Kingdom of Belgium Koninkrijk Belgie Royaume de Belgique Königre

BELGIUM, KINGDOM OF BELGIUM

ROYAUME DE BELGIQUE

KÖNIGREICH BELGIEN

Belgium has about 10 million inhabitants (2007) and is located in Western Europe. This federally organized parliamentary monarchy has a 72 km-long coast to the North Sea. Moreover, it borders on the states Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Together with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, it has been the Benelux countries. Belgium is one of the founding members of the European Union and the Euro currency in 2002.

Belgium is for the most part a flat area, but they are mountainous. Belgium has numerous canals and rivers, such as the channels Zeekanaal Ghent-Terneuzen and Albertkanal or the rivers Meuse and Scheldt. The river Scheldt enters Belgium southeast of the country and runs through Flanders and then to Antwerp and the Dutch border. Antwerp is Belgium s largest port and the second largest seaport in Europe. In Belgium, 25% of the land area is used for agriculture. About 95 percent of Belgians live in cities.

The population of Belgium and the language can be roughly divided into three parts:

- The Dutch speaking Flemings are about 60% of the population. They are primarily in the Flemish region (Antwerp, Limburg, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant and
West Flanders.
- The French-speaking Walloons and the residents of the Region of Brussels (the capital) and its surroundings are usually together as French-speaking Belgians, and are about 40% of the population.
- The number of small German-speaking group in the east of the country is about 70 thousand.



In schools foreign languages are taught. The whole education system is equal to the European standard. In Belgium, also comic may studied in art colleges. Comics, like Morris s Lucky Luke Peyo s The Smurfs and Herg s Tintin (in French: Les aventures de Tintin ) are just some of the best known and most important Belgian comic book series. Tintin was created by the Belgian Herg and he draw from the year 1929 until his death (1983).

Belgium also has good transport connections. The first railway in Europe was built and used in Belgium. Belgium currently has a well-developed highway network, which connects Belgium with other countries very well. The airport Brussels National is located in the capital of Belgium. There are other airports in Antwerp and in many other cities.

The Belgian tourism has especially won after the Second World War in significance. First visit German, British, French and then Dutch, Belgium. Above all, Britons are coming to West Flanders, to visit the many old war memorials and cemeteries. What they mostly prefer is the Belgian North Sea coast. Places like Knokke-Heist, Bredene, De Panne, Nieuwpoort, Ostende and Brügge and others are very popular by tourists. The home of Pommes Frites (chips), chocolates and waffles also offers day trips, city tours and the beautiful green Ardennes in the south-east of the country as alternative vacation possibilities.