French Community or the Flemish one. Geographically, it is an enclave in the Flemish Region though near Wallonia. Constitutionally, it is a politically distinct Region, while within its boundaries both the Flemish and French Communities exercise their authority. Until the end of the 19th century the majority of its inhabitants spoke local Brabantian dialects of the Dutch language. However a large-scale francization of Brussels started in the 19th century. As a result, by the 1910 census, the French language had overtaken the local Brabantian dialects in what is now the Capital Region. (source). Today Dutch is spoken by approximately 150,000 residents of the Brussels-Capital Region, or a 15% minority. Recent immigration has brought its population of foreign origin to 56%.[citation needed] The two largest foreign groups come from two francophone countries: France and Morocco. The first language of roughly half of the inhabitants is not an official one of the Capital Region.[citation needed] Nevertheless, about three out of four residents have the Belgian nationality. In general the population of Brussels is younger and the gap between rich and poor is wider. Brussels also has a large concentration of Muslims, mostly of Turkish and Moroccan ancestry, and mainly French-speaking black Africans. However, Belgium does not collect statistics by ethnic background, so exact figures are unknown.
In 2006, the Université Catholique de Louvain, the country's largest French-speaking university, published a report with the introduction (here translated): "This issue of Regards économiques is devoted to the demand for knowledge of languages in Belgium and in its three regions (Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia). The surveys show that Flanders is clearly more multilingual, which is without doubt a well known fact, but the difference is considerable : whereas 59% and 53% of the Flemings know French or English respectively, only 19% and 17% of the Walloons know Dutch or English. The measures advocated by the Marshall Plan go towards the proper direction, but are without doubt very insufficient to fully overcome the lag." (This particular 2006–2009 'Marshall Plan' was devised in 2004 and published in 2005 to uplift the Walloon economy.) Within the report, professors in economics Ginsburgh and Weber further show that of the Brussels' residents, 95% declared they can speak French, 59% Dutch, and 41% know the non-local English. Economically significant for a further globalizing future, among people under the age of forty, in Flanders 59%, in Wallonia 10%, and in Brussels 28% can speak all three forementioned languages. In each region, Belgium's third official language, German, is notably less known than those.
Education
See also: Education in Belgium
Education is compulsory from six to eighteen for Belgians, but many continue to study until about 23 years of age. Among OECD countries in 2002, Belgium had the third-highest proportion of 18–21-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education, at 42%. Though an estimated 98% of the adult population is literate, concern is rising over functional illiteracy. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Belgium's education as the 19th best in the world, being significantly higher than the OECD average.
Highly politicized conflicts between freethought and Catholic segments of the population during the 1950s caused a split in educational organization. A secular branch of schooling is controlled by the Community, the province, or the municipality, while religious, mainly Catholic branch education, is organized by religious authorities, although subsidized and supervised by the Community.
Religion
See also: Religion in Belgium
Since the country's independence, Roman Catholicism, counterbalanced by strong freethought movements, has had an important role in Belgium's politics. However Belgium is largely a secular country as the laicist constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. Nevertheless, the monarchy has a reputation of deeply-rooted Catholicism. In 1990, for instance, as a King constitutionally obliged to sign a law legalizing abortion after it had been passed by both chambers, Baudouin asked the then Christian-Democrat Prime Minister Wilfried Martens to find a way out, causing the Parliament to declare him 'temporarily unfit to reign', with his consent. On the yearly national holiday, the King and Queen and other members of the royal family officially attend Te Deum celebrations.
Symbolically and materially, the Roman Catholic Church remains in a favourable position. Belgium's concept of 'recognized religions' set a path for Islam to follow to acquire the treatment of Jewish and Protestant religions. While other minority religions, such as Hinduism, do not yet have such status, Buddhism took the first steps toward legal recognition in 2007. According to the 2001 Survey and Study of Religion, about 47% of the population identify themselves as belonging to the Catholic Church, while Islam is the second-largest religion at 3.5%. A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, considered to be a more religious region than Wallonia, showed that 55% considered themselves religious, and that 36% believed that God created the world.
According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 43% of Belgian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 29% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 27% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".
There is also a tiny Hindu and Sikh population. While there are around 8,000 Hindus mostly near Antwerp, most Sikhs (around 10,000) are either in Vilvoorde or Sint-Truiden (see Sikhism in Belgium).
Science and technology
Gerardus MercatorContributions to the development of science and technology have appeared throughout the country's history. The sixteenth century Early Modern flourishing of Western Europe included cartographer Gerardus Mercator, anatomist Andreas Vesalius, herbalist Rembert Dodoens, and mathematician Simon Stevin among the most influential scientists. In the first half of the seventeenth century, the Walloon method of making bar iron found its way to Sweden where it remained in use for more than two hundred and sixty years.
The quickly developed and dense Belgian railroad system caused major companies like La Brugeoise et Nivelles (now the BN division of Bombardier Transportation) to develop specific technologies, and the economically important very deep coal mining in the course of the First Industrial Revolution has required highly reputed specialized studies for mine engineers.
The end of the nineteenth century and the twentieth saw important Belgian advances in applied and pure science. The chemist Ernest Solvay and the engineer Zenobe Gramme (École Industrielle de Liege) gave their names to the Solvay process and the Gramme dynamo, respectively, in the 1860s. Georges Lemaître (Université Catholique de Louvain) is credited with proposing the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe in 1927. Three Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine were awarded to Belgians: Jules Bordet (Université Libre de Bruxelles) in 1919, Corneille Heymans (Universiteit Gent) in 1938, and Albert Claude (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and Christian De Duve (Université Catholique de Louvain) in 1974. Ilya Prigogine (Université Libre de Bruxelles) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1977.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Belgium
Belgian cultural life is concentrated within each language community, and a variety of barriers have made a shared cultural sphere less pronounced. There has been since the 1970s no bilingual universities except the Royal Military Academy, no common media, and no single large cultural or scientific organization in which both main communities are represented. Despite its political and linguistic divisions that have been strongly changing during the centuries, the region corresponding to today's Belgium has seen the flourishing of major artistic movements that have had tremendous influence on European art and culture.
Fine arts
See also: list of Flemish painters and list of Belgian painters
The Tower of Babel (oil on board, c. 1563)
by Pieter Brueghel the Elder,
in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum.Contributions to painting and architecture have been especially rich. The Mosan art, the Early Netherlandish, the Flemish Renaissance and Baroque painting, and major examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture are milestones in the history of art. Famous names in this classic tradition include the Flemish artists Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and, Pieter Brueghel the Elder as well as Lambert Lombard and Theodore de Bry from Liège. The historical artistic production of the Flemish before the early seventeenth century Baroque style of Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck is often not distinguished from that of the Dutch nor of the Walloons. In the southern Netherlands it gradually declined thereafter, although high quality tapestry continued to be created until well into the eighteenth century.
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries many original romantic, expressionist and surrealist Belgian painters emerged, including Egide Wappers, James Ensor, Constant Permeke and René Magritte. The avant-garde CoBrA movement appeared in the 1950s, while the sculptor Panamarenko remains a remarkable figure in contemporary art. The multidisciplinary artist Jan Fabre and the painter Luc Tuymans are other internationally renowned figures on the contemporary art scene. Belgian contributions to architecture also continued into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the work of Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde, who were major initiators of the Art Nouveau style.
The vocal music of the Franco-Flemish School developed in the southern part of the Low Countries and was an important contribution to Renaissance culture. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries witnessed the appearance of major violinists, such as Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugène Ysaÿe and Arthur Grumiaux, while Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1846. The composer César Franck was born in Liège in 1822. Belgium has also produced music of contemporary note. The first Belgian singer to successfully pursue an international career is Bobbejaan Schoepen, pioneer of varieté and pop music. Jazz musician Toots Thielemans has achieved global fame, as have the singers Jacques Brel and Italy-born Adamo. In rock/pop music, Telex, Front 242, K's Choice, Hooverphonic, Zap Mama, Soulwax and dEUS are well known.
Belgium has produced several well-known authors, including the poet Emile Verhaeren and novelists Hendrik Conscience, Georges Simenon, Suzanne Lilar and Amélie Nothomb. The poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1911. The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé is the best known of Franco-Belgian comics, but many other major authors, including Peyo (The Smurfs), André Franquin, Edgar P. Jacobs, and Willy Vandersteen brought the Belgian cartoon strip industry on a par with the U.S.A. and Japan.
Belgian cinema, often influenced by the Dutch or French, has brought a number of mainly Flemish novels to life on-screen. The absence of a major Belgian cinema company, however, has forced several talented directors to emigrate, such as Carl Colpaert or participate in low-budget productions such as Marc Didden's Brussels by Night (1983). Other Belgian directors include André Delvaux, Stijn Coninx, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne; well-known actors include Jan Decleir and Marie Gillain; and successful films include Man Bites Dog and The Alzheimer Affair. In the 1980s, Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts produced important fashion trendsetters, known as the Antwerp Six.
Folklore
The Gilles of Binche, in costume, wearing wax masksFolklore plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life: the country has a comparatively high number of processions, cavalcades, parades, 'ommegangs' and 'ducasses', 'kermesse', and other local festivals, nearly always with an originally religious background. The Carnival of Binche with its famous Gilles, and the 'Processional Giants and Dragons' of Ath, Brussels, Dendermonde, Mechelen and Mons are recognized by UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Other examples are the Carnival of Aalst; the still very religious processions of the Holy Blood in Bruges, Virga Jesse in Hasselt, and Hanswijk in Mechelen; the August 15 festival in Liège; and the Walloon festival in Namur. Originated in 1832 and revived in the 1960s, the Gentse Feesten have become a modern tradition. A major non-official holiday is the Saint Nicholas Day, a festivity for children and, in Liège, for students.
Sports
Football (soccer) and cycling are especially popular amongst Belgians. Belgian keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers (soccer) ever.[citation needed] Belgian Eddy Merckx is widely considered the greatest cyclist ever, given five victories of the Tour de France and numerous other bicycle races records; his hour speed record set in 1972 stood for twelve years. Belgium has produced two female tennis champions who repeatedly ranked number one of the world, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, and numerous other award-winning athletes.
The Spa-Francorchamps motor-racing circuit hosts the Formula One World Championship Belgian Grand Prix. The Belgian driver Jacky Ickx won eight Grands Prix and six 24 Hours of Le Mans, and twice finished as runner-up in the Formula One World Championship. Thierry Boutsen also won three races in 1989 and 1990. Belgium also has a strong reputation in motocross; world champions include Roger De Coster, Joël Robert, Georges Jobé, Eric Geboers, Joël Smets and Stefan Everts.
The 1920 Summer Olympics were held in Antwerp, Belgium.
Belgium has played a major part in the promotion and development of Duathlon. More specifically Benny Vansteelant has made a lasting legacy conquering a stunning 8 World Champion titles and 5 European Champion titles.
Cuisine
Belgium is well known for its cuisine. Many highly ranked restaurants can be found in the high-impact gastronomic guides, such as the Michelin Guide. Belgian food is, like the country itself, a mix of Germanic and Latin influences. Belgians have a reputation for loving waffles and French fries; contrary to the name of the latter, both dishes originated in Belgium. The national dishes are steak-frites with salad, and moules-frites (mussels with frites). A challenge for a television program caused no less than 307 different local or regional dishes to be presented on a 118-metre long table in Tivoli Park in Mechelen on 1 September 2007.
Brands of Belgian chocolate and pralines, like Callebaut, Côte d'Or, Neuhaus, Leonidas, Guylian and Godiva, are world renowned and widely sold.
Belgium produces over 500 varieties of beer. The biggest brewer in the world by volume is InBev based in Belgium. |
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