Interesting facts about Belgium and Belgium for children and adults

Those who are going to visit this small country in Western Europe, will not prevent to learn interesting facts about Belgium.

This will help to familiarize yourself in advance with the chosen place for rest and feel the atmosphere reigning here.

Geographical position

What is Belgium on the map? It is a small patch of coast, riddled with canals and sandwiched between Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

It is on this territory that resembles a triangle, and Belgium is located. Interesting geographical facts about this country relate, first of all, to the landscape. Its diversity will amaze the imagination of any traveler. So, in the southeast there is a High Belgium. Here rises the mountain ranges of the Ardennes, rugged by gorges and precipices. The height of this area above sea level is from 200 to 500 meters. The Ardennes Upland is also represented by a huge number of forests and hills. Due to its geographic features, High Belgium is practically uninhabited. Only here and there are still preserved peasant manors.

Central Belgium is located on the central plateau of the country. It occupies the territory near the valleys of such rivers as Sambra and Maas. Here the landscape is represented by spacious fields and plantations of fertile trees.

Lower Belgium - a coastal plain, rising above sea level to a height of 100 m. It is located in the north-west of the country. Here, the gaze of the traveler will appear amazing in its beauty sand dunes, whose height reaches 30 m. It will please vacationers and a strip of beaches that stretches for 67 km. On the territory of Lower Belgium there are also lands located below sea level. They are unusually fertile and have been used for a long time to produce a rich harvest.

It is interesting that Belgium belongs to the countries closest to the UK. You can get from London to Brussels on Eurostar in just two hours. This is significantly less than from the capital of England to its northern territory.

Population

A small country with an area of only 305.19 square kilometers is Belgium. Interesting facts about a country with such a small territory, inferior to the Ryazan region of Russia, relate to the density of the population living here. This indicator is similar to those that exist in India, Japan, the Netherlands and England.

According to statistical research, the number of residents of the country reached a figure of 10.5 million people. This is 321 times less than in the US. However, according to the population density, the country is on the eighth place in the world, being on the list between such US states as Ohio and Michigan.

Interesting facts about Belgium are also related to the migration of the population. Many rich Dutchmen and Frenchmen move to this country for permanent residence. They even take Belgian citizenship. All this is done in order to avoid the tax on wealth. At the same time, the French prefer to settle in Brussels, and Dutch millionaires are fond of Antwerp.

Interesting facts about Belgium can be found in the Guinness Book of Records. In this country lives the highest man in Europe. This is Alain Delance. Its height is 2 meters 30 centimeters. And one of the women of Brussels is the richest girl in the whole world. This is the only heiress and granddaughter of the famous Greek ship owner Onassis.

Languages

What other interesting facts about Belgium? There are three official languages in the country. In the north, in Flanders, the population speaks Dutch. In Walloon, located in the south, the residents communicate in French. Only 0.6% of the population of Belgium, living in the eastern regions of the country, speak German.

In Brussels they communicate in three languages. Among them are French, English and Dutch. That's why many people in the country have a good command of two or even three languages.

Place in the world community

Due to its long neutrality and geographic location, Belgium has become the site of many international organizations. For example, here are the meetings of the members of the European Union and NATO.

Production and consumption of beer

Interesting facts about Belgium are related to the attitude of its inhabitants to the intoxicating drink. The younger generation prefers beer with soda. Older people drink an intoxicating drink after breakfast. Even monks are engaged in making beer in Belgium.
The traditions of making a foamy drink in this country go back to ancient times. The origins of the brewing business originate in 1100, that is, in those times when Belgium was not even a state. There are 10 interesting facts about this praised product.

Belgium is said to be in the first place in terms of the number of beer varieties produced here per capita. So, in ten provinces of the country an intoxicating drink of 3043 varieties is brewed. This number includes 457 varieties produced in the province of Flemish Brabant, located in the northern part of the state. Here, beer was brewed back in those times when the Catholic Church was given permission for its implementation in local monasteries. This provided an opportunity to raise the necessary funds to support the monastery. Over time, the monks invented all new ways of making an intoxicating drink and significantly increased the variety of its varieties.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Belgium had about three thousand breweries. To date, their number has dropped to 180.

The second interesting fact about the intoxicating drink concerns its unusual sort, which is called "lambik". Its production was mastered in Belgium in the 14th century. This species is produced by the method of spontaneous fermentation. Unlike traditional methods, the drink is cooled in the open air. This is what allows you to get into the liquid with natural yeast fungi. Beer lamb is produced in the valley of the river Zennes. Only here the air is saturated with some kinds of yeast, allowing to create this amazing drink.

Only in Belgium, in the Taste M bar in Leuven, visitors can try a beer cocktail. The owners of the establishment use a whole list of hundreds of recipes for this drink. And each of the cocktails can emphasize a certain taste aspect of beer.

In Leuven you can find the longest bar in Europe. This is the Old Market in the form of a stretching courtyard, inside which there are trading pavilions. More than forty of them are bars with separate terraces. This commercial space is being stretched for almost half a kilometer.

On this interesting facts about Belgium for tourists do not end there. On the outskirts of the city of Bruges travelers are waiting for a real pipeline. He pumps the intoxicating drink from the manufacturing plant to the spill site. The length of this pipeline is three kilometers. Every minute a hundred liters of a freshly brewed drink passes through its pipes.

Interest for tourists is represented by the production located near the small town of Tildonk. Here is one of the most unusual breweries in the world. At first it was a barley farm. But over time it gradually turned into an international production.

Unusual is also the dark beer of a special variety, which was welded for the first time in the 17th century in the walls of the Trappist monastery. And for today among such sorts it is considered the best in the world.

Very interesting facts about Belgium, concerning the addiction to a drink, can be found even in the Guinness Book of Records. So, according to the data cited by this edition, in the Brussels bar Delirium Cafe you can try beer of 3162 varieties.
Interesting facts about Belgium and Belgium concern the godless use of intoxicating beverages. The country is located on the eighteenth place in the world in terms of the amount of beer that is consumed per capita. On average, every year, every Belgian drinks 74 liters of this drink.

It is also interesting that for every beer in the country's bars there is a specially designed glass. The view of each of them is very diverse. This is the usual beer mugs, and elongated flasks, and special bowls.

Belgian Chocolate

What other interesting facts can you tell about this amazing country? The real "black gold" of Belgium is considered to be chocolate produced here. It is produced in huge quantities, almost 220,000 tons during the year. For every resident of the country this is approximately 22 kg.

More than 2,000 shops selling chocolate are open all over the country. Pleasure travelers and numerous cafes, in the menu where all dishes and drinks contain this sweetness. This is a soup of cocoa beans, and goose pate containing chocolate, and fish cooked under chocolate sauce. Even beer here is served in unusual containers. An intoxicating drink is poured into chocolate bottles.

With surprising and unusual fillings are produced in Belgium sweets. It can be orange and thyme, olive oil and basil. Only in Belgium you can find exotic chocolate with salt. But gourmets will appreciate sweets that have a taste of fish or onions, oysters or garlic. You can also taste chocolate pizza in this country.

This dish, no doubt, will please small travelers. What else can Belgium surprise? Interesting facts for children and adults are covered by the chocolate museum in Bruges. It offers its visitors:
- to get acquainted with the history of Belgian chocolate;
- to visit tasting rooms;
- look at the work of a confectioner who creates sweet masterpieces;
- independently create a chocolate product.

Belgian delicious

Residents of this western European country are sure that they were the first to invent French fries. And it's like the truth. Almost all localities have their own "deep-fryers".

What else can Belgium treat to its guests? Interesting facts for children and adults are related to nutrition. In this country, they disapprove of McDonald's restaurants. Their per capita population is the smallest among all developed countries in the world. For 10,000 people it's only 0.062, or 4 times less than in Japan, and 7 times less than in the US.

Belgium is famous for bakery. Buyers are offered a variety of pastries, such as:
- bread with raisins and egg yolk;
- pies with a variety of fillings;
- cakes;
- Vineyards from Wallonia;
- a variety of Belgian waffles.

Building

There are many interesting facts about the country of Belgium. They deal with the construction industry. So, a very interesting and surprising construction is the Belgian motorway system. This is the only artificial structure on Earth that can be observed from the moon at night thanks to the illumination of its highways.

But in the Belgian province of Hainaut, not far from the small town of Thieu, the largest elevator has been erected, allowing you to lift ships. Its height is 73.15 m.
The construction industry in Belgium was the first in Europe to master the construction of skyscrapers. The first such building appeared in 1928 in Antwerp.

Transport

It is also interesting that Belgium is on the third place in the world in terms of the number of cars per one square kilometer. The country is second only to the Netherlands and Japan. But on the density of roads and railways, Belgium is placed on the first place on the planet.

Tourists visiting the coast of the country can see an interesting landmark located between the Dutch and the French border. This is a tramline length of 68 km, which there is no equal on Earth. Movement on it was opened in 1885.

Historical monuments

When teaching schoolchildren, the teacher can prepare a presentation "Interesting facts about Belgium" for grade 3. This will introduce the children to an amazing country located in Western Europe. It is noteworthy that on its territory there is a huge number of interesting in its architecture buildings and historical monuments.

In every Belgian city there are ancient castles or fortresses, cathedrals or buildings built in the Middle Ages. All these buildings keep a memory of the wealth that the Walloon counties and the commercial Flanders were different from.

Interesting facts about Belgium for the third grade should contain a story about Brussels. It is the political and cultural center of the state, as well as the entire European Community. The inhabitants of the capital call it the old part of the "Pentagon", as it is surrounded by circular boulevards, built on the sites of ancient defensive structures. All tours of Brussels begin with its largest square - the Grand Place. Here you can admire the old town hall "Hotel de Ville" and its famous weathercock of the 15th century, depicting St. Michael, who strikes the dragon.

Sand Castles

Traditionally, unusual festivals are held in Belgium. Participation in such events involves the creation of all kinds of sculptures and sand castles. Beach art attracts the attention of a large number of sculptors. Each of their creations costs huge amounts of energy and energy. Carving, installation, molding plus the artist's inspiration - and the audience is presented with fictional characters from the films, as well as sculptures of various heroes and great people of our time. Only awareness of the fragility of the created masterpieces casts light sadness at all.

North Venice

Numerous tourists are attracted to the capital of West Flanders - Bruges. This city is called the Northern Venice, because its territory is cut across and along by a multitude of narrow canals.

Hospitable and sweet, romantic and affable Bruges is an unforgettable fairy tale for visiting adults and children.