Belgium
Capital: Brussels · Western Europe
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe.
Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Red deer Cervus elaphus , in Freyr forest, near Han-sur-Lesse , Belgium.
Photo: Lviatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
View of the Lys river in the centre of Ghent, Belgium.
Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Aerial view of Graslei, Clock tower of the Post Office, Church of Saint-Nicolas in Ghent and Belfry of Ghent, Belgium
Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Did you know?
Belgium is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a complex federal system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country 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 in the middle.
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Castle Arenberg, part of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Photo: Juhanson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
History
In his account of the Roman invasion of Gaul, Roman leader Julius Caesar noted that the original Belgae inhabited the northern part of Gaul extending from the Seine and Marne rivers to the Rhine. They therefore inhabited most of modern Belgium, and significant parts of France, the Netherlands, and Germany. He described the Belgae as the bravest of the Gauls, and attributed this to their distance from the Roman Province, minimal contact with merchants importing luxury goods, and their continual warfare with the neighbouring Germanic tribes across the Rhine.
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rochefort Trappist Brewery in Abbey of Our Lady of Saint-Remy, Wallonia, Belgium. Brewing is the main source of income for the monastery since the 16th century.
Photo: Luca Galuzzi ( Lucag ), CC BY-SA 2.5 · source
cycle track to Diepenbeek campus (Belgium).
Photo: Bios, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Geography
Belgium shares borders with France (620 km; 390 mi), Germany (162/167 km), Luxembourg (148 km; 92 mi), and the Netherlands (450 km; 280 mi). Its total surface, including water area, is 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi). Before 2018, its total area was believed to be 30,528 km2 (11,787 sq mi). However, when the country's statistics were measured in 2018, a new calculation method was used. Unlike previous calculations, this one included the area from the coast to the low-water line, revealing the country to be 160 km2 (62 sq mi) larger in surface area than previously thought.
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fire breathing "Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band" Chassepierre Belgium
Photo: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Antwerp Central station in Belgium. It was taken with a Pentax K20D.
Photo: Laurent-Jonathan Meyvaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The Lion's Mound overlooking the site of the battle of Waterloo , here cultivated with beets, in Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium.
Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Politics and government
Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and a federal parliamentary democracy. The bicameral federal parliament is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Representatives. The former is made up of 50 senators appointed by the parliaments of the communities and regions and 10 co-opted senators. Prior to 2014, most of the Senate's members were directly elected. The Chamber's 150 representatives are elected under a proportional voting system from 11 electoral districts. Belgium has compulsory voting and thus maintains one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the world.
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Belgium 1835 40 Francs
Photo: Belgium (coin), National Numismatic Collection (image), Public domain · source
Common squid from the Belgian continental shelf. Picture taken in the lab on board of the RV Belgica , of a live specimen to preserve colour and structure of…
Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
A Red deer Cervus elaphus , in Freyr forest, near Han-sur-Lesse , Belgium.
Photo: Lviatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Economy
Belgium's strongly globalized economy and its transport infrastructure are integrated with the rest of Europe. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helped make it the world's 15th largest trading nation in 2007. The economy is characterized by a highly productive work force, high GNP and high exports per capita. Belgium's main imports are raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, and oil products. Its main exports are machinery and equipment, chemicals, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, and foodstuffs.
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aerial view of Church of Our Lady (Bruges, Belgium)
Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Laeken (Belgium), the Royal Greenhouses of Balat (1874-1890).
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The abbey church of the Trappists Fathers of Rochefort, Abbey of Our Lady of Saint-Remy, Wallonia, Belgium. The Abbey is the way of life of a community of Trappists…
Photo: Luca Galuzzi ( Lucag ), CC BY-SA 2.5 · source
Demographics
As of 1 January 2024, the total population of Belgium according to its population register was 11,763,650. The population density of Belgium is 383/km2 (990/sq mi) as of January 2024, making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world, and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe. The most densely populated province is Antwerp, the least densely populated province is Luxembourg. As of January 2024, the Flemish Region (Flanders) had a population of 6,821,770 (58.0% of Belgium), its most populous cities being Antwerp (545,000), Ghent (270,000), and Bruges (120,000).
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mining accident of Marcinelle
Photo: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Epitoke form from de Spuikom, Oostende - Belgium
Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Culture
Despite its political and linguistic 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. Nowadays, to a certain extent, cultural life is concentrated within each language Community, and a variety of barriers have made a shared cultural sphere less pronounced. Since the 1970s, there are no bilingual universities or colleges in the country except the Royal Military Academy and the Antwerp Maritime Academy.
Contributions to painting and architecture have been especially rich.
Wikipedia: Belgium – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
High-resolution detail of the eyes of a female Anax imperator in Belgium, Hamois.
Photo: Lviatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Moon jellyfish in the Pairi Daiza aquarium in Belgium. Because of the lighting, the organism in shown in false colour.
Photo: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source