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Belgium

For other uses, see Belgium (disambiguation).
"Belgia" redirects here. For the predecessor as an Ancient Roman province, see Gallia Belgica. For the passenger ship, see SS Belgia.
"Belgique" and "Bélgica" redirect here. For other uses, see Belgique (disambiguation) and Belgica (disambiguation).

Kingdom of Belgium
  • Koninkrijk België (Dutch)
  • Royaume de Belgique (French)
  • Königreich Belgien (German)
Motto: Eendracht maakt macht (Dutch)
L'union fait la force (French)
Einigkeit macht stark (German)
Anthem: 
La Brabançonne
("The Brabantian")
Location of Belgium (dark green)

– in Europe (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green)

CapitalCity of Brussels
50°51′N 4°21′E / 50.850°N 4.350°E / 50.850; 4.350
Largest cityBrussels-Capital Region
Official languages
Ethnic groups
(2025)[1]
Religion
(2021[2])
Demonym(s)
GovernmentFederal parliamentary constitutional monarchy[3]
• Monarch
Philippe
Bart De Wever
LegislatureFederal Parliament
• Upper house
Senate
• Lower house
Chamber of Representatives
Establishment
1789–1790
1790
1814–1815
1815–1839
25 August 1830
• Declared
4 October 1830
19 April 1839
1970
Area
• Total
30,689[4] km2 (11,849 sq mi) (136th)
• Water (%)
0.64 (2022)[5][6]
Population
• 2025 census
Neutral increase 11,812,354[7]
• Density
384/km2 (994.6/sq mi) (22nd)
GDP (PPP)2025 estimate
• Total
Increase $889.833 billion[8] (37th)
• Per capita
Increase $75,187[8] (20th)
GDP (nominal)2025 estimate
• Total
Increase $689.364 billion[8] (23rd)
• Per capita
Increase $58,248[8] (16th)
Gini (2022)Negative increase 24.9[9]
low inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.942[10]
very high (12th)
CurrencyEuro (€) (EUR)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code+32
ISO 3166 codeBE
Internet TLD.be[a]
  1. The flag's official proportions of 13:15 are rarely seen; proportions of 2:3 or similar are more common.
  2. The Brussels region is the de facto capital, but the City of Brussels municipality is the de jure capital.[11]

Belgium,[b] officially the Kingdom of Belgium,[c] is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. Belgium covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi)[4] and has a population of more than 11.7 million;[7] its population density of 383/km2 (990/sq mi) ranks 22nd in the world and sixth in Europe. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels;[d] other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

Belgium is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a complex federal system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country is divided into three highly autonomous regions:[14] the Flemish Region (Flanders) in the north, the Walloon Region (Wallonia) in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle.[15] Belgium is also home to two main linguistic communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, which constitutes about 60 percent of the population, and the French-speaking French Community,[e] which constitutes about 40 percent of the population; a small German-speaking Community, comprising around one percent of the population, exists in the East Cantons. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Belgium is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy. It is one of the six founding members of the European Union, with its capital of Brussels serving as the de facto capital of the EU, hosting the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, and one of two seats of the European Parliament (the other being Strasbourg). Brussels also hosts the headquarters of many major international organizations, such as NATO.[f]

In antiquity, present-day Belgium was dominated by the Belgae before being annexed into the Roman Empire in the mid first century BC. During the Middle Ages, Belgium's central location kept it relatively prosperous and connected both commercially and politically to its larger neighbours; it was part of the Carolingian Empire, the succeeding Holy Roman Empire, and subsequently the Burgundian Netherlands. Following rule by Habsburg Spain (1556–1714), the Austrian Habsburgs (1714–1794), and Revolutionary France (1794–1815), most of modern-day Belgium was incorporated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Centuries of being contested and controlled by various European powers earned Belgium the moniker "the Battlefield of Europe",[17] a reputation reinforced in the 20th century by both world wars.

Belgium as it exists today was established following the 1830 Belgian Revolution. In the 19th century, it was one of the earliest participants of the Industrial Revolution,[18][19] and the first country in continental Europe to become industrialised.[20] By the early 20th century, it possessed several colonies, notably the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi,[21][g] which gained independence between 1960 and 1962.[23] The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between the Dutch-speakers and French-speakers, fueled by differences in political culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia. This has resulted in several far-reaching state reforms, including the transition from a unitary to federal structure between 1970 and 1993. Tensions persist amid ongoing reforms; the country faces a strong separatist sentiment among the Flemish, controversial language laws,[24] and a fragmented political landscape that resulted in a record 589 days without a government formation following the 2010 federal election.[25]

  1. ^ "Diverity according to origin in Belgium". Statbel.
  2. ^ "Data.europa.eu".
  3. ^ "Government type: Belgium". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Land use according to the land register". Statbel. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Land use". Statbel. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Surface water and surface water change". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Population Belgium" (PDF). ibz. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Belgium)". www.imf.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey". ec.europa.eu. Eurostat. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. p. 288. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  11. ^ The Belgian Constitution (PDF). Brussels, Belgium: Belgian House of Representatives. May 2014. p. 63. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  12. ^ "List of left- & right-driving countries". WorldStandards.
  13. ^ "Statbel the Belgian statistics office". Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  14. ^ Pateman, Robert and Elliott, Mark (2006). Belgium. Benchmark Books. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-7614-2059-0
  15. ^ The Belgian Constitution (PDF). Brussels, Belgium: Belgian House of Representatives. May 2014. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015. Article 3: Belgium comprises three Regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels Region. Article 4: Belgium comprises four linguistic regions: the Dutch-speaking region, the French-speaking region, the bilingual region of Brussels-Capital and the German-speaking region.
  16. ^ "Belgium - French speaking community". portal.cor.europa.eu. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  17. ^ Haß, Torsten (17 February 2003). Rezension zu (Review of) Cook, Bernard: Belgium. A History (in German). FH-Zeitung (journal of the Fachhochschule). ISBN 978-0-8204-5824-3. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2007. die Bezeichnung Belgiens als "the cockpit of Europe" (James Howell, 1640), die damals noch auf eine kriegerische Hahnenkampf-Arena hindeutete—The book reviewer, Haß, attributes the expression in English to James Howell in 1640. Howell's original phrase "the cockpit of Christendom" became modified afterwards, as shown by:
    *Carmont, John. "The Hydra No.1 New Series (November 1917)—Arras And Captain Satan". War Poets Collection. Napier University's Business School. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2007.—and as such coined for Belgium:
    *Wood, James (1907). "Nuttall Encyclopaedia of General Knowledge—Cockpit of Europe". Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2007. Cockpit of Europe, Belgium, as the scene of so many battles between the Powers of Europe. (See also The Nuttall Encyclopaedia)
  18. ^ Fitzmaurice, John (1996). "New Order? International models of peace and reconciliation—Diversity and civil society". Democratic Dialogue Northern Ireland's first think tank, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  19. ^ "Belgium country profile". EUbusiness, Richmond, UK. 27 August 2006. Archived from the original on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  20. ^ "Industrial Revolution | Definition, History, Dates, Summary, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  21. ^ Karl, Farah; Stoneking, James (1999). "Chapter 27. The Age of Imperialism (Section 2. The Partition of Africa)" (PDF). World History II. Appomattox Regional Governor's School (History Department), Petersburg, Virginia, US. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
  22. ^ Gerdziunas, Benas (17 October 2017). "Belgium's genocidal colonial legacy haunts the country's future". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  23. ^ Braeckman, Colette (1 June 2021). "Belgium's role in Rwandan genocide". Le Monde Diplomatique. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  24. ^ Buoyant Brussels. "Bilingual island in Flanders". UCL. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Belgian government sworn in, ending 18-month crisis". Expatica. 6 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2011.


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