The Kingdom of Belgium is a member of NATO, the UN and the EU. The population living in 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 with, as well as its administrative structure and history.
General information
Belgium is a country with a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. In the form of administrative-territorial structure, 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 meters. km The name België (Dutch) comes from the ethnonym Celtic tribe of belgs. Where is Belgium located? 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.
Brief historical background
In the 54th BC. e. the territory in northern Gaul (where Belgium is now) was conquered by the troops of Julius Caesar. After the Roman Empire fell, in the fifth century the Franks (Germanic tribes) captured the province. They created their kingdom on this territory. In the Middle Ages, België was part of the Duchy of Burgundy, and from 1556 to 1713 it was part of Spain. The 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 passed to France. Then, until 1830, it was part of the Netherlands. This year, September 23rd, a revolution took place. As a result of the unrest, Belgium gained independence and became a neutral kingdom. Her ruler at that time was Leopold I.
Post-independence development
The economy of the future federation was quite intensively formed in the 19th century. The territory where Belgium is located was the first in continental Europe on which the railway was built. Railway canvas connected Brussels and Mechelen. At the end of the 19th century, Belgium became a colonial country. From 1885 to 1908, it owned the country of Congo, which is now a democratic republic. The active exploitation of the colony was one of the significant 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) was even used poison gas.
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 World War II, 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 the twenty-first of July, the coronation of Philip I took place. Since its inception, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy, and since 1980 it has also been a federal country.
Administrative division
Two systems exist in parallel in the country. The Federation is divided into three regions. Of these, two, in turn, have their own provinces:
The Flemish region includes:
- Antwerp.
- East Flanders.
- Limburg
- West Flanders
- Flemish Brabant.
The Walloon Region includes:
- Liege.
- Eno.
- Luxembourg.
- Walloon Barbant.
- Namur.
There is also the capital city of Brussels. In addition, there are three language communities in Belgium. In the field of their jurisdiction are cultural issues, scientific, educational activities and sports. The leadership of the regions is involved in resolving issues of the local economy, ecology, as well as in public works (for example, in road construction).
Map of Belgium
The entire territory is divided into three geographical areas. In the southeast is the Ardennes Upland, in the northwest is the coastal plain. The third part is the central plateau. Low Belgium (coastal plain) consists mainly of polders and sand dunes. The first include areas that are at risk of flooding. They are protected by dams or fields with special drainage channels located further from the sea. Polders are characterized by high fertility of the soil. Between the western sections (Scheldt and Lys) lies the Flemish Lowland. Behind it is Kempen (geographical area). The landscape on this territory is mainly represented by meadows and coniferous forests, as well as corn fields.
Central plateau
Between the river valleys of the Meuse and Sambra and Kempen lies Central Belgium. This is the central plateau. Here, mainly clay plains, which gradually rise towards the valleys. On this territory, the most fertile soil in all of Belgium. The province of Hainaut, the south of Limburg and the north of Liège are referred to the central plateau. Most of the land here is occupied by meadows and arable lands. Between them there are farms (rural estates).
Ardennes Upland
High Belgium is characterized by an abundance of forests and a fairly low population density. The relief here is represented mainly by mountains. In this regard, agriculture is not developed in the territory. However, this region attracts a fairly large number of tourists. High Belgium begins from the valleys of the Maas and Sambra rivers and stretches to the south. Immediately behind them lies Condros (geographic area). Low hills prevail on this territory, the height of which is no more than 300 m. High Belgium includes parts of the provinces of Liège, Emo and Namur. Behind them are high hills - the Ardennes. They are mainly covered in forest. Small villages located throughout the territory are connected by serpentine roads. In the Ardennes is the highest point in Belgium - Mount Botrange (694 m).
Ethnic composition
The country's population is divided into two main groups. The first include the Flemings. 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 many dialects. The Walloons inhabit the five southern provinces. They speak Walloon, French and some other languages. After the federation gained independence, it was a franco-oriented area. At first there was one official language of Belgium - French. However, it must be said that the Flemings always constituted a large part of the population. But even in Flanders itself, for quite a long time, French was the only language of higher and secondary education.
At the end of World War I, an active movement began for the emancipation of the Flemings. It grew into the so-called "language struggle". The movement achieved results only by the 60s of the twentieth century. In 1963, a set of laws was passed that regulated the use of a particular language in official cases. By 1980, the second official language of Belgium, 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 government is the prime minister. Today, this post is held by Elio Di Rupo. Typically, the representative of the party that won the most votes in the election becomes prime minister. The king appoints a government. Parliament also participates in the approval of its composition. According to the Constitution, linguistic parity must be respected in the government: 50% must be from the Dutch-speaking community, 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 of them 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, as it is divided simultaneously into three language communities and three regions. Almost all of them have their own government and parliament. The exceptions are the Flemish region and the Netherlands-speaking community. By mutual agreement, the power in them was united. As a result, there are six parliaments and as many governments in Belgium. The federal government coordinates the actions of the other five governance structures. In addition, she is responsible for defense, foreign affairs, pensions, monetary and economic policies, and other national issues.