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Kingdom of BelgiumKoninkrijk België Royaume de Belgique Königreich Belgien
Flag Coat of arms of Belgium Coat of arms
Motto: "Eendracht maakt macht"  (Dutch) "L'union fait la force"  (French) "Einigkeit macht stark"  (German) "Strength through Unity"
Anthem: The "Brabançonne"
Location of Belgium (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union (light green)
Capital	Brussels
Largest metropolitan area	Brussels Capital Region
Official languages	Dutch, French, German
Government	Federal constitutional monarchy and bicameral parliamentary democracy
• King	Albert II
• Prime Minister	Guy Verhofstadt
Independence
• Declared	October 4 1830
• Recognized	April 19, 1839
• Water (%)	6.4
Population
• 2006 estimate	10,511,382 (76th )
• 2001 census	10,296,350
GDP (PPP)	2004 estimate
• Total	$316.2 billion (30th)
• Per capita	$31,400 (12th)
Gini (2000)	33 medium inequality (33th)
HDI (2004)	0.945 Error: Invalid HDI value (13th)
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code	32
ISO 3166 code	BE
Internet TLD	.be
Prior to 1999: Belgian franc. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France, with a short coastline on the North Sea. It is one of the founding members of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO. Belgium has a population of over ten-and-a-half million people, in an area of around 30,000 square kilometres (11,700 square miles).

Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium's two largest regions are Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, with 58% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, which accomodates 32%. The Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual enclave within the Flemish 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.

Belgium derives its name from the Latin name of the northernmost part of Gaul, Gallia Belgica, named after a group of mostly Celtic tribes, Belgae. Historically, Belgium has been a part of the Low Countries, which included the Netherlands and Luxembourg and used to cover a somewhat larger region than the current Benelux group of states. From the end of the Middle Ages until the seventeenth century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the sixteenth century until the Belgian revolution in 1830, the area at that time called the Southern Netherlands, was the site of many battles between the European powers, and has been dubbed "the battlefield of Europe" and "the cockpit of Europe". Upon its independence Belgium eagerly participated at the Industrial Revolution, bringing relative wealth which further increased during the era of its African colonies.

History

Over the past two millennia, the area that is now known as Belgium has seen significant demographic, political and cultural upheavals. In the first century BC the Romans, after defeating the indigenous tribes, created the province Gallia Belgica. Following fifth century attacks by Germanic tribes the area came under the rule of the Franks' Merovingian kingdom, and the Carolingian Empire in the eighth century. During the Middle Ages many small feudal states emerged but united, except for Prince-Bishopric of Liège, under the Burgundian Netherlands fourteenth century and then as the Seventeen Provinces in the 1540s.

The Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) divided the area into a northern United Provinces and the Southern Netherlands. The latter were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs, and —until independence— sought after by numerous French conquerors and the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and Franco-Austrian wars during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Following the Campaigns of 1794 in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Low Countries —including territories that were never under Habsburg rule, such as the 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 end of the 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 inauguration of Leopold I as king in 1831, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Initially an oligarchy characterized mainly by the Catholic Party and the Liberals, by World War II the country had evolved towards universal suffrage, the Labour Party had risen, and trade unions already played a strong role. French as single official language and adopted by the nobility and the bourgeoisie, had lost its overall importance as Dutch had become recognized as well, but only in 1967 an official Dutch version of the Constitution was accepted.

Belgium became a world player when 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. After Germany invaded Belgium, as part of the Schlieffen Plan, and as the Western Front of World War I was fought in the western parts of the country, Belgium took over the German colonies of Ruanda-Urundi (modern day Rwanda and Burundi) which were mandated to Belgium in 1924 by the League of Nations. Belgium was again invaded by Germany in 1940 during the blitzkrieg offensive, and occupied until its liberation by Allied troops in the winter of 1944–45. During the Congo Crisis, the Belgian Congo gained independence in 1960; two years later followed by Ruanda-Urundi.

After World War II, Belgium joined NATO, headquartered at Brussels, and formed the Benelux group of nations with the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 1951 Belgium became one of the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, and since 1957 of the European Atomic Energy Community and European Economic Community, now the European Union for which the country hosts a major part of the 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

Belgium is a constitutional, popular monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. During the twentieth century, particularly following World War II, Belgian politics became increasingly dominated by the autonomy of its two main communities. Intercommunal tensions rose, and the unity of the Belgian state was scrutinized. Through constitutional reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, regionalisation of the unitary state led to a three-tiered federation: federal, regional, and linguistic community governments were created, a compromise designed to minimize linguistic, cultural, and economic tensions.

The 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; the latter is a 150 seat chamber that elects members under a proportional voting system from 11 electoral districts. Belgium is one of the few countries that has compulsory voting, and thus 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 language 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 social conservative Christian Democrats, and the left-wing Socialists. Other new, important parties include green, linguistic, and nationalist organizations.

A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 was broken in 1999 after the first dioxin crisis, a major food intoxication scandal which 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, 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 a military intervention during the Iraq disarmament crisis. Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the elections of 2007.

Communities and regions

Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking)	French Community (French-speaking)	German-speaking Community
Flemish Region	Walloon Region	Brussels-Capital Region

The 1993 revision of the country's constitution established a unique federal state with competences at three levels:

1. The federal government, based in Brussels.
2. The three language communities:
   • the Flemish (i.e., Dutch-speaking) Community;
   • the French (i.e., French-speaking) Community;
   • the German-speaking Community.
3. The three regions:
   • the Flemish Region;
   • the Walloon Region; and
   • the Brussels-Capital 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.

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 competent 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 to be 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. The Flemish and Walloon regions are furthermore subdivided in administrative entities, the provinces.

The Federal State retains a considerable "common heritage". This includes justice, defence, federal police, social security, monetary policy, public debt and other aspects of public finances, nuclear energy, State-owned companies (such as the Post Office and —an exception on regionalized transport— Belgian Railways). It 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 competences only within linguistically determined geographical boundaries, originally oriented towards the individuals of a Community's language: culture (including audiovisual media), education, the use of the relevant language. Extensions to personal matters less directly attributed to the 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 connected with their territory in the widest meaning of the term, thus relating to the 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 specificities. On education for instance, the autonomy of the Communities does neither include decisions about the compulsory aspect nor setting minimum requirements for awarding qualifications, which remain federal matters. Each level can be involved in scientific research and international relations associated with its powers.

Geography, climate, and environment

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, the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands in the south-east.

The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Polders are areas of land, close to or below sea level that have been reclaimed from the sea, from which they are protected by dikes or, further inland, by fields that have been drained with canals. The central plateau lies further inland. It is a smooth, slowly rising area that has many fertile valleys and is irrigated by numerous waterways. Rougher land occurs on the plateau, including caves and small gorges.

The Ardennes, is more rugged than the first two regions. It is a thickly forested plateau, very rocky, and with little agricultural capability. It extends into northern France, and into Germany, where it is named Eifel. Much of Belgium's wildlife can be found in the Ardennes and the country's highest point, the Signal de Botrange at 694 metres (2,277 ft), is located in the region.

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 centigrade 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.

Economy

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 and 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. Belgium adopted the euro, the single European currency, In 1999 and 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.

Belgium 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. 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

By New Year 2004 nearly 92 percent of the Belgian population were national citizens, and 5.5 percent were citizens of the earliest 15 members of the European Union. The most prevalent foreign nationals were Italians (183,021), French (114,943), Dutch (100,700), Moroccans (81.763), Spanish (43,802), Turkish (41.336), and Germans (35,530).

Urbanisation

Almost all of the Belgian population is urban, at 97.2% in 2004. Statistics for 1991 indicate two out of three residents were owners of their dwelling in Flanders and Wallonia, compared to 40% in the Brussels-Capital Region. 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

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 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.

There are no official statistics on Belgium's three official languages (or their dialects) that inhabitants prefer. As no census exists, such is not always simply established for an individual (language of which parent or of which years of education). Figures here given for Dutch, French or German include foreign immigrants and their children for whom neither is necessarily the primary language : 59% of the Belgian population, being 6.23 million people in the north, mainly in the region Flanders, speaks Dutch (while Belgians of both major language groups often refer to it as Flemish) ; French is spoken by 40%, comprising 3.32 million in the southern region Wallonia and an estimated 0.87 million or 85% of the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region — in which enclave encompassed by the Flemish Region thus a minority of perhaps 0.15 million speaks Dutch, its local language till shortly before Belgium's independence. With recent immigration having caused 56.5% of the capital region's population to be of foreign origin, usually natively neither French nor Dutch-speaking, neither official language is the primary one for roughly half of the inhabitants (though 74% has the Belgian nationality). In general the population of Brussels is younger and the gap between rich and poor is wider. Of the 73,000 people of the German-speaking Community 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 its speakers live in municipalities near the official Community.

In 2006, the French Community's coheir of Belgium's oldest university published a survey report calling Flanders' leadership in speaking multiple languages "undoubtedly wellknown", and showing this lead to be considerable : 59% of the Flemish respondents can speak French and 53% English; of the Walloons on the other hand, merely 19% Dutch and 17% English; of the Brussels' residents, 95% declare to be able to speak French, 59% Dutch, and 41% the non-local English. Economically significant in an increasingly globalizing epoch, in their respective regions 59, 10, and 28 percent of people under forty can speak all three languages. In each region, Belgium's third official language, German, is notably less known than any of this survey's forementioned ones.

Education

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 percent. Though an estimated 98 percent of the adult population is literate, concern is rising over functional illiteracy.

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

Since independence, Catholicism, counterbalanced by strong freethought movements, has had an important role in Belgium's politics. The laicist constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. The monarchy has a reputation of deeply-rooted Catholicism. In 1990, for instance, as 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.

Nevertheless, symbolically and materially the Roman Catholic Church stays in a favourable position, and the concept of 'recognized religion' caused a tedious path for Islam to become at the level of Jewish and Protestant religions, other minority religions such as Buddhism do not yet have such status. According to the 2001 Survey and Study of Religion, about 47 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to the Catholic Church while Islam is the second-largest religion at 3.5 percent. A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, considered more religious than Wallonia, showed 55% to call themselves religious, 36% believe that God created the world.

Science and technology

Contributions 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.

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 gave their names to the Solvay process and the Gramme dynamo, respectively, in the 1860s. Georges Lemaître 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 in 1919, Corneille Heymans in 1938, and Albert Claude and Christian De Duve in 1974. Ilya Prigogine was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1977.

Culture

Belgian cultural life has become concentrated within each linguistic community, and a variety of barriers have made a shared cultural sphere less pronounced. There are no bilingual universities except the Royal Military Academy, no common media, and no single large cultural or scientific organisation in which both main communities are represented. Despite its divisions 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.

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 Jan van Eyck, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. The historical artistic production of Flanders is often not distinguished from that of the Dutch generally. It gradually declined during the second half of the seventeenth century, although high quality tapestry continued to be created until well into the eighteenth.

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. 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, K's Choice, Hooverphonic, Front 242 and dEUS are well known.

Belgium has produced several well-known authors, including the poet Emile Verhaeren and novelists Hendrik Conscience, Georges Simenon and Suzanne Lilar. 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 of cartoon strips have been Belgian, including Peyo (the smurfs), André Franquin, Edgar P. Jacobs and Willy Vandersteen.

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, 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 plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life: the country has a comparatively high number of processions, cavalcades, 'ommegangs' and 'ducasses', and local festivals and kermesse, 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. A major non-official holiday is the Saint Nicholas Day, a festivity for children and, in Liège, for students.

Sport

Football and cycling are especially popular amongst Belgians. Eddy Merckx is considered one of the greatest cyclists 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: Kim Clijsters, who retired at 23, and Justine Henin.

The Spa-Francorchamps motor-racing circuit in Liège hosts the Formula One World Championship Belgian Grand Prix. Belgium's most notable driver is Jacky Ickx, winner of eight Grands Prix and six 24 Hours of Le Mans. Belgium also has a strong reputation in motocross; world champions include Roger De Coster, Joel Robert, Georges Jobé, Eric Geboers and Stefan Everts.

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. Brands of Belgian chocolate, like Neuhaus, and Godiva, are world renowned and widely sold. In addition to chocolate, Belgian sweets have a reputation of very high quality. Confiserie Roodthooft in Antwerp produces the famous 'Mokatine', also known as the 'Arabier'. Belgium produces over 500 varieties of beer. The biggest brewery in the world by volume is Inbev based in Belgium. Belgians have a reputation for loving waffles and French fried potatoes, both assumed to have originated in their country. The national dishes are steak-fries and lettuce, and mussels-fries.

See also

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References

Footnotes

1. ^ "Structuur van de bevolking — België / Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest / Vlaams Gewest / Waals Gewest / De 25 bevolkingsrijkste gemeenten (2000–2006)" (asp) (in Dutch). Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy — Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. © 1998/2007. Retrieved 2007-05-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
2. ^ "The German-speaking Community". The German-speaking Community. Retrieved 2007-05-05. The (original) version in German language (already) mentions 73,000 instead of 71,500 inhabitants.
3. ^ Cite error: The named reference philippevanparijs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
4. ^ Morris, Chris (2005-05-13). "Language dispute divides Belgium". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. ^ De Ridder, Paul, Doctor in Medieval History, Royal Library of Belgium. "Linguistic Usages in Brussels before 1794". Vereniging voor Brusselse Geschiedenis (Society for History of Brussels). Retrieved 2007-05-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ Petermann, Simon, Professor at the University of Liège, Wallonia, Belgium — at colloquium IX Sommet de la francophonie — Intitiatives 2001 — Ethique et nouvelles technologies, session 6 Cultures et langues, la place des minorités, Bayreuth (2001-09-25). "Langues majoritaires, langues minoritaires, dialectes et NTIC" (in French). Retrieved 2007-05-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
7. Footnote: The Celtic and/or Germanic influences on and origin(s) of the Belgae remains disputed. Further reading e.g. Witt, Constanze Maria (1997). "Ethnic and Cultural Identity". Barbarians on the Greek Periphery? — Origins of Celtic Art. Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, University of Virginia. Retrieved 2007-06-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
8. ^ "Belgian economy". Belgium. Belgian Federal Public Service (ministry) of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
9. Haß, Torsten, Head of the Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences) of Kehl Library, Kehl, Germany (2003-02-17). "Rezention zu (Review of) Cook, Bernard: Belgium. A History ISBN 0-8204-5824-4" (in German). FH-Zeitung (journal of the Fachhochschule). Retrieved 2007-05-24. die Bezeichnung Belgiens als „the cockpit of Europe" (James Howell, 1640), die damals noch auf eine kriegerische Hahnenkampf-Arena hindeutete {{cite web}}: Check |author= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) — The book reviewer, Haß, attributes the expression in English to James Howell in 1640. Howell's original phrase "the cockpit of Christendom" became modified afterwards, as shown by:
      Carmont, John. "The Hydra No.1 New Series (November 1917) — Arras And Captain Satan". War Poets Collection. Napier University’s Business School. Retrieved 2007-05-24. — and as such coined for Belgium:
      Wood, James (1907). "Nuttall Encyclopaedia of General Knowledge — Cockpit of Europe". Retrieved 2007-05-24. Cockpit of Europe, Belgium, as the scene of so many battles between the Powers of Europe. (See also The Nuttall Encyclopaedia)
10. Edmundson, George (1922). "Chapter II: Habsburg Rule in the Netherlands". History of Holland. The University Press, Cambridge. Republished: Authorama. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
11. Deschouwer, Kris (2004). "Ethnic structure, inequality and governance of the public sector in Belgium" (pdf). United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Retrieved 2007-05-22. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
12. Franklin, Mark N., Trinity College, Connecticut (2001). "The Dynamics of Electoral Participation — Table 10.1 Average turnout in free elections to the lower house in 40 countries, 1961-1999" (pdf). pp. p. 32. Retrieved 2007-05-29. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
13. "Belgium — Constitution — Title III Powers, Chapter II The Senate, Article 72  ; and Title III, Chapter III King and Federal Government, Section I The King ; and Section II The Federal Government, Article 99 ". International Constitutional Law. Institut für öffentliches Recht, University of Berne, Switzerland. 1994-02-17. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Or both:
    * "Title III On Power, Chapter II On the Senate, Art. 72". The Constitution of Belgium. The Federal Parliament of Belgium. 1997-01-21. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) And
    * "Title III On Power, Chapter III On the King and the Federal Government, Section I On the King ; and Section II On the Federal Government, Art. 99". The Constitution of Belgium. The Federal Parliament of Belgium. 1997-01-21. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
14. Tyler, Richard (1999-06-08). "Dioxin contamination scandal hits Belgium: Effects spread through European Union and beyond". World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) — Follow-up on occasion of 2nd dioxin crisis: α
15. European Commission (1999-06-16). "Food Law News - EU : CONTAMINANTS - Commission Press Release (IP/99/399) Preliminary results of EU-inspection to Belgium" (Press release). School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, UK. Retrieved 2007-05-29. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
16. "Belgium's "rainbow" coalition sworn in". BBC News. 1999-07-12. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. "La Chambre des représentants — Composition (Composition of the Chamber of Representatives)" (pdf) (in French). The Chamber of Representatives of Belgium. 2006-03-09. Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
18. "Rwanda". tiscali.reference. Tiscali UK. Retrieved 2007-05-27. The article shows an example of Belgium's recent African policies.
19. "Belgian demand halts NATO progress". CNN News. 2003-02-16. Retrieved 2007-06-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
20. Footnote: This revision built on several former revisions. In particular it builds on the in 1962–63 determined four language areas (taalgebieden in Dutch, Sprachgebiete in German), occasionally called linguistic regions (régions linguistiques in French). The language regions are defined in the three legal versions of the Belgian Constitution:
    * "Titel I: Het federale België, zijn samenstelling en zijn grondgebied". De Belgische Grondwet (in Dutch). Belgian Senate. 2007-05-15 last update of web page. Retrieved 2007-05-31. Art. 4 België omvat vier taalgebieden {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
    * "Titel I: Das föderale Belgien, seine Zusammensetzung und sein Staatsgebiet". Die Verfassung Belgiens (in German). Belgian Senate. 2007-05-15 last update of web page. Retrieved 2007-05-31. Art. 4 Belgien umfaßt vier Sprachgebiete {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
    * "Titre Ier: De la Belgique fédérale, de ses composantes et de son territoire". La Constitution Belge (in French). Belgian Senate. 2007-05-15 last update of web page. Retrieved 2007-05-31. Art. 4 La Belgique comprend quatre régions linguistiques {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
      English translation, not recently updated and without legal value:
    * "Title I: On Federal Belgium, its components and its territory". the Constitution. Belgian Senate. 1997-01-21 last update of main 'the Constitution' page on web site. Retrieved 2007-05-31. Art. 4 Belgium has four linguistic regions {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    * Note: Each municipality of the Kingdom is part of one of these language areas / linguistic regions.
21. "Politics — State structure". Flanders.be. Flemish Government. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
22. ^ "The Federal Government's Powers". .be Portal. Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
23. ^ "The Communities". .be Portal. Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
24. ^ "The Regions". .be Portal. Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
25. "Climate averages — Brussels". EuroWEATHER/EuroMETEO, Nautica Editrice Srl, Rome, Italy. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
26. "Kerncijfers 2006 — Statistisch overzicht van België" (pdf 1.8 MB) (in Dutch). Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy — Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. pp. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
27. Pearce, Fred (2003-03-05). "Sewage-laden Belgian water worst in world". New Scientist. Retrieved 2006-05-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
28. "Wallonia in 'decline' thanks to politicians". Expatica Communications BV. 2005-03-9. Retrieved 2007-06-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
29. "Industrial History Belgium". European Route of Industrial Heritage. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
30. "Background Note: Belgium". US Department of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
31. Vanhaverbeke, Wim. "Het belang van de Vlaamse Ruit vanuit economisch perspectief The importance of the Flemish Diamond from an economical perspective" (in Dutch). Netherlands Institute of Business Organization and Strategy Research, University of Maastricht (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration), The Netherlands. Retrieved 2007-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
32. "The World Factbook — (Rank Order — Public debt)". CIA. 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
33. "Key figures". National Bank of Belgium. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
34. Perrin, Nicolas, UCLouvain, Study Group of Applied Demographics (Gédap) (2006). "European Migration Network — Annual Statistical Report on migration and asylum in Belgium (Reference year 2003) — section A. 1) b) Population by citizenship & c) Third country nationals, 1 January 2004" (pdf). Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Interior — Immigration Office. pp. pages 5–9. Retrieved 2007-05-28. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
35. "5. Demographic trends — Urban population (% of total)". Human Development Indicators 2006 — Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
36. "Quelques résultats des précédents recensements — Indicateurs de logement (1991)" (in French switchable to Dutch). Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy — Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. © 1998/2007. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
37. ^ Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.) (2005). "Languages of Belgium". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th edition. SIL International Dallas, Texas, USA. Retrieved 2007-05-07. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
38. Footnote: Native speakers of Dutch living in Wallonia and of French in Flanders are relatively small minorities which furthermore largely balance one another, hence counting all inhabitants of each unilingual area to the area's language can cause only insignificant inaccuracies (99% can speak the language). Dutch: Flanders' 6.079 million inhabitants and about 15% of Brussels' 1.019 million are 6.23 million or 59.3% of the 10.511 million inhabitants of Belgium (2006); German: 70,400 in the German-speaking Community (which has language facilities for its less than 5% French-speakers), and an estimated 20,000–25,000 speakers of German in the Walloon Region outside the geographical boundaries of their official Community, or 0.9%; French: in the latter area as well as mainly in the rest of Wallonia (3.414 - 0.093 = 3.321 million) and 85% of the Brussels inhabitants (0.866 milion) thus 4.187 million or 39.8%; together indeed 100%;
39. ^ Cite error: The named reference ericcorijn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
40. ^ Cite error: The named reference britishcouncil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
41. Cite error: The named reference standaard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
42. Cite error: The named reference calc1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
43. "Population et ménages" (pdf 1.4 MB) (in French). IBSA Cellule statistique — Min. Région Bruxelles-Capitale (Statistical cell — Ministry of the Brussels-Capital Region). Retrieved 2007-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
44. "Citizens from other countries in the German-speaking Community". The German-speaking Commmunity. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
    * "German (Belgium) — Overview of the language". Mercator, Minority Language Media in the European Union, supported by the European Commission and the University of Wales. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
    * Leclerc, Jacques , membre associé du TLFQ (2006-04-19). "Belgique • België • Belgien — La Communauté germanophone de Belgique". L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (in French). Host: Trésor de la langue française au Québec (TLFQ), Université Laval, Quebec. Retrieved 2007-05-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
45. Ginsburgh, Victor, Université Catholique de Louvain; Weber, Shlomo, Professor Economy and Director of the Center for Economic Studies of the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA, and having a seat in the expert panel of the IMF (2006). "La dynamique des langues en Belgique" (pdf 0.7 MB). Regards économiques, Publication préparée par les économistes de l'Université Catholique de Louvain (in French) (Numéro 42). Retrieved 2007-05-07. Les enquêtes montrent que la Flandre est bien plus multilingue, ce qui est sans doute un fait bien connu, mais la différence est considérable : alors que 59 % et 53 % des Flamands connaissent le français ou l'anglais respectivement, seulement 19 % et 17 % des Wallons connaissent le néerlandais ou l'anglais. ... 95 pour cent des Bruxellois déclarent parler le français, alors que ce pourcentage tombe à 59 pour cent pour le néerlandais. Quant à l'anglais, il est connu par une proportion importante de la population à Bruxelles (41 pour cent). ... Le syndrome d'H (...) frappe la Wallonie, où à peine 19 et 17 pour cent de la population parlent respectivement le néerlandais et l'anglais. {{cite journal}}: External link in |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help); line feed character in |quote= at position 129 (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) (Summary: "Slechts 19 procent van de Walen spreekt Nederlands" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Taalunie. 2006-06-12. Retrieved 2007-05-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) — The article shows the interest in the Ginsburg-Weber report, by the French-language Belgian newspaper Le Soir and the Algemeen Dagblad in the Netherlands)
46. Schoors, Koen, Professor of Economics at Ghent University, the KULeuven and the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School . "Réformer sans tabous - Question 1: les langues — La connaissance des langues en Belgique: Reactie" (pdf) (in Dutch). Itinera Institute. Retrieved 2007-06-14. Hoewel in beide landsdelen de jongeren inderdaad meer talen kennen dan de ouderen, is de talenkloof tussen Vlaanderen en Wallonië toch gegroeid. Dit komt omdat de talenkennis in Vlaanderen sneller is toegenomen dan die in Wallonië. ... Het probleem aan Franstalige kant is dus groot en er is, verassend genoeg, niet echt een verbetering of oplossing in zicht. ... het is met de kennis van het Engels ongeveer even pover gesteld als met de kennis van het Nederlands. Tot daar dus de verschoning van de povere talenkennis aan Waalse zijde als een rationele individuele keuze in een markt met externe effecten. Het is merkwaardig dat de auteurs dit huizenhoge probleem met hun verklaring expliciet toegeven, maar er bij het formuleren van beleidsadviezen dan toch maar van uit gaan dat hun model juist is. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help); line feed character in |quote= at position 685 (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) — Reaction on the Ginsburgh-Weber report; "Ib. Reactions" (pdf) (in French translation).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
47. "Table 388. Percentage of population enrolled in secondary and postsecondary institutions, by age group and country". Digest of Education Statistics — Tables and Figures. National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences (IES), US Department of Education. 2005, data: 2002. Retrieved 2007-06-06. {{cite web}}: |chapter= ignored (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
48. "I. Monitoring Human Development: Enlarging peoples's choices... — 5. Human poverty in OECD, Eastern Europe and the CIS" (pdf). Human Development Indicators. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 2000. pp. pp. 172–173. Retrieved 2007-06-06. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
49. ^ De Ley, Herman (2000). "Humanists and Muslims in Belgian Secular Society (Draft version)". Centrum voor Islam in Europe (Centre for Islam in Europe), Ghent University. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
50. "HEADLINERS; Out of Power". New York Times. 1990-04-08. Retrieved 2007-06-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
51. Bousetta, Hassan; Gsir, Sonia; Jacobs, Dirk (2005). "Active Civic Participation of Immigrants in Belgium — Country Report prepared for the European research project POLITIS, Oldenburg" (pdf). Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg IBKM. Retrieved 2007-05-08. In many respects, the Catholic Roman Church remains in a very advantageous situation both symbolically and materially. The long and troublesome process which eventually lead to the recognition of Islam is also illustrative of the ambiguity of the relations between the Belgian State and religions. For 25 years, Islam has been maintained in an unfair position in comparison to other religions. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 277 (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
52. "België gaat plat op zijn buik voor China (Belgium bends over backwards for China)" (in Dutch). No. #1455. Metro (Belgian newspaper). 2007-05-10. pp. page 2. Retrieved 2007-05-10. Uittredend Senaatsvoorzitster Anne-Marie Lizin reageert teleurgesteld: 'Gezien het belang van de vergadering waaraan u wilde deelnemen en gezien de redenenen van uw beslissing, betreur ik dat ik u niet kan ontvangen in ons land, een land dat openstaat voor iedereen ongeacht de religieuze overtuiging, en dat net een eerste stap heeft gezet in de erkenning van het' 'boeddhistische filosofie.' (Lawfully resigning at the end of the government's legislation, President of the Senat Anne-Marie Lizin reacts disappointed: 'In view of the importance of the meeting you wanted to attend and in view of the reasons of your decision, I regret not being able to receive you in our country, a country open for everyone regardless the religious conviction, and which has just set a first step towards the recognition of the Buddhist philosophy.') {{cite news}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) Alternative urls:α, β, pdf 1.1 MB:γ
53. "Belgium". International Religious Freedom Report 2004. US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
54. Inquiry by 'Vepec', 'Vereniging voor Promotie en Communicatie' (Organisation for Promotion and Communication), published in Knack magazine 22 November2006 p. 14 .
55. "Rembert Dodoens: iets over zijn leven en werk — Dodoens' werken". Plantaardigheden — Project Rembert Dodoens (Rembertus Dodonaeus) (in Dutch). Stichting Kruidenhoeve/Plantaardigheden, Balkbrug, the Netherlands. Revised 20 Dec, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-17. ... het Cruijdeboeck, dat in 1554 verscheen. Dit meesterwerk was na de bijbel in die tijd het meest vertaalde boek. Het werd gedurende meer dan een eeuw steeds weer heruitgegeven en gedurende meer dan twee eeuwen was het het meest gebruikte handboek over kruiden in West-Europa. Het is een werk van wereldfaam en grote wetenschappelijke waarde. De nieuwe gedachten die Dodoens erin neerlegde, werden de bouwstenen voor de botanici en medici van latere generaties. (... the Cruijdeboeck, published in 1554. This masterpiece was, after the bible, the most translated book in that time. It continued to be republished for more than a century and for more than two centuries it was the mostly used referential about herbs. It is a work with world fame and great scientific value. The new thoughts written down by Dodoens, became the building bricks for botanists and physicians of later generations.) {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
    * O'Connor, J. J.; Robertson, E. F. (2004). "Simon Stevin". School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, Scotland. Retrieved 2007-05-11. Although he did not invent decimals (they had been used by the Arabs and the Chinese long before Stevin's time) he did introduce their use in mathematics in Europe.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    * "Abstract (*)". S. Karger AG, Basel. Retrieved 2007-05-11. The importance of A. Vesalius' publication 'de humani corporis fabrica libri septem' cannot be overestimated. (*) Free abstract for pay-per-view article by De Broe, Marc E.; De Weerdt, Dirk L.; Ysebaert, Dirk K.; Vercauteren, Sven R.; De Greef, Kathleen E.; De Broe Luc C. (1999). "The Low Countries - 16th/17th Century" (PDF). American Journal of Nephrology. 19 (2): 282–9. doi:10.1159/000013462. PMID 10213829. {{cite journal}}: More than one of |work= and |journal= specified (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    * Midbon, Mark, University of Wisconsin (2000-03-24). "'A Day Without Yesterday': Georges Lemaitre & the Big Bang". Commonweal, republished: Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC). pp. pp. 18–19. Retrieved 2007-06-07. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
56. "Belgium — Arts and cultural education". Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, 8th edition. Council of Europe / ERICarts. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
57. "Belgique (though it should have been 'Belgium')". European Culture Portal. European Commission. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
58. "Low Countries, 1000–1400 AD". Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
59. "Low Countries, 1400–1600 AD". Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
60. Several examples of major architecturtal realisations in Belgium belong to UNESCO's World Heritage List: "Belgium". Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. UNESCO. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
61. "Low Countries, 1600–1800 AD". Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
62. "Art History: Flemish School: (1600 – 1800) — Artists: (biography & artworks)". World Wide Arts Resources. 2006-02-05. Retrieved 2007-05-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) — A general presentation of the Flemish artistic movement with a list of its artists, linking to their biographies and artworks
63. "Belgian Artists: (biographies & artworks)". World Wide Arts Resources. 2006-02-05. Retrieved 2007-05-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) — List of Belgian painters, linking to their biographies and artworks
64. Baudson, Michel (1996). "Panamarenko". Flammarion (Paris), quoted at presentation of the XXIII Bienal Internacional de São Paulo. Retrieved 2007-05-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
65. Brussels, capital of Art Nouveau (page 1), "ib. (page2)". Senses Art Nouveau Shop, Brussels. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help) (for example)
66. "Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)". UNESCO's World Heritage List. UNESCO. Retrieved 2007-05-16. The appearance of Art Nouveau in the closing years of the 19th century marked a decisive stage in the evolution of architecture, making possible subsequent developments, and the Town Houses of Victor Horta in Brussels bear exceptional witness to its radical new approach.
67. "Western music, the Franco-Flemish school". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-15. Most significant musically was the pervasive influence of musicians from the Low Countries, whose domination of the musical scene during the last half of the 15th century is reflected in the period designations the Netherlands school and the Franco-Flemish school.
68. Notte, Peter (1992). "De Vlaamse kleinkunstbeweging na de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Een historisch overzicht. — 4. De schlager na de tweede wereldoorlog". Verhandeling voorgelegd aan de Faculteit der Letteren en Wijsbegeerte, groep Germaanse Filologie, van de Universiteit Gent, voor het verkrijgen van de graad van licentiaat (Thesis presented at the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, Germanic Philology, Ghent University, for obtaining a licentiate degree) Promotor: Prof. Dr Anne-Marie Musschoot (in Dutch). Sint-Lodewijkscholen (educational project ethesis). Retrieved 2007-05-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) (For these credentials see this thesis' presentation, retrieved on 2007-05-12)
69. The Italian singer Adamo mainly made his career in Belgium, as confirmed by the biography on his site, retrieved on 2007-06-07.
70. Two comprehensive discussions of rock and pop music in Belgium since the fifties:
    * "The Timeline — A brief history of Belgian Pop Music". The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives. Flanders Music Centre, Brussels. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
    * "Belgian Culture — Rock". Vanberg & DeWulf Importing. © 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
71. Notable Belgian films based on works by Flemish authors include: De Witte (author Ernest Claes) movie by Jan Vanderheyden & Edith Kiel in 1934, remake as De Witte van Sichem directed by Robbe De Hert in 1980; De man die zijn haar kort liet knippen (Johan Daisne) André Delvaux 1965; Mira ('De teleurgang van de Waterhoek' by Stijn Streuvels) Fons Rademakers 1971; Malpertuis (aka The Legend of Doom House) (Jean Ray ) Harry Kümel 1971; De loteling (Hendrik Conscience) Roland Verhavert 1974; Dood van een non (Maria Rosseels) Paul Collet & Pierre Drouot 1975; Pallieter (Felix Timmermans) Roland Verhavert 1976; De komst van Joachim Stiller (Hubert Lampo) Harry Kümel 1976; De Leeuw van Vlaanderen (Hendrik Conscience) Hugo Claus (a famous author himself) 1985; Daens ('Pieter Daens' by Louis Paul Boon) Stijn Coninx 1992; — see also Filmarchief les DVD!s de la cinémathèque (in Dutch). Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
72. "Kroniek van de Vlaamse film 1955–1990 — Perstekst naar aanleiding van de uitgave van 'Brussels By Night'" (doc) (in Dutch). Flemish Community, Media Desk, Ghent. Retrieved 2007-05-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
73. A review of the Belgian cinema can be found at "Cinema". .be Federal Portal. Federal government of Belgium. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
74. "Fashion and the 'Antwerp Six'". Fashion Worlds, Dorset, UK. © 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
75. Footnote: The Dutch word 'ommegang' is here used in the sense of an entirely or mainly non-religious procession, or the non-religious part thereof — see also its article on the Dutch-language Misplaced Pages; the Processional Giants of Brussels, Dendermonde and Mechelen mentioned in this paragraph are part of each city's 'ommegang'. The French word 'ducasse' refers also to a procession — see also its article on the French-language Misplaced Pages; the mentioned Processional Giants of Ath and Mons are part of each city's 'ducasse'.
76. "Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France". UNESCO. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
77. "Folklore estudiantin liégeois" (in French). University of Liège. Retrieved 2007-05-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
78. Clijsters, Kim (6 May 2007). "Kim's Diary — Thank you". Kim Clijsters' Official site. Retrieved 2007-05-08. The recurring injuires, having difficulty in getting out of bed in the morning, needing about an hour to get all the muscles warmed up, the demanding preparations of the marriage with Brian... It all makes things a bit difficult to keep on going. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
79. "Eating Out in Belgium". subsite www.hostelbelgium.com. Hostelworld.com, Dublin, Ireland. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
80. "The Michelin stars 2007 in Belgium". Resto.be TM Dreaminvest. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
81. "InBev dividend 2006: 0.72 euro per share — infobox: About InBev" (Press release). InBev. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2007-05-31. InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: INB) based in Leuven, Belgium. The company's origins date back to 1366, and today it is the leading global brewer by volume. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
82. "Belgium cuisine". About.com: French Cuisine. About, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-15.

General online sources

• "Belgium". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago, IL, USA. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
• "Boordtabel" (in Dutch). Centre for Information, Documentation and Research on Brussels (BRIO). 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) (mentioning other original sources)
• "Belgium". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
• "The Constitution". Federal Parliament Belgium. 1997-01-21. Retrieved 2007-06-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• "Country Portal - Europe — Belgium". Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy — Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
• Fischer, Kathrin (1999-07-21). "Die Stellung und Rolle der deutschsprachigen Minderheit in Ostbelgien innerhalb des belgischen Nationalstaats". Kleiner Geländekurs in die EUREGIO Maas-Rhein (in German). Geographical Institute of the Georg-August University (Department Culture and Social Geography), Göttingen, Germany. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• "History of Belgium". World History at KMLA. Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA). Last revised 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= and |work= (help)
• Janssens, Rudi, VUB (2001-06-01). "Brusselse Thema's 8 — Taalgebruik in Brussel — Taalverhoudingen, taalverschuivingen en taalindentiteit in een meertalige stad" (pdf) (in Dutch and summary The Use of Languages in Brussels pp. 227–250 in English). VUBPress, Brussels ISBN 90 5487 293 4 — republished on web site of Centre for Information, Documentation and Research on Brussels (BRIO). pp. 312 pp. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |author= and |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Leclerc, Jacques, membre associé du TLFQ (© 2006). "Belgique • België • Belgien". L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (in French). Host: Trésor de la langue française au Québec (TLFQ), Université Laval, Quebec. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); External link in |work= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
• Mnookin, Robert, Professor at HLS (2006-12-20). "Bye bye Belgium?". International Herald Tribune, republished by Harvard Law School. Retrieved 2007-06-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) — Reflections on nations and nation-state developments regarding Belgium

Bibliography

• Arblaster, Paul (2005-12-23). A History of the Low Countries. Palgrave Essential Histories (Hardcover 312pp ed.). Palgrave Macmillan, New York. ISBN |1-4039-4827-5 [Also edition ([[2005-12-23]]), Paperback 312pp, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, ISBN 1-4039-4828-3]]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |author= (help)
• Blom, J. C. H., Dutch State Institute for War Documentation, ed.; Lamberts, Emiel, Professor in Modern History KULeuven, ed.; Kennedy, James C., translator (1999). History of the Low Countries (Hardcover 503pp ed.). Berghahn Books, Oxford/New York. ISBN |1-5718-1084-6 [Also newer edition ([[2006-06-29]]), Paperback 516pp, Berghahn Books, New York, ISBN 1-8454-5272-0]]]. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Cammaerts, Émile L. (1921) . A History of Belgium from the Roman Invasion to the Present Day (357pp ed.). D. Appleton and Co, New York. OCLC 1525559 ASIN B00085PM0A , London, OCLC 29072911; (1921) D. Unwin and Co., New York OCLC 9625246; also published (1921) as Belgium from the Roman invasion to the present day, The Story of the nations, 67, T. Fisher Unwin, London, OCLC 2986704 ASIN B00086AX3A]. {{cite book}}: External link in |author= (help)
• Cook, Bernard A., Professor of History at Loyola University New Orleans, LA, USA (c2002 or May 2004). Belgium: A History. Studies in Modern European History, Vol. 50 (Paperback 205pp ed.). Peter Lang Pub, New York. ISBN |0-8204-5824-4 Ib. e-book (2004) NetLibrary, Boulder, CO, USA, ISBN 0-8204-7283-2 [Also print edition ([http://isbndb.com/d/book/belgium_a_history.html 2004-06-30] or [http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=67647&vLang=E&vHR=1&vUR=3&vUUR=4&vNoHB=True 2005]), ISBN 0-8204-7647-1]]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Check date values in: |year= (help); External link in |isbn= and |year= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
• de Kavanagh Boulger, Demetrius C. (2001-06-28 or 2006-03-30). The History of Belgium: Part 1. Cæsar to Waterloo. Elibron Classics (Paperback 493pp ed.). Adamant Media (Delaware corporation), Boston, MA, USA. ISBN |1-4021-6714-8 [Facsimile reprint of a 1902 edition by the author, London]]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |date= (help); Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help) — Ib. (2001-06-28 or 2006-03-30) . Ib. Part 2. 1815-1865. Waterloo to the Death of Leopold I. Ib. (Paperback 462pp ed.). Ib. ISBN |1-4021-6713-X [Facsimile reprint of a 1909 edition by the author, London]]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |date= (help)
• Kossmann-Putto, Johanna A.; Kossmann Ernst H.; Deleu Jozef H. M., ed.; Fenoulhet Jane, translator (1993) . The Low Countries: History of the Northern and Southern Netherlands (3rd Rev. edition Paperback 64pp ed.). Flemish-Netherlands Foundation "Stichting Ons Erfdeel", Rekkem, Belgium. ISBN |9-0708-3120-1 [several editions in English, incl. (1997) 7th ed.]]]. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

See also: section References, subsection General online sources

Wikimedia Atlas of Belgium

• Template:Wikitravel
• Belgium, entry on the Catholic Encyclopedia 1913, republished on Wikisource
• Official site of Belgian monarchy
• Official site of the Belgian federal government
• Official Site of the Belgian Tourist Office in the Americas and GlobeScope,
  - its links to sites of Belgian Tourist Offices in Belgium
  - its links to sites of Belgian Tourist Offices worldwide
• History of Belgium: Primary Documents EuroDocs: Online Sources for European History
• Belgium, entry on the Public Diplomacy wiki monitored by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy

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