Belgium | Facts & Figures

Belgium became independent in 1830. It is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Since 1993, it has been ruled by King Albert II, who is married to Paola Ruffo di Calabria.

Belgium is a member, among others, of the Benelux Customs Union (Belgium - the Netherlands - Luxembourg), the EU (founding member since 1957), NATO and the UN.

Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe: its 30,519 square kilometres host a population of more than 10,000,000.

Because it is situated in the centre of Europe, international business traffic is busy and numerous international companies have branches here. Thanks to its favourable location, our country also plays an important role in the European Union. Its capital, Brussels (Greater Brussels has about 970,000 inhabitants), hosts the buildings of the European Commission and the Council of Ministers; the European Parliament often meets in Brussels. Several other international organizations such as NATO also have their headquarters in the city, so it will come as no surprise that Brussels is called the ‘Capital of Europe'.

The three official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. In the northern part of the country, Vlaanderen (Flanders, 13,511 square kilometres, about 6,670,000 inhabitants), people speak Dutch. Sixty percent of the Belgian population is consequently Dutch-speaking. In the south (Wallonia, 15,987 square kilometres, about 3,320,000 inhabitants) people speak French. The capital, Brussels, is officially bilingual. There is also a small German-speaking community in the so-called East Cantons ( Oostkantons , 0.7% of the population).

Since 1963 a ‘line' has been running between Flanders and Wallonia. This line, the so-called ‘linguistic border', separates the Dutch- and French-speaking regions. It runs more or less horizontally from Komen/Comines to Voeren/Les Fourons. The Belgian capital, Brussels, lies above the linguistic border, in Flanders.

Belgium is divided into 10 provinces, 5 of which are Dutch-speaking: Antwerpen (Antwerp), West-Vlaanderen (West Flanders), Oost-Vlaanderen (East Flanders), Limburg (Limbourg) and Flemish Brabant. Five provinces are French-speaking : Hainaut, Namur, Luxembourg, Liège and Walloon Brabant. The province of Brabant is split into a Dutch-speaking half (part of Flanders) and a French-speaking one (part of Wallonia), which make up the 9 th and 10 th provinces.

After the 1970, 1980 and 1989 state reforms, Belgium became a federal country on January 1 st 1989, i.e. it is divided into ‘Communities' (dealing with cultural and personal matters) and ‘Districts' (dealing with territorial matters).

Belgium has three communities: the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German Community. The authority of the Flemish Community spans the Dutch-speaking area and the bilingual region Brussels Capital; that of the French Community the French-speaking region and the bilingual region Brussels Capital, while the German Community covers the East Cantons.

Belgium also has three Districts: the Flemish District, the Walloon District (which comprises Wallonia and the East Cantons) and the District Brussels Capital. Each District's authority covers a well-defined area.

Each Community and each District has its own executive government. The latter (‘Councils') have extensive powers such as education, environment and employment. Belgium consequently has 6 ‘governments': a central one, which decides on national and international matters, and 5 executive governments (The Flemish Community and the Flemish District Government have merged into one ‘Flemish Council').

Despite its highly federalized structure, Belgium does remain one full-fledged country, like the USA and Switzerland. The political divide is hardly noticeable in daily life.

The most important Belgian cities after Brussels are: (in Flanders) Antwerpen, Gent, Brugge and Hasselt; (in Wallonia) Namur, Liège, Dinant, and Mons.

Antwerp | Facts & Figures

After Brussels, Antwerp is the second largest city in Belgium, and the largest city in Flanders. The city has about 470,000 inhabitants and is situated on the river Scheldt ( Schelde ), some 30 km from the Dutch border. This makes it easy to go to Amsterdam for the weekend (2 hours by train), but also Paris (less than 2 hours), Luxembourg (3 hours) and London (3 1/2 hours by train or 45 minutes by plane).

Antwerp is more than just a good base for visiting other major European cities. The city itself also has a lot to offer.

Antwerp is mainly a city of art: several houses of old masters (such as the baroque painters Rubens and Van Dyck) have been restored and turned into museums. The most renowned museums are: the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSK), Rubens' House, the Rockox House, the Plantin-Moretus Museum, the Mayer Van Den Bergh Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MUHKA), the Provincial Museum of Photography, the Middelheim Open-Air Sculpture Museum. Other places of interest are the 15 th century cathedral, the Grote Markt (market square) with its town hall, the Bourla Theatre, and many more.

Antwerp is also known for its diamond industry and harbour. The diamond museum and the shipping museum are definitely worth visiting.

Antwerp is, of course, also a university town, where students from all over the country take courses at one of the universities or institutes of higher education in and around the city centre. Foreign students too feel at home in Antwerp, where most of its hospitable inhabitants have at least a smattering of English, French and/or German.

Ever since it became an important harbour and cultural centre (in the 16 th century), Antwerp has indeed been a metropolis, but it has managed to keep a relatively small-scale feel about it. The city centre is about 2 km across. Everything is conveniently within walking distance, a factor that largely accounts for its cosy atmosphere and liveliness.