(Dutch) Koninkrijk België (French) Royaume de Belgique (German) Königreich Belgien Kingdom of Belgium
Flag 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) – on the European continent  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green)
Capital		Brussels 50°54′N, 4°32′E
Largest metropolitan area		Brussels Capital Region
Official languages		Dutch, French, German
Demonym		Belgian
Government		Federal constitutional monarchy and bicameral parliamentary democracy
-	King	Albert II
-	Prime Minister	Guy Verhofstadt
Independence
-	Declared	4 October 1830
-	Recognized	19 April 1839
EU membership		25 March 1957
Area
-	Total	30,528 km² (139th) 11,787 sq mi
-	Water (%)	6.4
Population
-	2007 estimate	10,584,534[1]  (76th [2005])
-	2001 census	10,296,350
-	Density	344.32/km² (2006) (29th [2005]) 892/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2004 estimate
-	Total	$316.2 billion (30th)
-	Per capita	$31,400 (13th)
Gini? (2000)		33 (medium) (33rd)
HDI (2004)		0.945 (high) (13th)
Currency		Euro (€)1 (EUR)
Time zone		CET (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD		.be²
Calling code
1	Prior to 1999: Belgian franc.
2	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 (450 km), Germany (167 km), Luxembourg (148 km), and France (620 km), 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.^[2] 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 Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, with 58% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 32%. The Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual enclave within the Flemish and near the Walloon Region, and has 10% of the population.^[3] A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia.^[4] Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.^[5][6][7]

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.^[8][9] 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 seventeenth century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the sixteenth 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"^[10] and "the cockpit of Europe"^[11] – a reputation strengthened by both World Wars. Upon its independence, Belgium eagerly participated in the Industrial Revolution,^[12][13] generating wealth and also a demand for raw materials; the latter was a factor during the era of its African colonies.^[14]

History

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 for specific matters empowered institutions:

	Public services rendered in the language of individuals expressing themselves…			the Communities			the Regions (and their provinces)			the Federal State
				Flemish [29]	French	German- speaking	Flemish [29]	Walloon	Brussels- Capital
	…in Dutch	…in French	…in German
Dutch language area	Y	in 12 municipalities (limited to 'facilities')	-	Y	-	-	Y	-	-	Y
French language area	in 4 municipalities (limited to 'facilities')	Y	in 2 municipalities (limited to 'facilities')	-	Y	-	-	Y	-	Y
Bilingual area Brussels-Capital	Y	Y	-	Y	Y	-	-	-	Y	Y
German language area	-	in all 9 municipalities (limited to 'facilities')	Y	-	-	Y	-	Y	-	Y
	By Law, inhabitants of 27[30] municipalities can ask limited services to be rendered in a neighbour language, forming 'facilities' for them. 'Facilities' exist only in specific municipalities near the borders of the Flemish with the Walloon and with the Brussels-Capital Regions, and in Wallonia also in 2 municipalities bordering its German language area as well as for French-speakers throughout the latter area.

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.^[29]

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.^[12]

Political authority

The Federal State retains a considerable "common heritage". This includes justice, defense, 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.^[31]

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.).^[32]

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.^[33]

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.^[31] Each level of government can be involved in scientific research and international relations associated with its powers.^[32][33]

Geography, climate, and environment

Belgium. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago, IL, USA. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.

Boordtabel (Dutch). Centre for Information, Documentation and Research on Brussels (BRIO) (2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-02. (mentioning other original sources)

CIA World Factbook entry on Belgium Retrieved on 2007-06-07.

The Constitution. Federal Parliament Belgium (1997-01-21). Retrieved on 2007-06-07.

Country Portal - Europe — Belgium. Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy — Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.

Fischer, Kathrin (1999-07-21). Die Stellung und Rolle der deutschsprachigen Minderheit in Ostbelgien innerhalb des belgischen Nationalstaats (German). Kleiner Geländekurs in die EUREGIO Maas-Rhein. Geographical Institute of the Georg-August University (Department Culture and Social Geography), Göttingen, Germany. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.

History of Belgium. World History at KMLA. Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA) (Last revised 2007-05-30). Retrieved on 2007-06-02.

Janssens, Rudi, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2001-06-01). Brusselse Thema's 8 — Taalgebruik in Brussel — Taalverhoudingen, taalverschuivingen en taalindentiteit in een meertalige stad (pdf) (Dutch, summary The Use of Languages in Brussels pp. 227–250 in English) 312 pp. VUBPress, Brussels – republished on web site of Centre for Information, Documentation and Research on Brussels (BRIO). Retrieved on 2007-06-02.

Leclerc, Jacques, membre associé du TLFQ (© 2006). Belgique • België • Belgien (French). L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde. Host: Trésor de la langue française au Québec (TLFQ), Université Laval, Quebec. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.

Mnookin, Robert, Professor at HLS; Verbeke, Alain (2006-12-20). Bye bye Belgium?. International Herald Tribune, republished by Harvard Law School. Retrieved on 2007-06-01. – Reflections on nations and nation-state developments regarding Belgium