Where is Belgium? The official language of Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a member of NATO, the UN and the EU. The population of this territory is more than 10.5 million people. Further in the article, we will tell you where Belgium is located, what territories it borders on, and also about its administrative structure and history.

General information

Belgium is a country with a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. According to the form of the administrative-territorial system, it is a federation. The currency of Belgium is the euro. The capital is the city of Brussels. The area of Belgium is 30,528 square kilometers. Km. The name België (niderl.) Comes from the ethnonym of the Celtic tribe of the Belga. Where is Belgium? The federation is located in Western Europe. In the north, Belgium borders with the Netherlands, in the west and south - with France, with Germany - in the east and with Luxembourg in the southeast.

A Brief Historical Reference

In the 54th BC. E. Territory in the northern part of Gaul (where Belgium is now) won the troops of Julius Caesar. After the Roman Empire fell, in the fifth century the province was captured by the Franks (Germanic tribes). They created their kingdom on this territory. In the Middle Ages België was part of the Burgundy duchy, and from 1556 to 1713 it was part of Spain. Separation of Belgian territory from the Netherlands began during the Eighty Years' War.

Since 1713, België belonged to the Holy Roman Empire as the Austrian Netherlands. From 1792 to 1815 Belgium moved to France. Then, until 1830, she was part of the Netherlands. This year, on the 23rd of September, there was a revolution. As a result of the unrest, Belgium gained independence and became a neutral kingdom. Her ruler at that time was Leopold I.

Development after independence

The economy of the future federation in the nineteenth century was formed quite intensively. The territory where Belgium is located was the first in continental Europe on which the railway was built. The railway was connected with Brussels and Mechelen. At the end of the XIX century Belgium became a colonial country. In her possession from 1885 to 1908 was the country of the Congo, which is now a democratic republic. The active exploitation of the colony was one of the most important sources of industrial development and replenishment of the capital of Belgium. During the First World War (it is called the "Great War"), the future federation suffered greatly. In one of the cities (Ypres), poison gas was even used.

In 1925, in connection with the conclusion of an agreement between the Netherlands and Belgium, the latter lost its neutrality. In addition, the port of Antwerp was demilitarized. During the Second World War, Belgium was captured by the Germans, and King Leopold III was deported to Germany. After the liberation of the territory, a new government was formed. The head of state was the king. In 2013, on July 21, the coronation of Philip I took place. Since its inception, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy, and since 1980 - also a federal country.

Administrative division

In the country there are two parallel systems. The Federation is divided into three regions. Of these, two, in turn, have their provinces:

The Flemish region includes:

• Antwerp.
• East Flanders.
• Limburg.
• West Flanders.
• Flemish Brabant.

The Walloon region includes:

• Liege.
• Hainaut.
• Luxembourg.
• Walloon Burbant.
• Namur.

There is also the capital city of Brussels. In addition, there are three language communities in Belgium. In the field of their management - cultural issues, scientific, educational activities and sports. The leadership of the regions participates in solving issues of local economy, ecology, as well as in public works (for example, in road construction).

Map of Belgium

The whole territory is divided into three geographical areas. In the southeast is the Ardennes Upland, in the northwest - the coastal plain. The third part is the central plateau. Low Belgium (coastal plain) is mostly polders and sand dunes. The first include sites that are under threat of flooding. They are protected by dams or fields with special drainage channels, arranged further from the sea. Highly fertile soil. Between the western sections (Scheldt and Lis) lies the Flemish Lowland. Behind it is Kempen (geographical area). The landscape in this area is mainly represented by meadows and coniferous forests, as well as corn fields.

Central plateau

Between the valleys of the rivers Maas and Sambre and Kempen lies Middle Belgium. This is the central plateau. Here, mostly clay plains, which gradually rise towards the valleys. This territory is the most fertile soil in the whole of Belgium. The central plateau includes the province of Hainaut, the south of Limburg and the north of Liege. Most of the land here is occupied by meadows and arable land. Between them there are farmsteads (rural manors).

The Ardennes Upland

High Belgium is characterized by an abundance of forests and a fairly low population density. The relief here is mainly represented by mountains. In this regard, the territory is not developed agriculture. However, this region attracts a fairly large number of tourists. Begins High Belgium from the valleys of the rivers Maas and Sambre and stretches to the south. Immediately behind them lies Condroz (geographical area). This territory is dominated by low hills, whose height is no more than 300 m. Highlands in Belgium include parts of the provinces of Liege, Emo and Namur. Behind them are high hills - the Ardennes. They are mostly covered with forest. Small villages, located throughout the territory, are connected by roads, winding serpentine. In the Ardennes is the highest point of Belgium - Mount Botranzh (694 m).

Ethnic composition

The population of the country is divided into two main groups. The Flemish belong to the first. They make up about 60% of all residents. About 40% falls on Walloons. Flemings live in five northern provinces. The official language in this territory is Dutch. Residents speak it and its numerous dialects. Walloons inhabit five southern provinces. They speak Walloon, French and some other languages. After the federation acquired independence, it was a frank-oriented region. First there was one state language of Belgium - French. However, it must be said that the Flemish were always the largest part of the population. But even in Flanders itself for a long time, French was the only language of higher and secondary education.

At the end of the First World began an active movement for the emancipation of the Flemish. It grew into a so-called "language struggle". The results of the movement reached only to the 60th years of the twentieth century. In 1963, a set of laws was adopted that regulated the use of a particular language in official cases. By 1980, the second official language of Belgium, the Dutch, was officially recognized. However, despite the successes achieved, tension between the two main groups of the population of the federation remains.

Political structure

As mentioned above, Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and a federation. The head of the government is the Prime Minister. Today this post is occupied by Elio Di Rupo. Usually the representative of the party that won the majority of votes in elections becomes the prime minister. The king appoints the government. Parliament also participates in the approval of its composition. According to the Constitution, the government should observe language parity: 50% should be representatives of the community speaking Dutch, and 50% - from the French-speaking group. The parliament of the federation consists of two chambers. The upper one is the Senate. Lower - House of Representatives. Both are formed on the basis of direct general elections, which take place every 4 years. All residents of the country who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote. There are 150 deputies in the House of Representatives, and 71 in the Senate. Sometimes Belgium is called a double federation, because it is divided into three linguistic communities and three regions. Almost all of them have their own government and parliament. The exception is the Flemish region and the Netherlands-speaking community. By mutual consent, the power in them was combined. As a result, Belgium has six parliaments and as many governments. The federal government coordinates the actions of the other five governance structures. In addition, she is responsible for issues of defense, foreign affairs, pensions, monetary and economic policies and other national problems.