Belgium

Belgium is a state in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of ​​30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of over 11.5 million, making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most populous country in Europe with a density of 376 people per square meter. meter. kilometer (970 / sq mi). The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liege, Bruges, Namur and Leuven.

Belgium is a sovereign state and a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Its institutional organization is complex and structured both regionally and linguistically. It is divided into three highly autonomous regions: the Flemish region (Flanders) in the north, the Walloon region (Wallonia) in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels is the smallest and most populous region and also the richest region in terms of GDP per capita.

Belgium is home to two main linguistic communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish community, which makes up about 60 percent of the population, and the French-speaking community, which makes up about 40 percent of the population. A small German-speaking community of about one percent exists in the Eastern Cantons. The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the dominant language. Belgium's linguistic diversity and associated political conflicts are reflected in its complex system of government, made up of six different governments.

The country as it exists today was founded after the Belgian Revolution of 1830, when it separated from the Netherlands, which only existed since 1815. The name chosen for the new state comes from the Latin word for Belgium, used in Julia Caesar's "Gaulish". Wars ”to describe the nearby region around 55 BC. E. Belgium is part of the area known as the Low Countries, historically a slightly larger region than the Benelux group of states, since it also included parts of northern France. Since the Middle Ages, its central location next to several major rivers meant the area was relatively prosperous, commercially and politically connected to its larger neighbors. Belgium has also been the battleground of the European powers, earning the nickname “Battlefield of Europe”, whose reputation was solidified in the 20th century as a result of both world wars.

Belgium participated in the industrial revolution and had a number of colonies in Africa during the 20th century. Between 1888 and 1908, Leopold II, King of Belgium, committed one of the largest massacres in human history in the Free State of Congo, which was his private property and was not yet a Belgian colony. Estimates of the death toll are disputed, but millions of people, a significant portion of the population, have died due to the export of rubber and ivory.

The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking citizens, fueled by differences in language and culture, as well as uneven economic development in Flanders and Wallonia. This continuing antagonism led to several far-reaching reforms that resulted in the transition from a unitary to a federal structure between 1970 and 1993. Despite the reforms, tensions between the groups remained, if not intensified; there is significant separatism, especially among the Flemings; there are controversial language laws such as municipalities with language services; and the formation of a coalition government took 18 months after the June 2010 federal elections, a world record. Unemployment in Wallonia is more than double that in Flanders, which rose sharply after World War II.

Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union, and its capital, Brussels, hosts the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as one of two seats in the European Parliament. (the second is Strasbourg). Belgium is also one of the founders of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD and WTO, as well as part of the tripartite Union of the Benelux and the Schengen area. Brussels is the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO.