Belgium, a country in Western Europe, is known for medieval towns, Renaissance architecture and as headquarters of the European Union and NATO. The country has distinctive regions including Dutch-speaking Flanders to the north, French-speaking Wallonia to the south and a German-speaking community to the east. The bilingual capital, Brussels, has ornate guildhalls at Grand-Place and elegant art-nouveau buildings.
Languages: The official language of Belgium is Dutch, which is spoken by the majority of the population. Dutch is used in government, education, and the media, and it is the language of instruction in schools. In addition to Dutch, there are also two other official languages in Belgium: French and German. French is spoken by a significant minority of the population, particularly in the Wallonia region, while German is spoken by a smaller number of people, mainly in the eastern part of the country. Finally, English is also widely spoken in Belgium, particularly in business and tourism.
Ethnic Groups: Flemish 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%
Belief Systems: Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
Demographics:
Population: 10.8 million people (World Rank: 80th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 927 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 38th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.258 %/yr (World Rank: 188th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 80.5 years (World Rank: 27th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 41.1 years (World Rank: 12th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Belgium
Worldatlas.com
Belgium
World Factbook
Country Profile - Belgium
United Nations
Belgium
Wikipedia.org
Belgium - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Culture and Tourism:
Musical Instruments of Belgium
Havecamerawilltravel.com
Recipes from Belgium
Food.com
Eat! Brussels
Restaurant Scene in Belgium
Belgium Language Resources:
Government Related:
Belgian Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Belgian Government Websites
by Gunnar Anzinger
