Belgium Profile, People, Language, Cities, Brussels, Capital, Football and Video

Belgium Profile

Belgium officially known as the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. It is a small and densely populated country that covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi) with a population of more than 11 million.

Belgium FlagGreat coat of arms of Belgium

Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary structure of governance. Its current reigning monarch is King Philippe,  the seventh King of the Belgians, having ascended the throne on 21 July 2013, following his father’s abdication and Charles Michel as the Prime Minister since 2014.

It is divided into three highly autonomous regions and three communities, that exist next to each other. Its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the mostly French-speaking southern part of the Wallonia region. The Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual (French and Dutch) enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia.

Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and hosts the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council, as well as a seat of the European Parliament in the country’s capital, Brussels. Belgium is also a founding member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD, and WTO, and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union and the Schengen Area. Brussels hosts several of the EU’s official seats as well as the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO.

The country lies in what is known as the Low Countries, which is larger than the current Benelux group of states that also included parts of Northern France and Western Germany. The region was called Belgica in Latin, after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, the area of Belgium was a prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture.

From the 16th century until the Belgian Revolution in 1830, when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands, the area of Belgium served as the battleground between many European powers, causing it to be dubbed the “Battlefield of Europe”, a reputation strengthened by both world wars.

Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy. The country achieves very high standards of living, life quality, healthcare, education, and is categorized as “very high” in the Human Development Index. It also ranks as one of the safest or most peaceful countries in the world.

Belgium People

Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish community, which constitutes about 59 percent of the population, and the French-speaking, mostly Walloon population, which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians. There is also a small 1 percent group of German speakers who live in the East Cantons.

Belgium Language

The official languages of the Belgians is Dutch, French and German.

Languages in Belgium

Belgium Cities

1. Aalst (Alost)
2. Aarschot (fr: Aerschot)
3. Andenne
4. Antoing
5. Antwerp (nl: Antwerpen; fr: Anvers)
6. Arlon (nl: Aarlen; de: Arel)
7. Ath (nl: Aat)
8. Bastogne (nl: Bastenaken)
9. Beaumont
10. Beauraing
11. Beringen
12. Bilzen
13. Binche
14. Blankenberge
15. Borgloon (fr: Looz)
16. Bouillon
17. Braine-le-Comte (nl: ‘s-Gravenbrakel)
18. Bree
19. Bruges (nl: Brugge)
20. Brussels (fr: Bruxelles; nl: Brussel; de: Brüssel)
21. Charleroi
22. Châtelet
23. Chièvres
24. Chimay
25. Chiny
26. Ciney
27. Comines-Warneton (nl: Komen-Waasten)
28. Couvin
29. Damme
30. Deinze
31. Dendermonde (fr: Termonde)
32. Diest
33. Diksmuide (Dixmude)
34. Dilsen-Stokkem
35. Dinant
36. Durbuy
37. Eeklo
38. Enghien (nl: Edingen)
39. Eupen
40. Fleurus
41. Florenville
42. Fontaine-l’Évêque
43. Fosses-la-Ville
44. Geel
45. Gembloux (nl: Gembloers)
46. Genappe (nl: Genepiën)
47. Genk
48. Geraardsbergen (fr: Grammont)
49. Ghent (nl, de: Gent, fr: Gand)
50. Gistel
51. Halen
52. Halle (fr: Hal)
53. Hamont-Achel
54. Hannut (nl: Hannuit)
55. Harelbeke
56. Hasselt
57. Herk-de-Stad (fr: Herck-la-Ville)
58. Herentals
59. Herve
60. Hoogstraten
61. Houffalize
62. Huy (nl: Hoei)
63. Izegem
64. Kortrijk (fr: Courtrai)
65. Jodoigne (nl: Geldenaken)
66. La Louvière
67. La Roche-en-Ardenne
68. Landen
69. Le Rœulx
70. Lessines (nl: Lessen)
71. Leuven (fr: Louvain, de: Löwen)
72. Leuze-en-Hainaut
73. Liège (nl: Luik)
74. Lier (fr: Lierre)
75. Limbourg (nl, de: Limburg)
76. Lokeren
77. Lommel
78. Lo-Reninge
79. Maaseik
80. Malmedy (de: Malmünde)
81. Marche-en-Famenne
82. Mechelen (fr: Malines; de: Mecheln)
83. Menen (fr: Menin)
84. Mesen (fr: Messines)
85. Mons (nl, de: Bergen)
86. Mortsel
87. Mouscron (nl: Moeskroen)
88. Namur (nl: Namen)
89. Neufchâteau
90. Nieuwpoort (fr: Nieuport)
91. Ninove
92. Nivelles (nl: Nijvel)
93. Ostend (nl: Oostende; fr/de: Ostende)
94. Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve
95. Oudenaarde (fr: Audenarde)
96. Oudenburg
97. Peer
98. Péruwelz
99. Philippeville
100. Poperinge
101. Rochefort
102. Roeselare (fr: Roulers)
103. Ronse (fr: Renaix)
104. Saint-Ghislain
105. Saint-Hubert
106. St. Vith (fr: Saint Vith)
107. Scherpenheuvel-Zichem (fr: Montaigu-Zichem)
108. Seraing
109. Sint-Niklaas (fr: Saint-Nicolas)
110. Sint-Truiden (fr: Saint-Trond)
111. Soignies (nl: Zinnik)
112. Spa
113. Stavelot
114. Thuin
115. Tielt
116. Tienen (fr: Tirlemont)
117. Tongeren (fr: Tongres)
118. Torhout
119. Tournai (nl: Doornik)
120. Turnhout
121. Verviers
122. Veurne (Furnes)
123. Vilvoorde (fr: Vilvorde)
124. Virton
125. Visé (nl: Wezet)
126. Walcourt
127. Waregem
128. Waremme (nl: Borgworm)
129. Wavre (nl: Waver)
130. Wervik (fr: Wervicq)
131. Ypres (nl: Ieper)
132. Zottegem (fr: Sottegem)
133. Zoutleeuw (fr: Léau)

Brussels Belgium

Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region is a region of Belgium comprising of 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from Flanders and Wallonia. It covers 161 km2 (62 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions, and has a population of 1.2 million, with a metropolitan area of over 2.1 million people, the largest in Belgium.

Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux (a politico-economic union of three neighbouring states in Western Europe) and headquarters of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)are also located in Brussels. It is classified as an Alpha global city.

Belgium Capital

City of Brussels Coat of ArmsMunicipal flag of the city of brussels

The capital city of Belgium is the City of Brussels. It is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region consisting of certain additional areas within the greater Brussels-Capital Region, namely Haren, Laeken and Neder-Over-Heembeek to the north, and Avenue Louise/Louizalaan and the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos park to the south.

Besides the strict centre, it also covers the immediate northern outskirts where it borders municipalities in Flanders. It is the administrative centre of the European Union, thus often dubbed, along with the region, the EU’s capital city.

As in every other Belgian municipality, the City of Brussels is headed by a mayor, who should not be confused with the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region or the Governor of Brussels-Capital.

Belgium Football

Belgium is represented by the Belgian national football team in association football since their maiden match in 1904. The country’s squad is under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and is governed by UEFA in Europe. Both FIFA and UEFA were co-founded by the Belgian team’s supervising body, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA).

Most of Belgium’s home games are played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. In home matches, the team’s outfield players traditionally wear the colours of the Belgian flag: black, yellow and red. Red dominates the strip and is often the sole jersey colour. The away colours are usually white, black or both.

2018 Belgium Soccer Jersey (Home and Away respectively)

The team has participated in the FIFA World Cup tournaments, the first being at the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 where they finished in eleventh place. The latest being the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.

Fifa World Cup 2018- Belgium squad

Belgium Video