View source for Belgium

{{Short description|Country in Northwestern Europe}}
{{about|the country}}
{{redirect-multi|3|Belgique|Belgia|Bélgica|other uses|Belgique (disambiguation)|and|Belgica (disambiguation)}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes|vandalism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Belgium
| native_name                 = {{ubl|{{native name|nl|Koninkrijk België}}|{{native name|fr|Royaume de Belgique}}|{{native name|de|Königreich Belgien}}}}
| common_name                 = Belgium
| image_flag                  = Flag of Belgium.svg <!--Please do not replace the official 2:3 size flag by the more commonly used civil flag. Thank you.-->
| image_coat                  = Great_coat_of_arms_of_Belgium.svg
| symbol_type                 = Coat of arms
| national_motto              = {{ubl|{{native phrase|nl|Eendracht maakt macht}}|{{native phrase|fr|L'union fait la force}}|{{native phrase|de|Einigkeit macht stark}}}}
| englishmotto                = ({{Langx|en|"[[Unity makes strength]]"}})
| national_anthem             = {{ubl|''[[La Brabançonne]]''|''The Brabantian''|[[File:La Brabançonne.oga]]}}
| image_map                   = {{switcher|[[File:Belgium (orthographic projection).svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Show globe|[[File:EU-Belgium.svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Show map of the [[European Union]]|default=2}}
| official_languages          = {{hlist|[[Dutch language|Dutch]]|[[French language|French]]|[[German language|German]]}}
| demonym                     = {{ublist|item_style=white-space:nowrap;
| [[Belgians|Belgian]]}}
| religion                    = {{plainlist|
* 59% [[Irreligion in Belgium|no religion]]
{{Tree list}}
* 34% [[Christianity in Belgium|Christianity]]
** 31% [[Catholic Church in Belgium|Catholicism]]
** 3% [[List of Christian denominations|other Christian]]
{{Tree list/end}}
* 6% [[Islam in Belgium|Islam]]
* 1% other
}}
| religion_year               = 2023<ref name="ESS2023A"/><ref name="ESS2023B"/>
| capital                     = [[City of Brussels]]
| coordinates                 = {{Coord|50|51|N|4|21|E|type:city}}
| largest_city                = [[Brussels-Capital Region]]
| government_type             = [[Federal monarchy|Federal]] parliamentary [[constitutional monarchy]]<ref name="CVGVo">{{cite web|title=Government type: Belgium|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2128.html|work=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|access-date=19 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207225832/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2128.html|archive-date=7 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| leader_title1               = [[Monarchy of Belgium|Monarch]]
| leader_name1                = [[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe]]
| leader_title2               = [[Prime Minister of Belgium|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name2                = [[Bart De Wever]]
| legislature                 = [[Belgian Federal Parliament|Federal Parliament]]
| upper_house                 = [[Senate (Belgium)|Senate]]
| lower_house                 = [[Chamber of Representatives (Belgium)|Chamber of Representatives]]
| area_km2                    = 30,689<ref name=area>{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/land-use-according-land-register|title=Land use according to the land register|language=en|publisher=Statbel|date=16 November 2023|access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref>
| area_sq_mi                  = 11,849
| area_rank                   = 136th <!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]] -->
| percent_water               = 0.64 (2022)<ref name=land>{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/environment/land-cover-and-use/land-use|title=Land use|language=en|publisher=Statbel|date=15 September 2023|access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref name="cn5oK">{{cite web|title=Surface water and surface water change|access-date=11 October 2020|publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD)|url=https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|archive-date=24 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324133453/https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_census           = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 11,825,551<ref name=population>{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/population-movement|title=On 01 January 2025, Belgium had 11,825,551 inhabitants|language=en|publisher=Statbel|date=11 June 2025|access-date=8 July 2025}}</ref>
| population_census_year      = 2025
| population_estimate_rank    = 82nd
| population_density_km2      = 385<ref name=population_density>{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/structure-population/population-density|title=Population density of 385 inhabitants per km² in Belgium|language=en|publisher=Statbel|date=12 June 2025|access-date=8 July 2025}}</ref>
| population_density_rank     = 35th
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| ethnic_groups               = {{unbulleted list
| 64% [[Belgians]]
| 36% [[Demographics of Belgium|other]]
}}
| ethnic_groups_ref           = <ref>{{cite web |title=36% of the Belgian population has a foreign background |url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/news/36-belgian-population-has-foreign-background |website=Statbel |publisher=Belgian Statistical Office |date=1 January 2025 |access-date=10 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
| ethnic_groups_year          = 2025
| GDP_PPP                     = {{increase}} $889.833 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BE">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=124,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2022&ey=2029&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Belgium) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=www.imf.org |access-date=17 February 2025}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year                = 2025
| GDP_PPP_rank                = 37th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita          = {{increase}} $75,187<ref name="IMFWEO.BE" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank     = 20th
| GDP_nominal                 = {{increase}} $689.364 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BE" />
| GDP_nominal_year            = 2025
| GDP_nominal_rank            = 23rd
| GDP_nominal_per_capita      = {{increase}} $58,248<ref name="IMFWEO.BE" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 16th
| Gini_year                   = 2022
| Gini_change                 = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini                        = 24.9 <!--number only-->
| Gini_ref                    = <ref name="eurogini">{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tessi190/default/table?lang=en|title=Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey|publisher=[[Eurostat]]|website=ec.europa.eu|access-date=28 June 2023|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009091832/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tessi190/default/table?lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>
| HDI                         = 0.951
| HDI_rank                    = 10th
| HDI_year                    = 2023<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year. -->
| HDI_change                  = increase
| HDI_ref                     = <ref name="UNHDR">{{Cite web |date=6 May 2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506051232/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf |archive-date=6 May 2025 |access-date=6 May 2025 |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]}}</ref>
| sovereignty_type            = [[Belgian Revolution|Independence]]
| sovereignty_note            = from the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands|Netherlands]]
| established_event1          = Declared
| established_date1           = 4 October 1830
| established_event2          = [[Treaty of London (1839)|Recognized]]
| established_date2           = 19 April 1839
| established_event3          = [[Federated state#List of constituents by federation|Federal state]]
| established_date3           = 1970
| currency                    = [[Euro]] ([[Euro sign|€]])
| currency_code               = EUR
| time_zone                   = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset                  = +1
| time_zone_DST               = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST              = +2
| drives_on                   = Right<ref>{{cite web |title=List of left- & right-driving countries |url=https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/list-of-left-driving-countries/ |website=WorldStandards}}</ref>
| calling_code                = [[Telephone numbers in Belgium|+32]]
| cctld                       = [[.be]]{{efn|.be is the common internet top-level domain name for Belgium. The [[.eu]] domain is also used, as it is shared with other [[European Union]] member states.}}
| footnote_a                  = The flag's official proportions of 13:15 are rarely seen; proportions of 2:3 or similar are more common.
| footnote_b                  = The [[Brussels]] region is the ''de facto'' capital, but the [[City of Brussels]] municipality is the ''de jure'' capital.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/98/BELG_Constitution.pdf |title= 
THE BELGIAN CONSTITUTION |page= 77|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=April 22, 2019 |publisher= Belgian Official Gazette  |access-date=October 21, 2025 }}</ref>
}}

'''Belgium''',{{efn|{{langx|nl|België}} {{IPA|nl|ˈbɛlɣijə||Nl-belgie.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|Belgique}} {{IPA|fr|bɛlʒik||Fr-belgique.ogg}}; {{langx|de|Belgien}} {{IPA|de|ˈbɛlɡi̯ən||De-Belgien.ogg}}}} officially the '''Kingdom of Belgium''',{{efn|{{langx|nl|link=no|Koninkrijk België}} {{IPA|nl|ˈkoːnɪŋkˌrɛik ˈbɛlɣijə||Nl-Koninkrijk België.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|link=no|Royaume de Belgique}} {{IPA|fr|ʁwa.jom də bɛl.ʒik||LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-Royaume de Belgique.wav}}; {{langx|de|link=no|Königreich Belgien}} {{IPA|de|ˈkøːnɪkˌʁaɪ̯ç ˈbɛlɡi̯ən||De-Königreich Belgien.ogg}}}} 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 {{convert|30689|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref name=area/> and has a population of more than 11.8 million;<ref name=population/> its [[population density]] of {{convert|383|/km2|abbr=on}} ranks [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|22nd in the world]] and [[Area and population of European countries|sixth in Europe]]. The capital and [[Metropolitan areas in Belgium|largest metropolitan region]] is [[City of Brussels|Brussels]];{{efn|The [[Brussels-Capital Region]], [[Metropolitan areas in Belgium|whose metropolitan area]] comprises the City of Brussels itself plus 18 independent municipal entities, counts over 1,700,000 inhabitants, but these communities are counted separately by the [[Statistics Belgium|Belgian Statistics Office]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://statbel.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/cijfers/bevolking/structuur/woonplaats/groot/|title=Statbel the Belgian statistics office|access-date=6 January 2015|archive-date=16 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516082938/https://statbel.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/cijfers/bevolking/structuur/woonplaats/groot/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} other major cities are [[Antwerp]], [[Ghent]], [[Charleroi]], [[Liège]], [[Bruges]], [[Namur]], and [[Leuven]].

Belgium is a [[parliamentary system|parliamentary constitutional monarchy]] with a complex [[Federation|federal]] system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country is divided into three highly autonomous [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|regions]]:<ref name="dBWtI">{{Cite book |last=Pateman |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lV-k7lGyKl4C&pg=PA27 |title=Belgium |last2=Elliott |first2=Mark |date=2006 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=978-0-7614-2059-0 |language=en}}</ref> the [[Flemish Region]] (Flanders) in the north, the [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]] (Wallonia) in the south, and the [[Brussels-Capital Region]] in the middle.<ref name="Belgian Constitution">{{Cite book|url=http://www.const-court.be/en/basic_text/belgian_constitution.pdf|title=The Belgian Constitution|date=May 2014|publisher=Belgian House of Representatives|location=Brussels, Belgium|page=5|quote=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.|access-date=10 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810142522/http://www.const-court.be/en/basic_text/belgian_constitution.pdf|archive-date=10 August 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 of Belgium|French Community]],{{efn|The name "French Community" refers to [[Francophone]] Belgians, and not to [[French people]] residing in Belgium. As such, the French Community of Belgium is sometimes rendered in English as "the French-speaking Community of Belgium" for clarity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belgium - French speaking community |url=https://portal.cor.europa.eu/subsidiarity/maps/Pages/Regions.aspx?region=BEFRE |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=portal.cor.europa.eu}}</ref>}} which constitutes about 40 percent of the population; a small [[German-speaking Community of Belgium|German-speaking Community]], comprising around one percent of the population, exists in the [[Eupen-Malmedy|East Cantons]]. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its complex system of governance, made up of [[List of governments in Belgium|six different governments]]. Belgium is a [[developed country]] with an advanced [[World Bank high-income economy|high-income economy]]. It is one of the [[Inner Six|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 headquarters|NATO]].{{efn|Belgium is a member of, or affiliated to, many international organizations, including [[Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique|ACCT]], [[African Development Bank|AfDB]], [[Asian Development Bank|AsDB]], [[Australia Group]], [[Benelux]], [[Bank for International Settlements|BIS]], [[Budapest Convention on Cybercrime|CCC]], [[Council of Europe|CE]], [[CERN]], [[Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council|EAPC]], [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development|EBRD]], [[European Investment Bank|EIB]], [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|EMU]], [[European Space Agency|ESA]], EU, [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]], [[Group of Ten (economics)|G-10]], [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]], [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development|IBRD]], [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]], [[International Criminal Court|ICC]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|ICRM]], [[International Development Association|IDA]], [[Inter-American Development Bank|IDB]], [[International Energy Agency|IEA]], [[International Fund for Agricultural Development|IFAD]], [[International Finance Corporation|IFC]], [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies|IFRCS]], [[International Hydrographic Organization|IHO]], [[International Labour Organization|ILO]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]], [[International Mobile Satellite Organization|IMSO]], [[Intelsat]], [[Interpol]], [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]], [[International Organization for Migration|IOM]], [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]], [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]], [[MONUSCO]] (observers), [[NATO]], [[Nuclear Energy Agency|NEA]], [[Nuclear Suppliers Group|NSG]], [[Organization of American States|OAS]] (observer), [[OECD]], [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons|OPCW]], [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]], [[Permanent Court of Arbitration|PCA]], UN, [[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development|UNCTAD]], [[United Nations Economic Commission for Europe|UNECE]], [[UNESCO]], [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|UNHCR]], [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization|UNIDO]], [[United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo|UNMIK]], [[UNMOGIP]], [[UNRWA]], [[United Nations Truce Supervision Organization|UNTSO]], [[Universal Postal Union|UPU]], [[West African Development Bank|WADB]] (non-regional), [[Western European Union|WEU]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[World Intellectual Property Organization|WIPO]], [[World Meteorological Organization|WMO]], [[World Trade Organization|WTrO]], [[Zangger Committee|ZC]].}}

In [[Ancient history|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 [[Spanish Netherlands|Habsburg Spain]] (1556–1714), the [[Austrian Netherlands|Austrian Habsburgs]] (1714–1794), and [[French Revolution|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",<ref name="Hass">{{cite book|title=Rezension zu (Review of) Cook, Bernard: Belgium. A History|isbn=978-0-8204-5824-3|date=17 February 2003|quote=die Bezeichnung Belgiens als "the cockpit of Europe" (James Howell, 1640), die damals noch auf eine kriegerische Hahnenkampf-Arena hindeutete|language=de|author=Haß, Torsten|publisher=FH-Zeitung (journal of the [[Fachhochschule]])|url=http://www.fh-kehl.de/zeitung/rezensionen/2003/cook,belgium.htm|access-date=24 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609152931/http://www.fh-kehl.de/zeitung/rezensionen/2003/cook%2Cbelgium.htm|archive-date=9 June 2007|url-status=dead}}—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:<br />*{{cite web|title=The Hydra No.1 New Series (November&nbsp;1917)—Arras And Captain Satan|author=Carmont, John|work=War Poets Collection|publisher=Napier University's Business School|url=http://www.napier.ac.uk/warpoets/Hydraissues/Hyn01/hyn01a03.html|access-date=24 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511040638/http://www2.napier.ac.uk/warpoets/Hydraissues/Hyn01/hyn01a03.html|archive-date=11 May 2008}}—and as such coined for Belgium:<br />*{{cite web|title=Nuttall Encyclopaedia of General Knowledge—Cockpit of Europe|quote=Cockpit of Europe, Belgium, as the scene of so many battles between the Powers of Europe.|author=Wood, James|year=1907|url=http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Wood-NuttallEncyclopaedia/c/cockpitofeurope.html|access-date=24 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809172927/http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Wood-NuttallEncyclopaedia/c/cockpitofeurope.html|archive-date=9 August 2011|url-status=live}} (See also [[The Nuttall Encyclopaedia]])</ref> a reputation reinforced in the 20th century by both [[world war]]s.

An independent Belgium was established in 1830 following the [[Belgian Revolution]]. In the 19th century it was one of the earliest participants of the [[Industrial Revolution]],<ref name="Fitzmaurice">{{cite web|title=New Order? International models of peace and reconciliation—Diversity and civil society|author=Fitzmaurice, John|year=1996|publisher=Democratic Dialogue Northern Ireland's first think tank, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/dd/report9/report9d.htm|access-date=12 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513081653/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/dd/report9/report9d.htm|archive-date=13 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="EUbusiness">{{cite web|title=Belgium country profile|date=27 August 2006|publisher=EUbusiness, Richmond, UK|url=http://www.eubusiness.com/Belgium/belgium-country-profile/|access-date=12 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007053429/http://www.eubusiness.com/Belgium/belgium-country-profile|archive-date=7 October 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> and the first country in [[continental Europe]] to become industrialised.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-11 |title=Industrial Revolution {{!}} Definition, History, Dates, Summary, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> By the early 20th century, it possessed [[Belgian colonial empire|several colonies]], notably the [[Belgian Congo]] and [[Ruanda-Urundi]],<ref name="Karl">{{cite web |author=Karl, Farah |author2=Stoneking, James |year=1999 |title=Chapter 27. The Age of Imperialism (Section 2. The Partition of Africa) |url=http://www.args.k12.va.us/academics/history/Stoneking/chapters/world2/world27.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925221249/http://www.args.k12.va.us/academics/history/Stoneking/chapters/world2/world27.pdf |archive-date=25 September 2007 |access-date=16 August 2007 |work=World History II |publisher=Appomattox Regional Governor's School (History Department), Petersburg, Virginia, US}}</ref>{{efn|Between 1885 and 1908, the [[Congo Free State]], which was privately owned by King [[Leopold II of Belgium]], was characterized by [[Atrocities in the Congo Free State|widespread atrocities]] and disease; amid public outcry in Europe, Belgium annexed the territory as a colony.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gerdziunas |first=Benas |date=17 October 2017 |title=Belgium's genocidal colonial legacy haunts the country's future |website=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/belgium-s-genocidal-colonial-legacy-haunts-country-s-future-a7984191.html |accessdate=22 June 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725031238/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/belgium-s-genocidal-colonial-legacy-haunts-country-s-future-a7984191.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}} which gained independence between 1960 and 1962.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Braeckman |first=Colette |date=1 June 2021 |title=Belgium's role in Rwandan genocide |url=https://mondediplo.com/2021/06/11rwanda |access-date=20 January 2022 |website=Le Monde Diplomatique |archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120134210/https://mondediplo.com/2021/06/11rwanda |url-status=live }}</ref> The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between the Dutch-speakers and French-speakers,<!--a quarter of the Francophones are living in Brussels and are not necessarily Walloons but are nevertheless in conflict with the Flemings, so please don't change Francophone into Walloons. --> fueled by differences in political culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia. This has resulted in several [[State reform in Belgium|far-reaching state reforms]], including the transition from a [[Unitary state|unitary]] to [[Federalism|federal]] structure between 1970 and 1993. Tensions persist amid ongoing reforms; the country faces a strong separatist sentiment [[Flemish Movement|among the Flemish]], controversial [[municipalities with language facilities|language laws]],<ref name="UCL">{{cite web|title=Bilingual island in Flanders|work=UCL|author=Buoyant Brussels|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/dutchstudies/an/SP_LINKS_UCL_POPUP/SPs_english/brussels/eiland.html|access-date=5 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524135618/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dutchstudies/an/SP_LINKS_UCL_POPUP/SPs_english/brussels/eiland.html|archive-date=24 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> and a fragmented political landscape that resulted in a record 589 days without [[2010–2011 Belgian government formation|a government formation]] following the [[2010 Belgian federal election|2010 federal election]].<ref name="QLUnh">{{cite news |date=6 December 2011 |title=Belgian government sworn in, ending 18-month crisis |work=[[Expatica]] |url=http://www.expatica.com/be/news/belgian-news/belgian-government-sworn-in-ending-18-month-crisis_193630.html |url-status=dead |access-date=8 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202144509/http://www.expatica.com/be/news/belgian-news/belgian-government-sworn-in-ending-18-month-crisis_193630.html |archive-date=2 February 2014}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Belgium}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of Belgian history}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=April 2025}}

===Antiquity===
[[File: Map Gallia Tribes Towns.png|thumb|left|''[[Gallia Belgica]]'' at the time of [[Julius Caesar]]'s conquest of [[Gaul]] in 54 BCE]]

According to [[Julius Caesar|Julius Caesar's]] ''[[Commentarii de Bello Gallico]]'', the [[Belgae]] inhabited the northernmost part of [[Gaul]], a region extending from the [[Seine]] and [[Marne (river)|Marne]] rivers to the [[Rhine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=C. Julius Caesar, Gallic War |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0001 |date=1869 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> This area was larger than present-day Belgium and included parts of modern [[France]], Belgium, [[Luxembourg]], and [[Germany]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mise en page 1 |url=https://var.fr/documents/20142/107955/Guide+de+visite+%EF%80%A0Les+Gaulois%EF%80%A0+GB.pdf/443bebbb-dbf7-7827-4d9c-1b5ddeea662a |date=2019 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=var.fr}}</ref> Caesar noted that the Belgae were the bravest among the Gauls due to their distance from the civilization and refinement of the [[Roman province|Roman Province]], minimal contact with merchants importing luxury goods, and their continual warfare with the neighboring [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribes]] across the Rhine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars Book 1 (58 B.C.E.) |url=https://sacred-texts.com/cla/jcsr/dbg1.htm |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=sacred-texts.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Allen-Hornblower |first=Emily |date= 2014|title=BEASTS AND BARBARIANS IN CAESar's ''BELLUM GALLICUM'' 6.21–8 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/classical-quarterly/article/abs/beasts-and-barbarians-in-caesars-bellum-gallicum-6218/0207CEA01853E9B516FD766E92FB2676 |journal=The Classical Quarterly |language=en |volume=64 |issue=2 |pages=682–693 |doi=10.1017/S0009838814000044 |issn=0009-8388|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Within this broad region, Caesar referred to a specific area as "Belgium," which was politically dominant and located in what is now northern France.<ref>Caesar, ''Gallic War'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0002:book=8:chapter=46&highlight=belgio%2Cbelgium 8.46] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811110505/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0002:book=8:chapter=46&highlight=belgio%2Cbelgium |date=11 August 2023 }} "''quattuor legiones '''in Belgio''' collocavit''", "''his confectis rebus ad legiones '''in Belgium''' se recipit hibernatque Nemetocennae''". (In online English translations the second part is often included in the next paragraph [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Gallic_War/Book_8#47 8.47] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621075642/https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Gallic_War/Book_8#47 |date=21 June 2023 }}. {{citation|first=Edith|last=Wightman|title=Gallia Belgica|page=12|url={{GBurl|id=aEyS54uSj88C|p=12}}|year=1985|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-05297-0}}. {{citation|last1=González Villaescusa|last2= Jacquemin|year=2011|title= Gallia Belgica: An Entity with No National Claim|journal= Études rurales|volume= 2|issue=2|pages=93–111|doi=10.4000/etudesrurales.9499|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Modern Belgium, along with neighboring regions of the Netherlands and Germany, corresponds to the territories of the northernmost Belgae tribes, including the [[Morini]],{{efn|The Morini were located along the coast of modern Belgium, particularly in the [[Pas-de-Calais]] region, centered around [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]]. Their territory extended from the [[Canche|River Canache]] to the [[River Scheldt]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morini (Belgae) |url=https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/BarbarianMorini.htm |date=1903 |author=Peter Kessler,Edward Dawson |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=historyfiles.co.uk}}</ref>}} [[Menapii]],{{efn|The Menapii dwelt near the [[North Sea]], around present-day [[Cassel, Nord|Cassel]], in the region now part of Belgium.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Menapii (Belgae) |url=https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/BarbarianMenapii.htm |date=1903 |author=Peter Kessler,Edward Dawson |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=historyfiles.co.uk}}</ref>}} [[Nervii]],{{efn|The Nervii inhabited the central part of modern Belgium, including Brussels, extending southwards to [[Cambrai]] in [[French Hainaut]]. Their territory included areas along the [[Haine]] and [[Sambre]] rivers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Territoire des Nerviens — région, Gaule — nation - Nervii Territorium |url=https://www.gaudry.be/lieu/g1/g1-ner.html  |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=gaudry.be |date=3 January 2018 |language=fr}}</ref>}} [[Germani cisrhenani|Germani Cisrhenani]],{{efn|The Germani Cisrhenani inhabited regions on the eastern side of the [[Rhine]], corresponding to parts of modern-day Germany, but their influence extended into the northeastern part of Gaul.<ref name="gca" >{{Cite web |title=Pre-Roman Belgic tribes of modern Belgium |url=https://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/pre-roman-belgic-tribes-of-modern-belgium.24913/ |date=2008-02-26 |publisher=Maciamo |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=eupedia.com}}</ref>}} and [[Atuatuci|Aduatuci]].{{efn|The [[Aduatuci]] lived in the eastern part of modern-day Belgium, particularly in the [[Meuse|Meuse valley]] and the [[Hesbaye|Hesbaye region]].<ref name="gca" />}} Julius Caesar described these tribes as particularly warlike and economically undeveloped, noting their kinship with the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caesar Gallic War |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Caesar/Gallic_War/2*.html  |publisher=Loeb Classical Library |date=1917 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=gaudry.be}}</ref> Additionally, the area around [[Arlon]] in southern Belgium was part of the territory of the powerful [[Treveri]] tribe, whose lands extended into present-day Luxembourg and adjacent regions of France and Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Treveri – the tribe which Treves was named after |url=https://new.coinsweekly.com/antiquity/the-treveri-the-tribe-which-treves-was-named-after/ |date=2009-10-14 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=new.coinsweekly.com}}</ref>

Following Caesar's conquests, Gallia Belgica became the [[Latin]] name for a large Roman province encompassing most of [[Gaul|Northern Gaul]], including the lands of the Belgae and Treveri. Subsequently, areas closer to the lower Rhine frontier, such as the eastern part of modern Belgium, were incorporated into the frontier province of [[Germania Inferior]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germania Inferior {{!}} Roman province, Europe {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Germania-Inferior |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Germania Inferior (1) - Livius |url=https://www.livius.org/articles/place/germania-inferior/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.livius.org}}</ref> As the central government of the [[Western Roman Empire]] collapsed, the provinces of Belgica and Germania were inhabited by a mix of Romanized populations and Germanic-speaking [[Franks]], who came to dominate the military and political spheres.<ref>Hamerow, Theodore S., Leyser, K.J., Geary, Patrick J., Wallace-Hadrill, John Michael, Barkin, Kenneth, Berentsen, William H., Duggan, Lawrence G., Schleunes, Karl A., Sheehan, James J., Kirby, George Hall, Bayley, Charles Calvert, Turner, Henry Ashby, Heather, Peter John, Elkins, Thomas Henry, Strauss, Gerald. "Germany". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany. Accessed 5 April 2025</ref>

===Middle Ages===
During the 5th century, the area came under the rule of the Frankish [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] kings, who initially established a kingdom ruling over the Romanized population in what is now northern France, and then conquered the other Frankish kingdoms. During the 8th century, the empire of the Franks came to be ruled by the [[Carolingian dynasty]], whose centre of power included the area which is now eastern Belgium.<ref>{{citation|first=Matthias|last=Werner|title=Der Lütticher Raum in frühkarolingischer Zeit : Untersuchungen zur Geschichte einer karolingischen Stammlandschaft|year=1980}}</ref> Over the centuries, it was divided up in many ways, but the [[Treaty of Verdun]] in 843 divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms whose borders had a lasting impact on medieval political boundaries. Most of modern Belgium was in the [[Middle Francia|Middle Kingdom]], later known as [[Lotharingia]], but the coastal [[county of Flanders]], west of the [[Scheldt]], became the northernmost part of [[West Francia]], the predecessor of [[France]]. In 870 in the [[Treaty of Meerssen]], modern Belgium lands all became part of the western kingdom for a period, but in 880 in the [[Treaty of Ribemont]], Lotharingia came under the lasting control of the eastern kingdom, which became the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The lordships and bishoprics along the "March" (frontier) between the two great kingdoms maintained important connections between each other. For example, the county of Flanders expanded over the Scheldt into the empire, and during several periods was ruled by the same lords as the [[county of Hainaut]].

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the cloth industry and commerce boomed especially in the County of Flanders and it became one of the richest areas in Europe. This prosperity played a role in conflicts between Flanders and the [[king of France]]. Famously, Flemish militias scored a surprise victory at the [[Battle of the Golden Spurs]] against a strong force of mounted knights in 1302, but France soon regained control of the rebellious province.

===Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands===
[[File:Karte-Haus-Burgund 4-FR.png|thumb|upright|The [[Burgundian Netherlands|Burgundian State]] of [[Charles the Bold]] in the 15th century]]

In the 15th century, the [[Duke of Burgundy]] in France took control of Flanders, and from there [[Burgundian inheritance in the Low Countries|proceeded to unite]] much of what is now the Benelux, the so-called [[Burgundian Netherlands]].<ref name="Wl7Nu">{{cite web|title=Chapter I: The Burgundian Netherlands.|work=History of Holland|author=Edmundson, George|publisher=The University Press, Cambridge. Republished: Authorama|year=1922|url=http://www.authorama.com/history-of-holland-3.html|access-date=15 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428094602/http://www.authorama.com/history-of-holland-3.html|archive-date=28 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> "Burgundy" and "Flanders" were the first two common names used for the Burgundian Netherlands which was the predecessor of the Austrian Netherlands, the predecessor of modern Belgium.<ref>{{citation|last=Van Der Essen|first=Leon|title=Notre nom national|journal=Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire|volume=4|issue=1|year=1925|pages=121–131|doi=10.3406/rbph.1925.6335|url=http://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_1925_num_4_1_6335|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=20 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320145715/https://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_1925_num_4_1_6335|url-status=live}}</ref> The union, technically stretching between two kingdoms, gave the area economic and political stability which led to an even greater prosperity and artistic creation.

Born in Belgium, the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles&nbsp;V]] was heir of the Burgundians, but also of the royal families of [[House of Habsburg|Austria]], [[Crown of Castile|Castile]] and [[Crown of Aragon|Aragon]]. With the [[Pragmatic Sanction of 1549]] he gave the [[Seventeen Provinces]] more legitimacy as a stable entity, rather than just a temporary [[personal union]]. He also increased the influence of these Netherlands over the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]], which continued to exist as a large semi-independent enclave.<ref name="3kmvZ">{{cite web|title=Chapter II: Habsburg Rule in the Netherlands|work=History of Holland|author=Edmundson, George|publisher=The University Press, Cambridge. Republished: Authorama|year=1922|url=http://www.authorama.com/history-of-holland-4.html|access-date=9 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926224357/http://www.authorama.com/history-of-holland-4.html|archive-date=26 September 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Spanish and Austrian Netherlands===
The [[Eighty Years' War]] (1568–1648) was triggered by the Spanish government's policy towards [[Protestantism]], which was becoming popular in the Low Countries. The rebellious northern [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] (''Belgica Foederata'' in [[Latin]], the "Federated Netherlands") eventually separated from the [[Southern Netherlands]] (''Belgica Regia'', the "Royal Netherlands"). The southern part continued to be ruled successively by the [[Habsburg Spain|Spanish]] ([[Spanish Netherlands]]) and the [[History of Austria|Austrian]] [[House of Habsburg]]s ([[Austrian Netherlands]]) and comprised most of modern Belgium. This was the theatre of several more protracted conflicts during much of the 17th and 18th centuries involving France, including the [[Franco-Dutch War]] (1672–1678), the [[Nine Years' War]] (1688–1697), the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] (1701–1714), and part of the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] (1740–1748).

===French Revolution and United Kingdom of the Netherlands===
Following the [[French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1794|campaigns of 1794 in the French Revolutionary Wars]], the Low Countries{{snd}}including territories that were never nominally under Habsburg rule, such as the Prince-Bishopric of Liège{{snd}}were annexed by the [[French First Republic]], ending Austrian rule in the region. After the dissolution of the [[First French Empire]] and the abdication of [[Napoleon]] following his defeat on the [[Battle of Waterloo|battlefield of Waterloo]], the [[Congress of Vienna]] in 1814–15 created the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. This [[buffer state]], located between the major European powers, united the former territories of the Dutch Republic, the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, under King [[William I of the Netherlands|William I of Orange]].

===Independent Belgium===
[[File:Gustave Wappers - Episode of the September Days 1830, on the Grand Place of Brussels - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|''Episode of the [[Belgian Revolution]] of 1830'', [[Egide Charles Gustave Wappers|Gustaf Wappers]], 1834]]

In 1830, the [[Belgian Revolution]] led to the re-separation of the Southern Provinces from the Netherlands and to the establishment of a Catholic and bourgeois, officially French-speaking and neutral, independent Belgium under a [[Provisional Government of Belgium|provisional government]] and a [[national Congress of Belgium|national congress]].<ref name="Dobbelaere-VoyE">{{cite journal|title = From Pillar to Postmodernity: The Changing Situation of Religion in Belgium|journal = Sociological Analysis|volume = 51|pages = S1–S13|year = 1990|author = Dobbelaere, Karel|author2 = Voyé, Liliane|doi = 10.2307/3711670|jstor = 3711670|df = dmy-all|author-link = Karel Dobbelaere}}</ref><ref name="Gooch"><!--Is this the best source? It describes the February 1848 Revolution. Admittedly, it does confirm the neutrality of Belgium--> {{cite book|url = https://www.questia.com/read/3461234|title = Belgium and the February Revolution|author = Gooch, Brison Dowling|publisher = [[Martinus Nijhoff Publishers]], [[The Hague]], Netherlands|year = 1963|page = 112|access-date = 18 October 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628222235/http://www.questia.com/read/3461234|archive-date = 28 June 2011|url-status=live|df = dmy-all|author-link = Brison D. Gooch}}</ref> Since the installation of [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold&nbsp;I]] as king on {{nowrap|21 July}} 1831, now celebrated as Belgium's [[National Day]], Belgium has been a [[constitutional monarchy]] and [[parliamentary democracy]], with a [[Secularism in Belgium|''laicist'']] constitution based on the [[Napoleonic Code]].<ref name="UL18v">{{cite web|url=http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/country/belgium_in_nutshell/symbols/national_holiday/|title=National Day and feast days of Communities and Regions|publisher=Belgian Federal Government|access-date=20 July 2011|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724132628/http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/country/belgium_in_nutshell/symbols/national_holiday/|date=3 October 2010}}</ref> Although the franchise was initially restricted, [[universal suffrage]] for men was introduced after the [[Belgian general strike of 1893|general strike of 1893]] (with [[plural voting]] until 1919) and for women in 1949.

[[File:MapBelg1832-1724.jpg|thumb|Map of Belgium, 1832, before the final settlement of borders in 1839]]

The main political parties of the 19th century were the [[Catholic Party (Belgium)|Catholic Party]] and the [[Liberal Party (Belgium)|Liberal Party]], with the [[Belgian Labour Party]] emerging towards the end of the 19th century. French was originally the official language used by the [[nobility]] and the [[bourgeoisie]], especially after the rejection of the Dutch monarchy. French progressively lost its dominance as Dutch began to recover its status. This recognition became official in 1898, and in 1967, the parliament accepted a Dutch version of the [[Belgian Constitution|Constitution]].<ref name="etpIA">{{cite web|title=Ethnic structure, inequality and governance of the public sector in Belgium|last=Deschouwer|first=Kris|publisher=United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)|date=January 2004|url=http://www.unrisd.org/UNRISD/website/document.nsf/ab82a6805797760f80256b4f005da1ab/ec506a59176be044c1256e9e003077c3/$FILE/Deschou.pdf|access-date=22 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614025223/http://www.unrisd.org/UNRISD/website/document.nsf/ab82a6805797760f80256b4f005da1ab/ec506a59176be044c1256e9e003077c3/%24FILE/Deschou.pdf|archive-date=14 June 2007}}</ref>

The [[Berlin Conference]] of 1885 ceded control of the [[Congo Free State]] to [[Leopold II of Belgium|King Leopold&nbsp;II]] as his private possession. From around 1900 there was growing international concern for the [[Atrocities in the Congo Free State|extreme and savage treatment of the Congolese population under Leopold&nbsp;II]], for whom the Congo was primarily a source of revenue from ivory and rubber production.<ref name="Forbath">{{cite book|title=The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic Rivers|publisher=Harper & Row|year=1977|isbn=978-0-06-122490-4|last=Forbath|first=Peter|page=278|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UtgwAQAAIAAJ&q=The%2BRiver%2BCongo%3A%2BThe%2BDiscovery%2C%2BExploration%2Band%2BExploitation%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWorld%27s%2BMost%2BDramatic%2BRivers|url-access=subscription|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=23 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123070716/https://books.google.com/books?id=UtgwAQAAIAAJ&q=The+River+Congo%3A+The+Discovery%2C+Exploration+and+Exploitation+of+the+World%27s+Most+Dramatic+Rivers|url-status=live}}</ref> Many Congolese were killed by Leopold's agents for failing to meet production quotas for ivory and rubber.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/21/arts/belgium-confronts-its-heart-darkness-unsavory-colonial-behavior-congo-will-be.html|newspaper=nytimes.com|title=Belgium Confronts Its Heart of Darkness; Unsavory Colonial Behavior in the Congo Will Be Tackled by a New Study – The New York Times|date=21 September 2002 |access-date=6 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224172454/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/21/arts/belgium-confronts-its-heart-darkness-unsavory-colonial-behavior-congo-will-be.html|archive-date=24 December 2016|url-status=live|last1=Riding |first1=Alan }}</ref> In 1908, this outcry led the Belgian state to assume responsibility for the government of the colony, henceforth called the [[Belgian Congo]].<ref name="iwqD0">{{cite book|last=Meredith|first=Martin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNZ6srograIC&q=congo%2Bfree%2Bstate|title=The State of Africa|publisher=Jonathan Ball|year=2005|isbn=978-1-86842-220-3|pages=95–96(?)|url-access=subscription|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=25 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925082012/https://books.google.com/books?id=jNZ6srograIC&q=congo%2Bfree%2Bstate|url-status=live}}<!--Original 2007-06-21 entry here as publisher=Simon & Schuster, year=2006, pages=95–96, isbn=978-0-7432-3222-7: ref not found on that date--></ref> A Belgian commission in 1919 estimated that Congo's population was half what it was in 1879.<ref name="nytimes.com" />
[[File:Cheering crowds greet British troops entering Brussels, 4 September 1944. BU483.jpg|thumb|Cheering crowds greet British troops entering [[Brussels]], 4 September 1944.]]
[[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|Germany invaded Belgium in August 1914]] as part of the [[Schlieffen Plan]] to attack [[France]], and much of the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] fighting of [[World War I]] occurred in western parts of the country. The opening months of the war were known as the [[Rape of Belgium]] due to German excesses. Belgium assumed control of the [[German colonies]] of [[Ruanda-Urundi]] (modern-day [[Rwanda]] and [[Burundi]]) during the war, and in 1924 the [[League of Nations]] mandated them to Belgium. In the aftermath of the First World War, Belgium annexed the [[districts of Prussia|Prussian districts]] of [[Eupen-Malmedy|Eupen and Malmedy]] in 1925, thereby causing the presence of a German-speaking minority.

[[Battle of Belgium|German forces again invaded the country in May 1940]], and 40,690 Belgians, over half of them Jews, were killed during the subsequent [[German occupation of Belgium during World War II|occupation]] and [[The Holocaust in Belgium|the Holocaust]]. From September 1944 to February 1945 [[Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine|the Allies liberated]] Belgium. After [[World War II|World War&nbsp;II]], [[General strike against Leopold III of Belgium|a general strike]] forced King [[Leopold III of Belgium|Leopold&nbsp;III]] to abdicate in 1951 in favour of his son, [[King Baudouin|Prince Baudouin]], since [[Royal Question|many Belgians thought he had collaborated with Germany]] during the war.<ref name="Arango">{{cite book|first=Ramon|last=Arango|title=Leopold III and the Belgian Royal Question|publisher=The Johns Hopkins Press|location=Baltimore|year=1961|url-access=subscription|page=108|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yLzkugAACAAJ|isbn=978-0-8018-0040-5|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=15 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215075435/https://books.google.com/books?id=yLzkugAACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> The Belgian Congo gained independence in 1960 during the [[Congo Crisis]];<ref name="7TmlQ">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1304803|title=The Congolese Civil War 1960–1964|work=[[BBC News]]|date=14 October 2003 |access-date=29 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524174128/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1304803|archive-date=24 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ruanda-Urundi followed with its independence two years later. Belgium joined [[NATO]] as a founding member and formed the Benelux group of nations with the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Belgium became one of the six founding members of the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] in 1951 and of the [[European Atomic Energy Community]] and [[European Economic Community]], established in 1957. The latter has now become the European Union, for which Belgium hosts major administrations and institutions, including the [[European Commission]], the [[Council of the European Union]] and the extraordinary and committee sessions of the [[European Parliament]].

In the 1990s, Belgium saw several large scandals notably surrounding [[Marc Dutroux]], [[André Cools|Andre Cools]], the [[Dioxin affair|Dioxin Affair]], [[Agusta scandal|Agusta Scandal]] and the murder of [[Murder of Karel Van Noppen|Karel van Noppen]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Policy Failure and Corruption in Belgium: Is Federalism to Blame? |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228177797 |website=researchgate.net}}</ref>

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Belgium}}
[[File:Belgium relief location map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Relief map of Belgium]]

Belgium shares borders with [[France]] ({{cvt|620|km|disp=semicolon}}), [[Germany]] ({{nowrap|162/167&nbsp;km}}), [[Luxembourg]] ({{cvt|148|km|disp=semicolon}}), and the [[Netherlands]] ({{cvt|450|km|disp=semicolon}}). Its total surface, including water area, is {{convert|30689|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=area/> Before 2018, its total area was believed to be {{convert|30528|km2|abbr=on}}. However, when the country's statistics were measured in 2018, a new calculation method was used. Unlike previous calculations, this one included the area from the coast to the low-water line, revealing the country to be {{convert|160|km2|abbr=on}} larger in surface area than previously thought.<ref name="statbel">{{cite web|title=New data on land use|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/news/new-data-land-use|website=Statbel|access-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319065916/https://statbel.fgov.be/en/news/new-data-land-use|archive-date=19 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hetlaatste">{{cite news|title=België is 160&nbsp;km² groter dan gedacht|url=https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/belgie-is-160-km-groter-dan-gedacht~a3d8d378/|access-date=17 February 2019|work=[[Het Laatste Nieuws]]|date=10 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217142226/https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/belgie-is-160-km-groter-dan-gedacht~a3d8d378/|archive-date=17 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Its land area alone is {{cvt|30494|km2}}.<ref name=land/> It lies between latitudes 49°30' and 51°30' N, and longitudes 2°33' and 6°24' E.<ref name="nCHdl">{{in lang|nl}} [http://www.belgium.be/nl/over_belgie/land/geografie/ Geografische beschrijving van België – Over Belgie – Portaal Belgische Overheid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819004400/http://www.belgium.be/nl/over_belgie/land/geografie/|date=19 August 2013}}. Belgium.be. Retrieved 12 August 2013.</ref>

Belgium has three main geographical regions; the coastal plain in the northwest and the central plateau both belong to the Anglo-Belgian Basin, and the [[Ardennes]] uplands in the southeast to the [[Variscan orogeny|Hercynian orogenic belt]]. The [[Paris Basin]] reaches a small fourth area at Belgium's southernmost tip, [[Belgian Lorraine]].<ref name="KKuI7">{{cite encyclopedia|title = Belgium—The land—Relief|encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica|year = 2007|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago, Illinois, US|url = https://edit.britannica.com/getEditableToc?tocId=24981|access-date = 3 July 2007|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131217183818/https://edit.britannica.com/getEditableToc?tocId=24981|archive-date = 17 December 2013|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and [[polder]]s. Further inland lies a smooth, slowly rising landscape irrigated by numerous waterways, with fertile valleys and the northeastern sandy plain of the [[Campine]] (''Kempen''). The thickly forested hills and plateaus of the Ardennes are more rugged and rocky with caves and small [[canyon|gorges]]. Extending westward into France, this area is eastwardly connected to the [[Eifel]] in Germany by the [[High Fens]] plateau, on which the [[Signal de Botrange]] forms the country's highest point at {{convert|694|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="vomkA">{{cite web|title=Geography of Belgium|publisher=123independenceday.com|url=http://www.123independenceday.com/belgium/geography.html|access-date=10 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912093214/http://www.123independenceday.com/belgium/geography.html|archive-date=12 September 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="RCKrU">{{cite web|title=Life—Nature|year=2005|publisher=Office for Official Publications of the European Communities|url=http://kp.org.pl/n2k/pdf/15.pdf|access-date=10 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925221250/http://kp.org.pl/n2k/pdf/15.pdf|archive-date=25 September 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Climate of Belgium|The climate]] is [[Oceanic climate|maritime temperate]] with significant precipitation in all seasons ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfb''), like most of northwest Europe.<ref name="0vPZn">{{cite journal|last1=Peel|first1=Murray C.|last2=Finlayson|first2=Bryan L.|last3=McMahon|first3=T. A.|name-list-style=amp|year=2007|title=Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification|journal=[[Hydrology and Earth System Sciences]]|volume=11|pages=1633–1644|url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html|issn=1027-5606|doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007|issue=5|bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P|access-date=10 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210144308/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html|archive-date=10 February 2017|url-status=live|doi-access=free}} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229181440/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf|date=29 February 2012}})''</ref> The average temperature is lowest in January at {{convert|3|°C|°F|1}} and highest in July at {{convert|18|°C|°F|1}}. The average precipitation per month varies between {{convert|54|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} for February and April, to {{convert|78|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} for July.<ref name="7ID7K">{{cite web|title=Climate averages—Brussels|publisher=EuroWEATHER/EuroMETEO, Nautica Editrice Srl, Rome, Italy|url=http://www.euroweather.net/english/climate/city_EBBR/id_GT/meteo_brussels%20belgium|access-date=27 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021221109/http://www.euroweather.net/english/climate/city_EBBR/id_GT/meteo_brussels%20belgium|archive-date=21 October 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> Averages for the years 2000 to 2006 show daily temperature minimums of {{convert|7|°C|°F|1}} and maximums of {{convert|14|°C|°F|1}} and monthly rainfall of {{convert|74|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}; these are about 1&nbsp;°C and nearly 10 millimeters above last century's normal values, respectively.<ref name="statbel2">{{cite web |url=http://statbel.fgov.be/pub/d0/p007y2006_nl.pdf |title=Kerncijfers 2006 – Statistisch overzicht van België |pages=9–10 |language=nl |publisher=Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy—Directorate-general Statistics Belgium|access-date =8 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605012645/http://statbel.fgov.be/pub/d0/p007y2006_nl.pdf |archive-date=5 June 2007}}</ref>
[[File:Show Your Stripes change in temperature graphic for All of Belgium with bars with labels.png|thumb|Temperature change in Belgium, each bar represents the average temperature over that year.]]
[[Climate change in Belgium]] has caused temperatures rises and more frequent and intense [[Heat wave|heatwaves]], increases in winter rainfall and decreases in snowfall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=IEA |date=2023-05-15 |title=Belgium Climate Resilience Policy Indicator |url=https://www.iea.org/reports/belgium-climate-resilience-policy-indicator |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=IEA |language=en-GB}}</ref> By 2100, sea levels along the Belgian coast are projected to rise by 60 to 90&nbsp;cm with a maximum potential increase of up to 200&nbsp;cm in the worst-case scenario.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Climate Risk Assessment Center |title=Main risks for Belgium |url=https://www.cerac.be/en/themes/main-risks-belgium |access-date=11 December 2024 |website=CERAC}}</ref> The costs of climate change are estimated to amount to €9.5 billion a year in 2050 (2% of Belgian GDP), mainly due to extreme heat, drought and flooding, while economics gains due to milder winters amount to approximately €3 billion a year (0.65% of GDP).<ref name=":9" /> In 2023, Belgium emitted 106.82 million tonnes of [[greenhouse gas]]es (around 0.2% of the global total emissions), equivalent to 9.12 tonnes per person.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Matthew W. |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia |last10=Le Quéré |first10=Corinne |date=2023-03-29 |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide since 1850 |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |journal=Scientific Data |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=155 |doi=10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |pmid=36991071 |issn=2052-4463|pmc=10060593 |bibcode=2023NatSD..10..155J }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ritchie |first1=Hannah |last2=Rosado |first2=Pablo |last3=Roser |first3=Max |date=2024-01-05 |title=Greenhouse gas emissions |url=https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions |journal=Our World in Data |language=en |access-date=2023-12-20}}</ref> The country has committed to [[Net-zero emissions|net zero]] by 2050.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Climate Watch |title=Belgium |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/BEL?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref>

[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Belgium is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]].<ref name="D9WTK">Takhtajan, Armen, 1986. ''Floristic Regions of the World''. (translated by T.J. Crovello and A. Cronquist). [[University of California Press]], [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]].</ref> According to the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]], the territory of Belgium belongs to the [[terrestrial ecoregions]] of [[Atlantic mixed forests]] and [[Western European broadleaf forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref><ref name="kjXhG">{{WWF ecoregion|id=pa0402|name=Atlantic mixed forests}}</ref> Belgium had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 1.36/10, ranking it 163rd globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref> In Belgium [[forest cover]] is around 23% of the total land area, equivalent to 689,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 677,400 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 251,200 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 438,200 hectares (ha). For the year 2015, 47% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]], 53% [[Private property|private ownership]] and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Belgium |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BEL/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

=== Provinces ===
{{Belgian provinces labelled map}}
{{Main|Provinces of Belgium}}
The territory of Belgium is divided into three Regions, two of which, the [[Flemish Region]] and [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]], are in turn subdivided into [[provinces of Belgium|provinces]]; the third Region, the [[Brussels-Capital Region]], is neither a province nor a part of a province.
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
! Province !! Dutch name !! French name !! German name !! Capital
! Area<ref name=area/>
! Population<br /><small>(1 January 2024)</small><ref name=population/>
! Density
! [[ISO 3166-2:BE]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:code:3166:BE|title=BE – Belgium|website=iso.org|access-date=5 April 2022|archive-date=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617031837/https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:code:3166:BE|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="11" style="background:#ccf;"|[[Flemish Region]]
|-
|{{flag|Antwerp}}||'''{{Lang|nl|Antwerpen}}'''||{{lang|fr|Anvers}}||{{lang|de|Antwerpen}}
|[[Antwerp]]
|{{convert|2876|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,926,522
|{{convert|670|/km2|abbr=on}}
|VAN
|-
|{{flag|East Flanders}}||'''{{Lang|nl|Oost-Vlaanderen}}'''||{{lang|fr|Flandre orientale}}||{{lang|de|Ostflandern}}
|[[Ghent]]
|{{convert|3007|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,572,002
|{{convert|520|/km2|abbr=on}}
|VOV
|-
|{{flag|Flemish Brabant}}||'''{{Lang|nl|Vlaams-Brabant}}'''||{{lang|fr|Brabant flamand}}||{{lang|de|Flämisch-Brabant}}
|[[Leuven]]
|{{convert|2118|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,196,773
|{{convert|570|/km2|abbr=on}}
|VBR
|-
|{{flag|Limburg (Belgium)|name=Limburg}}||'''{{Lang|nl|Limburg}}'''||{{lang|fr|Limbourg}}||{{lang|de|Limburg}}
|[[Hasselt]]
|{{convert|2427|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|900,098
|{{convert|370|/km2|abbr=on}}
|VLI
|-
|{{flag|West Flanders}}||'''{{Lang|nl|West-Vlaanderen}}'''||{{lang|fr|Flandre occidentale}}||{{lang|de|Westflandern}}
|[[Bruges]]
|{{convert|3197|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,226,375
|{{convert|380|/km2|abbr=on}}
|VWV
|-
! colspan="11" style="background:#ccf;"|[[Walloon Region]]
|-
|{{flag|Hainaut}}||{{Lang|nl|Henegouwen}}||'''{{lang|fr|Hainaut}}'''||{{lang|de|Hennegau}}
|[[Mons, Belgium|Mons]]
|{{convert|3813|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,360,074
|{{convert|360|/km2|abbr=on}}
|WHT
|-
|{{flag|Liège}}||{{Lang|nl|Luik}}||'''{{lang|fr|Liège}}'''||'''{{lang|de|Lüttich}}'''
|[[Liège]]
|{{convert|3857|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,119,038
|{{convert|290|/km2|abbr=on}}
|WLG
|-
|{{flag|Luxembourg (Belgium)|name=Luxembourg}}||{{Lang|nl|Luxemburg}}||'''{{lang|fr|Luxembourg}}'''||{{lang|de|Luxemburg}}
|[[Arlon]]
|{{convert|4459|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|295,146
|{{convert|66|/km2|abbr=on}}
|WLX
|-
|{{flag|Namur}}||{{Lang|nl|Namen}}||'''{{lang|fr|Namur}}'''||{{lang|de|Namur}} ({{lang|de|Namür}})
|[[Namur]]
|{{convert|3675|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|503,895
|{{convert|140|/km2|abbr=on}}
|WNA
|-
|{{flag|Walloon Brabant}}||{{Lang|nl|Waals-Brabant}}||'''{{lang|fr|Brabant wallon}}'''||{{lang|de|Wallonisch-Brabant}}
|[[Wavre]]
|{{convert|1097|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|414,130
|{{convert|380|/km2|abbr=on}}
|WBR
|-
! colspan="11" style="background:#ccf;"|[[Brussels-Capital Region]]
|-
|{{flag|Brussels|name=Brussels-Capital Region}}||{{Lang|nl|Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest}}||{{lang|fr|Région de Bruxelles-Capitale}}||{{lang|de|Region Brüssel-Hauptstadt}}
|[[Brussels City]]
|{{convert|162|km2|abbr=on}}
|style="text-align:right;"|1,249,597
|{{convert|7700|/km2|abbr=on}}
|BBR
|- class="sortbottom"
! style="text-align:right;"|Total
! {{Lang|nl|België}}
! {{lang|fr|Belgique}}
! {{lang|de|Belgien}}
! [[Brussels City]]
! style="text-align:right;"|{{convert|30689|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
! style="text-align:right;"|11,763,650
! style="text-align:right;"|{{convert|383|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
!
|}

==Politics and government==
{{Main|Politics of Belgium|Belgian federal government}}
{{multiple image
| align       = 
| total_width = 300
| direction   = 
| width       = 
| image1      = King Philippe of Belgium (January 2025).jpg
| image2      = Visit of Bart De Wever, Belgian Prime Minister, to the European Commission (cropped).jpg
| caption1    = [[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe]]<br />[[Monarchy of Belgium|King of the Belgians]]<br>{{small|since 21 July 2013}}
| caption2    = [[Bart De Wever]]<br />[[Prime Minister of Belgium]]<br>{{small|since 3 February 2025}}
}}
[[File:Chart constitution of Belgium EN.svg|thumb|Chart illustrating the federal government construction of Belgium]]
Belgium is a [[constitutional monarchy|constitutional]], [[popular monarchy]] and a [[federalism|federal]] [[parliamentary system|parliamentary democracy]]. The [[bicameralism|bicameral]] [[Belgian Federal Parliament|federal parliament]] is composed of a [[Senate (Belgium)|Senate]] and a [[Chamber of Representatives (Belgium)|Chamber of Representatives]]. The former is made up of 50 senators appointed by the parliaments of the [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|communities and regions]] and 10 [[Senate (Belgium)#Co-opted senators|co-opted senators]]. Prior to 2014, most of the Senate's members were directly elected. The [[Chambers of parliament|Chamber]]'s 150 representatives are elected under a [[proportional voting]] system from 11 [[Arrondissements of Belgium|electoral districts]]. Belgium has [[compulsory voting]] and thus maintains one of the highest rates of [[voter turnout]] in the world.<ref name="Franklin">{{cite web|title=Voter Turnout Rates from a Comparative Perspective|year=2002|last1=López Pintor|first1=Rafael|last2=Gratschew|first2=Maria|publisher=[[International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance|IDEA]]|url=http://www.idea.int/publications/vt/upload/Voter%20turnout.pdf|access-date=22 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121050252/http://www.idea.int/publications/vt/upload/Voter%20turnout.pdf|archive-date=21 November 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Monarchy of Belgium|King]] (currently [[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe]]) is the [[head of state]], though with limited [[Royal prerogative|prerogatives]]. He appoints ministers, including a Prime Minister, that have the confidence of the [[Chamber of Representatives of Belgium|Chamber of Representatives]] to form the [[federal government]]. The Council of Ministers is composed of no more than fifteen members. With the possible exception of the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers is composed of an equal number of Dutch-speaking members and French-speaking members.<ref name="constitution1">{{cite web|title=The Belgian Constitution – Article 99|publisher=Belgian House of Representatives|date=January 2009|url=http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/grondwetEN.pdf|access-date=26 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706134014/http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/grondwetEN.pdf|archive-date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The judicial system is based on [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] and originates from the [[Napoleonic Code]]. The [[Court of Cassation (Belgium)|Court of Cassation]] is the court of last resort, with the [[Court of appeal (Belgium)|courts of appeal]] one level below.<ref name="NJcz8">{{cite web|title=Belgium 1831 (rev. 2012)|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_2012?lang=en|website=Constitute|access-date=30 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223145044/https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belgium_2012?lang=en|archive-date=23 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Political culture===
Belgium's political institutions are complex; [[Pillarisation|most political power rests on representation of the main cultural communities]].<ref name="d9qyv">{{cite web|title=Belgium, a federal state|publisher=Belgium.be|url=http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/federale_staat/|access-date=26 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112080611/http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/federale_staat/|archive-date=12 November 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
Since about 1970, the significant national [[Political parties in Belgium|Belgian political parties]] have split into distinct components that mainly represent the political and linguistic interests of these communities.<ref name="USStateDpt">{{cite web|title=Background Note: Belgium|publisher=U.S. Department of States|date=29 April 2010|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2874.htm|access-date=26 November 2010|archive-date=21 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121042120/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2874.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
The major parties in each community, though close to the political center, belong to three main groups: [[Christian democracy|Christian Democrats]], [[Liberalism in Belgium|Liberals]], and [[Social democracy|Social Democrats]].<ref name="fYr7M">{{cite web|title=Belgium – Political parties|work=European Election Database|url=http://www.nsd.uib.no/european_election_database/country/belgium/parties.html|publisher=Norwegian Social Science Data Services|year=2010|access-date=10 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427100052/http://www.nsd.uib.no/european_election_database/country/belgium/parties.html|archive-date=27 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
Further notable parties came into being well after the middle of last century, mainly to represent [[List of political parties in Belgium#Linguistic parties|linguistic]], nationalist, or environmental interests, and recently smaller ones of some specific liberal nature.<ref name="USStateDpt" />

[[File:Palais de la Nation (DSC01812).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Belgian Federal Parliament]] in [[Brussels]], one of [[List of governments in Belgium|six different governments]] of the country]]

A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 [[Belgian federal election, 1999|was broken in 1999]] after the first [[dioxine affair|dioxin crisis]], a major [[Food contaminant|food contamination]] scandal.<ref name="bKdfB">{{cite web|title=Dioxin contamination scandal hits Belgium: Effects spread through European Union and beyond|work=World Socialist Web Site (WSWS)|publisher=International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)|author=Tyler, Richard <!--Do ''not'' link to fictional character or The Daily Telegraph's Enterprise Editor, this R.T.=WSWS correspondent-->|date=8 June 1999|url=http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1999/06/belg-j08.html|access-date=16 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801062114/http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1999/06/belg-j08.html|archive-date=1 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hjCXN">ElAmin, Ahmed (31 January 2006) [http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=65481-belgium-netherlands-dioxin Belgium, Netherlands meat sectors face dioxin crisis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914150715/http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=65481-belgium-netherlands-dioxin|date=14 September 2007}}. foodproductiondaily.com</ref><ref name="uoINh">{{cite news|title=Food Law News—EU&nbsp;: Contaminants—Commission Press Release (IP/99/399) Preliminary results of EU-inspection to Belgium|author=European Commission|publisher=School of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, UK|date=16 June 1999|url=http://www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/news/eu-99-40.htm|access-date=29 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927155917/http://www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/news/eu-99-40.htm|archive-date=27 September 2006|url-status=live|author-link=European Commission}}</ref> A "rainbow coalition" emerged from six parties: the Flemish and the French-speaking Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens.<ref name="Mbcyv">{{cite news|title=Belgium's "rainbow" coalition sworn in|work=BBC News|date=12 July 1999|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/392004.stm|access-date=20 May 2007}}</ref> Later, a "[[Purple (government)|purple coalition]]" of Liberals and Social Democrats formed after the Greens lost most of their seats in the [[Belgian federal election, 2003|2003 election]].<ref name="9lpYO">{{cite web|title=La Chambre des représentants—Composition|trans-title=Composition of the Chamber of Representatives|date=9 March 2006|publisher=The Chamber of Representatives of Belgium|url=http://www.lachambre.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/pri/fiche/10F.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107200900/http://www.lachambre.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/pri/fiche/10F.pdf|archive-date=7 November 2006|access-date=25 May 2007|language=fr|url-status=live}}<!--REF FAILS TO CONFIRM TEXT (counting seats does not exclude possibility of Ecolo/NVA/FN as 5th etc parties)--></ref>

The government led by Prime Minister [[Guy Verhofstadt]] from 1999 to 2007 achieved a balanced budget, some [[tax reform]]s, a labor-market reform, scheduled [[Nuclear energy policy#Europe|nuclear phase-out]] and instigated legislation allowing more stringent [[War Crimes Law (Belgium)|war crime]] and more lenient [[drug harmfulness|soft drug usage]] prosecution. Restrictions on [[euthanasia]] were reduced. In 2003, Belgium became one of the first countries in the world to legalise [[Same-sex marriage in Belgium|same-sex marriage]].<ref name="brusselstimes">{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Lauren |title=Belgium celebrates 20 years of same-sex marriage |url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/361629/belgium-celebrates-20-years-of-same-sex-marriage |access-date=11 February 2024 |website=The Brussels Times}}</ref> The government promoted active [[diplomacy]] in Africa<ref name="WEf4J">{{cite web|url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0019846.html|access-date=27 May 2007|title=Rwanda|work=tiscali.reference|publisher=Tiscali UK|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924034710/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0019846.html|archive-date=24 September 2009|url-status=dead}} The article shows an example of Belgium's recent{{when|date=June 2020}} African policies.</ref> and [[Governmental positions on the Iraq War prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq|opposed the invasion of Iraq]].<ref name="LZ5BE">{{cite news|title=Belgian demand halts NATO progress|agency=CNN|date=16 February 2003|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/02/16/sprj.irq.nato.belgium.ap/|access-date=16 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050116083744/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/02/16/sprj.irq.nato.belgium.ap/|archive-date=16 January 2005|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the only country that does not have age restrictions on euthanasia.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37395286 |title=Belgium minor first to be granted euthanasia |access-date=6 January 2017|work=BBC News|date=17 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106095903/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37395286|archive-date=6 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the [[Belgian federal election, 2007|June 2007 elections]]. For more than a year, the country experienced a [[2007 Belgian government formation|political crisis]].<ref name="N2qAB">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17209277|title=Time-line Belgium|work=BBC News|date=5 January 2009|access-date=16 July 2009|quote=2007 September – Belgium without a government for 100 days.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929235647/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1002141.stm|archive-date=29 September 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> This crisis was such that many observers speculated on a possible [[partition of Belgium]].<ref name="SanFranChro">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/12/MNB6SEM9K.DTL|title=Divisions could lead to a partition in Belgium|last=Bryant|first=Elizabeth|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|access-date=28 May 2008|date=12 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429194505/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2007%2F10%2F12%2FMNB6SEM9K.DTL|archive-date=29 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBCJuly2008">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7507506.stm|title=Analysis: Where now for Belgium?|last=Hughes|first=Dominic|work=BBC News|date=15 July 2008|access-date=16 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719063736/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7507506.stm|archive-date=19 July 2008|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph2010">{{cite news|title=Fears over 'break up' of Belgium|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/7982892/Fears-over-break-up-of-Belgium.html|last=Banks|first=Martin|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|date=6 September 2010|access-date=6 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909132726/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/7982892/Fears-over-break-up-of-Belgium.html|archive-date=9 September 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> From {{Nowrap|21 December}} 2007 until {{Nowrap|20 March}} 2008 the temporary [[Verhofstadt&nbsp;III Government]] was in office. This was a coalition of the [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|Flemish]] and [[Humanist Democratic Centre|Francophone Christian Democrats]], the [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Flemish]] and [[Mouvement Réformateur|Francophone Liberals]] together with the [[Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)|Francophone Social Democrats]].<ref name="news">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7506640.stm|title=Belgian PM offers his resignation|work=BBC News|date=15 July 2008|access-date=29 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420193751/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7506640.stm|archive-date=20 April 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

On that day, a [[Leterme I Government|new government]], led by Flemish Christian Democrat [[Yves Leterme]], the actual winner of the federal elections of {{Nowrap|June 2007}}, was sworn in by the King. On {{Nowrap|15 July}} 2008 Leterme offered the resignation of the cabinet to the King, as no progress in [[state reform in Belgium|constitutional reforms]] had been made.<ref name="news" /> In December 2008, Leterme once more offered his resignation after a [[2008–2009 Belgian financial crisis|crisis]] surrounding the sale of [[Fortis (finance)|Fortis]] to [[BNP Paribas]].<ref name="r7UJ3">[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/12/19/belgium.government.resignation/index.html CNN.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201143115/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/12/19/belgium.government.resignation/index.html|date=1 February 2009}}, "Belgium Prime Minister offers resignation over banking deal"</ref> At this juncture, his resignation was accepted and [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|Christian Democratic and Flemish]] [[Herman Van Rompuy]] was sworn in as Prime Minister on {{Nowrap|30 December}} 2008.<ref name="4GrHs">[https://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSLS35202520081228 Belgian king asks Van Rompuy to form government] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204055721/http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSLS35202520081228|date=4 February 2009}} Reuters.</ref>

After Herman Van Rompuy was designated the first permanent [[President of the European Council]] on {{Nowrap|19 November}} 2009, he offered the resignation of his government to King Albert&nbsp;II on {{Nowrap|25 November}} 2009. A few hours later, the [[Leterme II Government|new government]] under Prime Minister [[Yves Leterme]] was sworn in. On {{Nowrap|22 April}} 2010, Leterme again offered the resignation of his cabinet to the King<ref name="a18xf">{{cite news|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20100422-belgium-leterme-resigns-vld-liberals-democrats-quit-ruling-coalition|title=Prime Minister Leterme resigns after liberals quit government|date=22 April 2010|publisher=France 24|access-date=22 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426001006/http://www.france24.com/en/20100422-belgium-leterme-resigns-vld-liberals-democrats-quit-ruling-coalition|archive-date=26 April 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> after one of the coalition partners, the [[OpenVLD]], withdrew from the government, and on {{Nowrap|26 April}} 2010 King Albert officially accepted the resignation.<ref name="pFUq8">{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20100426-leterme-albert-accepts-resignation-prime-minister-government-collapse-belgium|title=King Albert&nbsp;II accepts resignation of Prime Minister Yves Leterme|publisher=France 24|access-date=29 April 2010|date=26 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429002512/http://www.france24.com/en/20100426-leterme-albert-accepts-resignation-prime-minister-government-collapse-belgium|archive-date=29 April 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Parliamentary elections in Belgium on {{Nowrap|13 June}} 2010 saw the Flemish nationalist [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]] become the largest party in Flanders, and the Socialist Party PS the largest party in Wallonia.<ref name="XVrGP">{{cite web|url=http://electionresources.org/be/chamber.php?election=2010|title=Federal Elections in Belgium – Chamber of Representatives Results|access-date=14 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922111232/http://electionresources.org/be/chamber.php?election=2010|archive-date=22 September 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Until December 2011, Belgium was governed by Leterme's [[caretaker government]] awaiting the end of the deadlocked negotiations for [[2010–2011 Belgian government formation|formation of a new government]]. By 30 March 2011, this set a new world record for the elapsed time without an official government, previously held by war-torn [[Iraq]].<ref name="BBC News 6 May 2015">{{cite web|title=Reality Check: How long can nations go without governments?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32612828|last=Kovacevic|first=Tamara|date=6 May 2015|website=[[BBC News Online]]|access-date=25 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013111910/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32612828|archive-date=13 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Finally, in December 2011 the [[Di Rupo Government]] led by Walloon socialist Prime Minister [[Elio Di Rupo]] was sworn in.<ref name="PXMRM">{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20111205-political-crisis-nears-end-new-premier-cabinet-named-di-rupo-king-albert-belgium|title=Political crisis nears an end as new PM, cabinet named|date=5 December 2011|website=France 24|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=7 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407040312/https://www.france24.com/en/20111205-political-crisis-nears-end-new-premier-cabinet-named-di-rupo-king-albert-belgium|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Belgian federal election, 2014|2014 federal election]] (coinciding with the [[Belgian regional elections, 2014|regional elections]]) resulted in a further electoral gain for the Flemish nationalist N-VA. However, the incumbent coalition (composed of Flemish and French-speaking Social Democrats, Liberals, and Christian Democrats) maintained a solid majority in Parliament and all electoral constituencies. On 22 July 2014, King Philippe nominated [[Charles Michel]] (MR) and [[Kris Peeters]] (CD&V) to [[2014 Belgian government formation|lead the formation of a new federal cabinet]] composed of the Flemish parties N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld and the French-speaking MR, which resulted in the [[Michel I Government|Michel Government]]. It was the first time N-VA was part of the federal cabinet, while the French-speaking side was represented only by the MR, which achieved a minority of the public votes in Wallonia.<ref name="wMR0S">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-agrees-to-form-coalition-government/a-17981531|title=Belgium agrees to form coalition government &#124; DW &#124; 07.10.2014|website=dw.com|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811110024/https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-agrees-to-form-coalition-government/a-17981531|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May [[2019 Belgian federal election|2019 federal elections]] in the Flemish-speaking northern region of Flanders, the far-right [[Vlaams Belang]] party made major gains. In the French-speaking southern area of Wallonia, the Socialists were strong. The moderate Flemish nationalist party, the N-VA, remained the largest party in parliament.<ref name="ftZtr">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/no-coalition-in-sight-after-fractured-belgium-election/a-48894848|title=No coalition in sight after fractured Belgium election &#124; DW &#124; 27.05.2019|website=dw.com|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811110245/https://www.dw.com/en/no-coalition-in-sight-after-fractured-belgium-election/a-48894848|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2019, Prime Minister [[Charles Michel]] was selected to hold the post of President of the [[European Council]].<ref name="j3g6O">{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/who-is-charles-michel-the-next-president-of-the-european-council|title=Who is Charles Michel, the next President of the European Council?|first1=Timothée|last1=Houzel|date=1 April 2021|website=The New Federalist|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811110207/https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/who-is-charles-michel-the-next-president-of-the-european-council|url-status=live}}</ref> His successor [[Sophie Wilmès]] was Belgium's first female prime minister. She led the caretaker government since October 2019.<ref name="2hC0Z">{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/28/belgium-first-female-pm-sophie-wilmes|title=Belgium gets first female PM as Sophie Wilmès takes office|date=28 October 2019|website=The Guardian|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=18 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518143714/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/28/belgium-first-female-pm-sophie-wilmes|url-status=live}}</ref> The Flemish Liberal party politician [[Alexander De Croo]] became the new prime minister in October 2020. The parties had agreed on the federal government 16 months after the elections.<ref name="yD8q7">{{cite web|url=https://www.neweurope.eu/article/belgium-agrees-on-federal-government-de-croo-to-become-pm/|title=Belgium agrees on federal government, De Croo to become PM|first=Zoi|last=Didili|date=1 October 2020|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111053156/https://www.neweurope.eu/article/belgium-agrees-on-federal-government-de-croo-to-become-pm/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 3 February 2025, [[Bart De Wever]], leader of the [[New Flemish Alliance]], became the new prime minister. He is the first [[Flemish nationalist]] to be named Belgian premier.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flemish nationalist Bart de Wever sworn in as Belgium's new prime minister |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20250203-belgium-appoints-conservative-bart-de-wever-as-new-prime-minister |work=France 24 |date=3 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

===Communities and regions===
{{Main|Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium}}
[[File:Communities of Belgium.svg|thumb|Communities:<br />{{legend|#fab274|[[Flemish Community]] / Dutch language area}}
{{legend striped|#fab274|#f2536b|up=yes|Flemish & French Community / bilingual language area}}
{{legend|#f2536b|[[French Community of Belgium|French Community]] / French language area}}{{legend|#40bb6a|[[German-speaking Community of Belgium|German-speaking Community]] / German language area}}]]
[[File:Regions of Belgium.svg|thumb|Regions:<br />{{legend|#fab274|[[Flemish Region]] / Dutch language area}}{{legend|#2385d2|[[Brussels-Capital Region]] / bilingual area}}{{legend|#f2536b|[[Wallonia|Walloon Region]] / French and German language areas}}]]

Following a usage which can be traced back to the Burgundian and Habsburg courts,<ref name="zZuRK">{{cite book|title=Zweisprachigkeit in den Benelux-ländern|language=de|author=Kramer, Johannes|quote=Zur prestige Sprache wurde in den Spanischen Niederlanden ganz eindeutig das Französische. Die Vertreter Spaniens beherrschten normalerweise das Französische, nicht aber das Niederländische; ein beachtlicher Teil der am Hofe tätigen Adligen stammte aus Wallonien, das sich ja eher auf die spanische Seite geschlagen hatte als Flandern und Brabant. In dieser Situation war es selbstverständlich, dass die flämischen Adligen, die im Laufe der Zeit immer mehr ebenfalls zu Hofbeamten wurden, sich des Französischen bedienen mussten, wenn sie als gleichwertig anerkannt werden wollten. [Transl.: The prestigious language in the Spanish Netherlands was clearly French. Spain's representatives usually mastered French but not Dutch; a notable part of the nobles at the court came from Wallonia, which had taken party for the Spanish side to a higher extent than Flanders and Brabant. It was therefore evident within this context that the Flemish nobility, of which a progressively larger number became servants of the court, had to use French, if it wanted to get acknowledged as well.]|publisher=Buske Verlag|year=1984|page=69|isbn=978-3-87118-597-7}}</ref> in the 19th century it was necessary to speak French to belong to the governing upper class, and those who could only speak Dutch were effectively second-class citizens.<ref name="ii8cr">{{cite book|title=Political History of Belgium: From 1830 Onwards|author1=Witte, Els|author2=Craeybeckx, Jan|author3=Meynen, Alain|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Academic and Scientific Publishers|location=Brussels|year=2009|page=56}}</ref> Late that century, and continuing into the 20th century, [[Flemish movement]]s evolved to counter this situation.<ref name="Fitzmaurice1996-p31">[[#Fitzmaurice|Fitzmaurice (1996)]], p. 31.</ref>

While the people in Southern Belgium spoke French or dialects of French, and [[Frenchification of Brussels|most Brusselers adopted French]] as their first language, the Flemings refused to do so and succeeded progressively in making Dutch an equal language in the education system.<ref name="Fitzmaurice1996-p31" /> Following World War&nbsp;II, Belgian politics became increasingly dominated by the autonomy of its two main linguistic communities.<ref name="EED">{{cite web|url=http://www.nsd.uib.no/european_election_database/country/belgium/background.html|title=Belgium|work=[[European Election Database]]|publisher=[[Norwegian Social Science Data Services]]|year=2010|access-date=8 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429005023/http://www.nsd.uib.no/european_election_database/country/belgium/background.html|archive-date=29 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Intercommunal tensions rose and the constitution was amended to minimize the potential for conflict.<ref name="EED" />

Based on the four language areas defined in 1962–63 (the Dutch, bilingual, French and German language areas), consecutive [[state reform in Belgium|revisions]] of [[Constitution of Belgium|the country's constitution]] in 1970, 1980, 1988 and 1993 established a unique form of a federal state with segregated political power into three levels:<ref name="rolandwillemyns">{{cite journal|title=The Dutch-French Language Border in Belgium|journal=Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development|volume=23|issue=1&2|year=2002|pages=36–49|author=Willemyns, Roland|url=http://www.multilingual-matters.net/jmmd/023/0036/jmmd0230036.pdf|access-date=22 June 2007|doi=10.1080/01434630208666453|s2cid=143809695|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626185804/http://www.multilingual-matters.net/jmmd/023/0036/jmmd0230036.pdf|archive-date=26 June 2007}}</ref><ref name="constitution2">{{cite web|title=The Belgian Constitution – Article 4|publisher=Belgian House of Representatives|date=January 2009|access-date=26 June 2011|url=http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/grondwetEN.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706134014/http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/constitution/grondwetEN.pdf|archive-date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# The [[Belgian federal government|federal government]], based in Brussels.
# The three language communities:
#* the [[Flemish Community]] (Dutch-speaking);
#* the [[French Community of Belgium|French Community]] (French-speaking);{{efn|Since 2011, the French Community has used the name "Wallonia-Brussels Federation" ({{langx|fr|Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles|link=no}}), which is controversial because its name in the [[Constitution of Belgium|Belgian Constitution]] has not changed and because it is seen as a political statement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=La nouvelle Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles défraye la chronique |url=https://www.lalibre.be/regions/bruxelles/2011/05/25/la-nouvelle-federation-wallonie-bruxelles-defraye-la-chronique-2T2TN7FK7JETVHQP74NJ62TO44/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=La Libre.be |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Une Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles |url=https://www.dhnet.be/archives-journal/2011/04/05/une-federation-wallonie-bruxelles-QGB7F434AZHEJLEGBGW4DC2C44/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=DHnet |language=fr}}</ref>}}
#* the [[German-speaking Community of Belgium|German-speaking Community]].
# The three regions:
#* the [[Flemish Region]], subdivided into five [[provinces of Belgium|provinces]];
#* the [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]], subdivided into five provinces;
#* the [[Brussels-Capital Region]].

The [[Language legislation in Belgium|constitutional language areas]] determine the official languages in their municipalities, as well as the geographical limits of the empowered institutions for specific matters.<ref name="Fitzmaurice1996-p121">[[#Fitzmaurice|Fitzmaurice (1996)]], p. 121</ref> Although this would allow for seven parliaments and governments when the Communities and Regions were created in 1980, Flemish politicians decided to merge both.<ref name="Fitzmaurice1996-p122">[[#Fitzmaurice|Fitzmaurice (1996)]], p. 122.</ref> Thus the Flemings just have one single institutional body of parliament and government is empowered for all except federal and specific municipal matters.{{efn|The Constitution set out seven institutions each of which can have a parliament, government and administration. In fact, there are only six such bodies because the Flemish Region merged into the Flemish Community. This single Flemish body thus exercises powers about Community matters in the bilingual area of Brussels-Capital and in the Dutch language area, while about Regional matters only in Flanders.}}

The overlapping boundaries of the Regions and Communities have created two notable peculiarities: the territory of the Brussels-Capital Region (which came into existence nearly a decade after the other regions) is included in both the Flemish and French Communities, and the territory of the German-speaking Community lies wholly within the Walloon Region. Conflicts about jurisdiction between the bodies are resolved by the [[Constitutional Court of Belgium]]. The structure is intended as a compromise to allow different cultures to live together peacefully.<ref name="Fitzmaurice" />

===Locus of policy jurisdiction===
The Federal State's authority includes justice, defense, federal police, social security, nuclear energy, monetary policy and public debt, and other aspects of public finances. State-owned companies include the [[Belgian Post Group]] and [[National Railway Company of Belgium|Belgian Railways]]. The Federal Government is responsible for the obligations of Belgium and its federalized institutions towards the European Union and NATO. It controls substantial parts of public health, home affairs and foreign affairs.<ref name="fedgov1">{{cite web|title=The Federal Government's Powers|work=.be Portal|publisher=Belgian Federal Government|url=http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/federal_authorities/competence_federal_government/|access-date=4 February 2011|date=3 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216052602/http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/federal_authorities/competence_federal_government/|archive-date=16 December 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> The budget—without the debt—controlled by the federal government amounts to about 50% of the national fiscal income. The federal government employs around 12% of the civil servants.<ref name="3JE9u">{{cite book|quote=In 2002, 58.92% of the fiscal income was going to the budget of the federal government, but more than one-third was used to pay the interests of the public debt. Without including this post, the share of the federal government budget would be only 48.40% of the fiscal income. There are 87.8% of the civil servants who are working for the Regions or the Communities and 12.2% for the Federal State.|author=Lagasse, Charles-Etienne|title=Les nouvelles institutions politiques de la Belgique et de l'Europe|publisher=Erasme|location=Namur|year=2003|isbn=978-2-87127-783-5|page=289}}</ref>

Communities exercise their authority only within linguistically determined geographical boundaries, originally oriented towards the individuals of a Community's language: culture (including audiovisual media), education and the use of the relevant language. Extensions to personal matters less directly connected with language comprise health policy (curative and preventive medicine) and assistance to individuals (protection of youth, social welfare, aid to families, [[immigrant]] assistance services, and so on.).<ref name="fedgov2">{{cite web|title=The Communities|work=.be Portal|publisher=Belgian Federal Government|url=http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/communities/|access-date=26 June 2011|date=3 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615153816/http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/communities/|archive-date=15 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Regions have authority in fields that can be broadly associated with their territory. These include economy, employment, agriculture, water policy, housing, public works, energy, transport, the environment, town and country planning, nature conservation, credit and foreign trade. They supervise the provinces, municipalities and intercommunal utility companies.<ref name="fedgov3">{{cite web|title=The Regions|work=.be Portal|publisher=Belgian Federal Government|url=http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/regions/|access-date=26 June 2011|date=3 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615153938/http://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/regions/|archive-date=15 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

In several fields, the different levels each have their own say on specifics. With education, for instance, the autonomy of the Communities neither includes decisions about the compulsory aspect nor allows for setting minimum requirements for awarding qualifications, which remain federal matters.<ref name="fedgov1" /> Each level of government can be involved in scientific research and international relations associated with its powers. The treaty-making power of the Regions' and Communities' Governments is the broadest of all the Federating units of all the Federations all over the world.<ref name="Lagasse1">{{cite web|url=http://www.kazanfed.ru/en/actions/konfer8/6/|title=Federalism in Russia, Canada and Belgium: experience of comparative research|language=fr|quote=La Belgique constitue ainsi le seul exemple clair du transfert d'une partie de la compétence " affaires étrangères " à des entités fédérées. (Transl.: Belgium is thus the only clear example of a transfer of a part of the "Foreign Affairs" competences to federated units.)|author=Lagasse, Charles-Etienne|date=18 May 2004|publisher=Kazan Institute of Federalism|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620120400/http://www.kazanfed.ru/en/actions/konfer8/6/|archive-date=20 June 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Lagasse2">{{cite book|title=Les nouvelles institutions de la Belgique et de l'Europe|language=fr|quote=[Le fédéralisme belge] repose sur une combinaison unique d'équipollence, d'exclusivité et de prolongement international des compétences. ([Belgian federalism] is based on a unique combination of equipollence, of exclusivity, and of international extension of competences.)|author=Lagasse, Charles-Etienne|page=603}}</ref><ref name="Suinen">{{cite web|url=https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2000/10/SUINEN/14406.html|title=Une Première mondiale|work=[[Le Monde diplomatique]]|language=fr|quote=Dans l'organisation de ces autonomies, la Belgique a réalisé une " première " mondiale: afin d'éviter la remise en cause, par le biais de la dimension internationale, de compétences exclusives transférées aux entités fédérées, les communautés et régions se sont vu reconnaître une capacité et des pouvoirs internationaux. (In organizing its autonomies, Belgium realized a World's First: to avoid a relevant stalemate, international consequences caused transfers of exclusive competences to federal, community and regional entities that are recognized to have become internationally enabled and empowered.)|author=Suinen, Philippe|date=October 2000|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001117170500/http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2000/10/SUINEN/14406.html|archive-date=17 November 2000|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Belgium}}
[[File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Schuman - Berlaymont - 01.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Berlaymont building]] in Brussels, seat of the [[European Commission]]]]Because of its location at the crossroads of [[Western Europe]], Belgium has historically been the route of invading armies from its larger neighbors. With virtually defenseless borders, Belgium has traditionally sought to avoid domination by the more powerful nations which surround it through a policy of mediation. The Belgians have been strong advocates of [[European integration]]. The headquarters of [[NATO]] and of several of the institutions of the [[European Union]] are located in Belgium.

===Armed forces===
{{Main|Belgian Armed Forces}}

[[File:FA-109 (50064453591).jpg|thumb|[[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 Fighting Falcon]] of the Belgian Air Component]]
The Belgian Armed Forces had 23,200 active personnel in 2023, including 8,500 in the [[Belgian Land Component|Land Component]], 1,400 in the [[Belgian Naval Component|Naval Component]], 4,900 in the [[Belgian Air Component|Air Component]], 1,450 in the [[Belgian Medical Component|Medical Component]], and 6,950 in joint service, in addition to 5,900 reserve personnel.<ref name="iiss2023">{{Cite book |author=IISS |author-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies |date=2023 |title=The Military Balance 2023 |publisher=International Institute for Strategic Studies |page=75 }}</ref> In 2019, Belgium's defense budget totaled €4.303&nbsp;billion ($4.921&nbsp;billion) representing .93% of its GDP.<ref name="R8Zsp">{{cite web|url=http://www.eda.europa.eu/DefenceData/Belgium?DDYear=2010|title=Defence Data of Belgium in 2010|publisher=[[European Defence Agency]]|access-date=9 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924153002/http://www.eda.europa.eu/DefenceData/Belgium?DDYear=2010|archive-date=24 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The operational commands of the four components are subordinate to the Staff Department for Operations and Training of the [[Ministry of Defence (Belgium)|Ministry of Defense]], which is headed by the [[ACOS Operations and Training|Assistant Chief of Staff Operations and Training]], and to the [[Chief of Defence (Belgium)|Chief of Defense]].<ref name="LAP2a">{{cite web|url=http://www.mil.be/def/index.asp|title=Defensie La Défense|access-date=15 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614214307/http://www.mil.be/def/index.asp|archive-date=14 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The Belgian military consists of volunteers (conscription was abolished in 1995), and citizens of other EU states, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, or Lichtenstein are also able to join. Belgium has troops deployed in several African countries as part of UN or EU missions, in Iraq for the [[war against the Islamic State]], and in eastern Europe for the NATO presence there.<ref name="iiss2023" /><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/#military-and-security Belgium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109104644/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/#military-and-security |date=9 January 2021 }}. CIA World Factbook. Accessed 10 February 2024.</ref>

The effects of the [[Second World War]] made [[collective security]] a priority for [[Foreign relations of Belgium|Belgian foreign policy]]. In March 1948 Belgium signed the [[Treaty of Brussels]] and then joined [[NATO]] in 1948. However, the integration of the armed forces into NATO did not begin until after the [[Korean War]].<ref name="HBglz">David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr, 'Armies of NATO's Central Front,' Jane's Publishing Company, 1985, p.59</ref> The Belgians, along with the Luxembourg government, sent a detachment of battalion strength to fight in Korea known as the [[Belgian United Nations Command]]. This mission was the first in a long line of UN missions which the Belgians supported. Currently, the Belgian Marine Component is working closely together with the [[Dutch Navy]] under the command of the [[Admiral Benelux]].

According to the 2024 [[Global Peace Index]], Belgium is the 16th most peaceful country in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Global Peace Index |url=https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf}}</ref>

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Belgium}}

Belgium's strongly globalized economy<ref name="rlY6Y">Belgium ranked first in the KOF [[Globalization Index]] 2009{{cite web|url=http://globalization.kof.ethz.ch/|title=KOF Index of Globalization|editor=ETH Zürich|editor-link=ETH Zürich|access-date=2 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531222435/http://globalization.kof.ethz.ch/|archive-date=31 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and its [[transport in Belgium|transport infrastructure]] are integrated with the rest of Europe. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helped make it the world's 15th largest trading nation in 2007.<ref name="29KnH">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html|title=Rank Order – Exports|work=CIA – The 2008 world factbook|quote=15[th]: Belgium $322,200,000,000 (2007 est.)|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081004073036/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook//rankorder/2078rank.html|archive-date= 4 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="6qStY">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2087rank.html|title=Rank Order – Imports|work=CIA – The 2008 world factbook|quote=15[th]: Belgium $323,200,000,000 (2007 est.)|access-date=5 October 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081004070323/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook//rankorder/2087rank.html|archive-date= 4 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The economy is characterized by a highly productive work force, high [[Gross national product|GNP]] and high exports per capita.<ref name="diplomatbe1">{{cite web|title=Belgian economy|work=Belgium|publisher=Belgian Federal Public Service (ministry) of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation|url=http://www.diplomatie.be/en/belgium/belgiumdetail.asp?TEXTID=49019|access-date=12 June 2009|quote=Belgium is the world leader in terms of export per capita and can justifiably call itself the 'world's largest exporter'.|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090615182722/http://www.diplomatie.be/en/belgium/belgiumdetail.asp?TEXTID=49019|archive-date= 15 June 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Belgium's main imports are raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, and oil products. Its main exports are machinery and equipment, chemicals, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, and foodstuffs.<ref name="CIA">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belgium|date=23 September 2021|year=2021}}</ref>

The Belgian economy is heavily service-oriented and shows a dual nature: a dynamic Flemish economy and a Walloon economy that lags behind.<ref name="Fitzmaurice" /><ref name="SvlJ5">{{cite web|title=Wallonia in 'decline' thanks to politicians|publisher=Expatica Communications BV|date=9 March 2005|url=http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=17824|access-date=16 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103007/http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=17824|archive-date=29 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{efn|The richest (per capita income) of Belgium's three regions is the [[Flemish Region]], followed by the [[Walloon Region]] and lastly the [[Brussels-Capital Region]]. The ten municipalities with the highest reported income are: [[Sint-Martens-Latem]], [[Keerbergen]], [[Lasne]], [[Oud-Heverlee]], [[Hove, Belgium|Hove]], [[De Pinte]], [[Meise]], [[Knokke-Heist]], [[Bierbeek]].{{cite web
|title    = Où habitent les Belges les plus riches?
|publisher  = trends.be
|year    = 2010
|url     = http://trends.rnews.be/fr/economie/actualite/politique-economique/ou-habitent-les-belges-les-plus-riches/article-1194966031033.htm
|access-date = 15 July 2011
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110827090211/http://trends.rnews.be/fr/economie/actualite/politique-economique/ou-habitent-les-belges-les-plus-riches/article-1194966031033.htm
|archive-date = 27 August 2011
|df     = dmy-all
}}}} One of the founding members of the European Union, Belgium strongly supports an [[open economy]] and the extension of the powers of EU institutions to integrate member economies. Since 1922, through the [[Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union]], Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market with customs and currency union.<ref name="PnEgr">{{cite web|url=http://www.mae.lu/fr/Site-MAE/Politique-etrangere-et-europeenne/Organisations-Economiques-Regionales/L-Union-economique-belgo-luxembourgeoise|title=L'Union économique belgo-luxembourgeoise|publisher=Luxembourgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|access-date=15 June 2011|language=fr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930131538/http://www.mae.lu/fr/Site-MAE/Politique-etrangere-et-europeenne/Organisations-Economiques-Regionales/L-Union-economique-belgo-luxembourgeoise|archive-date=30 September 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Ougree 16.jpg|thumb|Steelmaking along the [[Meuse]] at [[Ougrée]], near [[Liège]]]]
Belgium was the first continental European country to undergo the [[Industrial Revolution]], in the early 19th century.<ref name="erih">{{cite web|title=Industrial History Belgium|publisher=European Route of Industrial Heritage|url=http://en.erih.net/index.php?pageId=114|access-date=8 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731024244/http://en.erih.net/index.php?pageId=114|archive-date=31 July 2013}}</ref> Areas in [[Liège Province]] and around [[Charleroi]] rapidly developed mining and steelmaking, which flourished until the mid-20th century in the [[Sillon industriel|Sambre and Meuse valley]] and made Belgium one of the three most industrialized nations in the world from 1830 to 1910.<ref name="jwR7A">{{cite book|author=Rioux, Jean-Pierre|title=La révolution industrielle|language=fr|publisher=Seuil|location=Paris|year=1989|page=105|isbn=978-2-02-000651-4}}</ref><ref name="Q0dyY">{{cite web|url=http://www.erih.net/industrial-history/belgium.html|publisher=European route of industrial heritage|title=Industrial History, Belgium|access-date=15 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731104102/http://www.erih.net/industrial-history/belgium.html|archive-date=31 July 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> However, by the 1840s the textile industry of Flanders was in severe crisis, and the region experienced [[European Potato Failure|famine]] from 1846 to 1850.<ref name="WYx8x">{{cite conference|url = http://www.helsinki.fi/iehc2006/papers3/Vanhaute.pdf|title = The European subsistence crisis of 1845–1850: a comparative perspective|author1 = Vanhaute, Eric|author2 = Paping, Richard|author3 = Ó Gráda, Cormac|name-list-style = amp|year = 2006|conference = IEHC|location = Helsinki|access-date = 31 May 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111011200315/http://www.helsinki.fi/iehc2006/papers3/Vanhaute.pdf|archive-date = 11 October 2011|url-status=live|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Gynyt">{{cite book|last1=Vanhaute|first1=Eric|title=When the potato failed. Causes and effects of the 'last' European subsistance crisis, 1845–1850|chapter-format=PDF|access-date=31 May 2011|year=2007|publisher=Brepols|isbn=978-2-503-51985-2|pages=123–148|chapter='So worthy an example to Ireland'. The subsistance and industrial crisis of 1845–1850 in Flanders|chapter-url=http://biblio.ugent.be/input/download?func=downloadFile&fileOId=919187&recordOId=359578|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722225255/http://biblio.ugent.be/input/download?func=downloadFile&fileOId=919187&recordOId=359578|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref>

After World War II, [[Ghent]] and [[Antwerp]] experienced a rapid expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries. The 1973 and [[1979 oil crisis|1979 oil crises]] sent the economy into a recession; it was particularly prolonged in Wallonia, where the steel industry had become less competitive and experienced a serious decline.<ref name="USStateDpt"/> In the 1980s and 1990s, the economic center of the country continued to shift northwards and is now concentrated in the populous [[Flemish Diamond]] area.<ref name="THRZa">{{cite web|title=Het belang van de Vlaamse Ruit vanuit economisch perspectief ''The importance of the Flemish Diamond from an economical perspective''|language=nl|author=Vanhaverbeke, Wim|url=http://edata.ub.unimaas.nl/www-edocs/loader/file.asp?id=264|publisher=Netherlands Institute of Business Organization and Strategy Research, [[University of Maastricht]]|access-date=19 May 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070314033239/http://edata.ub.unimaas.nl/www-edocs/loader/file.asp?id=264|archive-date = 14 March 2007}}</ref>

By the end of the 1980s, Belgian [[macroeconomic policies]] had resulted in a cumulative government debt of about 120% of GDP. {{As of|2006}}, the budget was balanced and public debt was equal to 90.30% of GDP.<ref name="UwQoK">{{cite web|title=The World Factbook—(Rank Order—Public debt)|date=17 April 2007|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2186rank.html|publisher=CIA|access-date=8 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005546/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2186rank.html|archive-date=13 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2005 and 2006, real GDP growth rates of 1.5% and 3.0%, respectively, were slightly above the average for the Euro area. Unemployment rates of 8.4% in 2005 and 8.2% in 2006 were close to the area average. By {{Nowrap|October 2010}}, this had grown to 8.5% compared to an average rate of 9.6% for the European Union as a whole (EU 27).<ref name="nbb">{{cite web|title=Key figures|publisher=[[National Bank of Belgium]]|url=http://www.nbb.be/pub/00_00_00_00_02/?l=en&t=ho|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070430165049/http://www.nbb.be/pub/00_00_00_00_02/?l=en&t=ho|archive-date=30 April 2007|access-date=19 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="jWtuA">{{cite web|title=EurActiv|url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/regional-policy/belgium-makes-place-urban-enterprises-news-500878|work=Belgium makes place for urban enterprises|publisher=EurActiv|access-date=19 March 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430045610/http://www.euractiv.com/en/regional-policy/belgium-makes-place-urban-enterprises-news-500878|archive-date= 30 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1832 until 2002, Belgium's currency was the [[Belgian franc]]. Belgium switched to the euro in 2002, with the first sets of euro coins being minted in 1999. The standard [[Belgian euro coins]] designated for circulation show the portrait of the monarch (first King Albert&nbsp;II, since 2013 King Philippe).

Despite an 18% decrease observed from 1970 to 1999, Belgium still had in 1999 the highest [[Rail transport in Belgium|rail network]] density within the European Union with 113.8&nbsp;km/1 000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. On the other hand, the same period, 1970–1999, has seen a huge growth (+56%) of the [[List of motorways in Belgium|motorway network]]. In 1999, the density of km motorways per 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and 1000 inhabitants amounted to 55.1 and 16.5 respectively and were significantly superior to the EU's means of 13.7 and 15.9.<ref name="panorama">{{cite book|title=Panorama of Transport|publisher=Office for Official Publications of the European Communities|year=2003|isbn=978-92-894-4845-1|url=http://www.uni-mannheim.de/edz/pdf/eurostat/02/KS-DA-02-001-EN-N-EN.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807053511/http://www.uni-mannheim.de/edz/pdf/eurostat/02/KS-DA-02-001-EN-N-EN.pdf|archive-date=7 August 2011}}</ref>
[[File:Port cranes at Zeebrügge, Belgium 2.JPG|thumb|[[Port of Zeebrugge]]]]

From a biological resource perspective, Belgium has a low endowment: Belgium's [[biocapacity]] adds up to only 0.8 global hectares in 2016,<ref name="footprintdata">{{cite web|url=http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends?cn=255&type=BCpc,EFCpc|title=Country Trends|publisher=Global Footprint Network|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808050235/http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends?cn=255&type=BCpc,EFCpc|url-status=live}}</ref> just about half of the 1.6 global hectares of biocapacity available per person worldwide.<ref name="TcuGH">{{Cite journal|last1=Lin|first1=David|last2=Hanscom|first2=Laurel|last3=Murthy|first3=Adeline|last4=Galli|first4=Alessandro|last5=Evans|first5=Mikel|last6=Neill|first6=Evan|last7=Mancini|first7=Maria Serena|last8=Martindill|first8=Jon|last9=Medouar|first9=Fatime-Zahra|last10=Huang|first10=Shiyu|last11=Wackernagel|first11=Mathis|date=2018|title=Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018|journal=Resources|language=en|volume=7|issue=3|page=58|doi=10.3390/resources7030058|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018Resou...7...58L }}</ref> In contrast, in 2016, Belgians used on average 6.3 global hectares of biocapacity - their [[ecological footprint]] of consumption. This means they required about eight times as much biocapacity as Belgium contains. As a result, Belgium was running a biocapacity deficit of 5.5 global hectares per person in 2016.<ref name="footprintdata" />

Belgium experiences some of the most congested traffic in Europe. In 2010, commuters to the cities of Brussels and Antwerp spent respectively 65 and 64 hours a year in traffic jams.<ref name="wxOHJ">{{cite web|work=The Wall Street Journal|author=Fidler, Stephen|date=3 November 2010|access-date=21 June 2011|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2010/11/03/europes-traffic-jam-capitals/|title=Europe's Top Traffic Jam Capitals|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119085745/http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2010/11/03/europes-traffic-jam-capitals/|archive-date=19 January 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Like in most small European countries, more than 80% of the airways traffic is handled by a single airport, the [[Brussels Airport]]. The [[port of Antwerp|ports of Antwerp]] and [[port of Zeebrugge|Zeebrugge (Bruges)]] share more than 80% of Belgian maritime traffic, Antwerp being the second European harbor with a gross weight of goods handled of 115 988 000 t in 2000 after a growth of 10.9% over the preceding five years.<ref name="panorama" /><ref name="xrHdp">Another comparative study on transportation in Belgium: {{cite book|title=OECD environmental performance reviews: Belgium|publisher=OECD|year=2007|isbn=978-92-64-03111-1}}</ref> In 2016, the port of Antwerp handled 214&nbsp;million tons after a year-on-year growth of 2.7%.<ref name="IokZW">{{cite web|url=http://www.portofantwerp.com/en/news/port-antwerp-finishes-2016-growth-27-definitive-figure|title=Double record for freight volume|work=port of Antwerp|access-date=23 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223213915/http://www.portofantwerp.com/en/news/port-antwerp-finishes-2016-growth-27-definitive-figure|archive-date=23 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

There is a large economic gap between [[Flanders]] and [[Wallonia]]. Wallonia was historically wealthy compared to Flanders, mostly due to its [[heavy industry|heavy industries]], but the decline of the steel industry post-World War II led to the region's rapid decline, whereas Flanders rose swiftly. Since then, Flanders has been prosperous, among the wealthiest regions in Europe, whereas Wallonia has been languishing. As of 2007, the unemployment rate of Wallonia is over double that of Flanders. The divide has played a key part in the tensions between the Flemish and Walloons in addition to the already-existing language divide. [[Flemish Movement|Pro-independence movements]] have gained high popularity in Flanders as a consequence. The separatist [[New Flemish Alliance]] (N-VA) party, for instance, is the largest party in Belgium.<ref name="Crisis">{{cite web|title=The Belgian Crisis|url=https://sites.google.com/site/thebelgiancrisis/the-crisis|access-date=5 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911185958/https://sites.google.com/site/thebelgiancrisis/the-crisis|archive-date=11 September 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Divided">{{cite news|title=Belgium: A nation divided|work=Independent|author=John Lichfield|year=2007|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgium-a-nation-divided-765752.html|access-date=5 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531090436/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgium-a-nation-divided-765752.html|archive-date=31 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Belgium: A History|author=Cook, B.A.|date=2002|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-0-8204-5824-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p9gGAU3InGUC&pg=PA139|page=139|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=18 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518143714/https://books.google.com/books?id=p9gGAU3InGUC&pg=PA139#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Science and technology ===
{{further|Science and technology in Brussels|Science and technology in Flanders|Science and technology in Wallonia}}
[[File:mercator.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Gerardus Mercator]]]]

Contributions to the development of science and technology have appeared throughout the country's history. The 16th century [[Early Modern]] flourishing of Western Europe included [[cartography|cartographer]] [[Gerardus Mercator]], [[anatomy|anatomist]] [[Andreas Vesalius]], [[herbalist]] [[Rembert Dodoens]]<ref name="dQGxf">{{cite web|title=Rembert Dodoens: iets over zijn leven en werk—Dodoens' werken|date=20 December 2005|work=Plantaardigheden—Project Rembert Dodoens (Rembertus Dodonaeus)|language=nl|quote=het Cruijdeboeck, dat in 1554 verscheen. Dit meesterwerk was na de bijbel in die tijd het meest vertaalde boek. Het werd gedurende meer dan een eeuw steeds weer heruitgegeven en gedurende meer dan twee eeuwen was het het meest gebruikte handboek over kruiden in West-Europa. Het is een werk van wereldfaam en grote wetenschappelijke waarde. De nieuwe gedachten die Dodoens erin neerlegde, werden de bouwstenen voor de botanici en medici van latere generaties. ''(...&nbsp;the Cruijdeboeck, published in 1554. This masterpiece was, after the Bible, the most translated book in that time. It continued to be republished for more than a century and for more than two centuries it was the mostly used referential about herbs. It is a work with world fame and great scientific value. The new thoughts written down by Dodoens, became the building bricks for botanists and physicians of later generations.)''|publisher=Stichting Kruidenhoeve/Plantaardigheden|location=Balkbrug|url=http://plantaardigheden.nl/dodoens/over_dodoens/leven_en_werk.htm#dodoens|access-date=17 May 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070610070835/http://www.plantaardigheden.nl/dodoens/over_dodoens/leven_en_werk.htm|archive-date= 10 June 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="kXPyM">{{cite web|title=Simon Stevin|last1=O'Connor|first1=J. J.|last2=Robertson|first2=E. F.|website=MacTutor History of Mathematics|publisher=School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, Scotland|year=2004|url=http://www-groups.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Stevin.html|quote=Although he did not invent decimals (they had been used by the Arabs and the Chinese long before Stevin's time) he did introduce their use in mathematics in Europe.|access-date=11 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609192011/http://www-groups.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Stevin.html|archive-date=9 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="hV1er">{{cite journal|title=Abstract (*)|journal=American Journal of Nephrology|volume=19|issue=2|pages=282–289|quote=The importance of A. Vesalius' publication'' 'de humani corporis fabrica libri septem' ''cannot be overestimated.|doi=10.1159/000013462|pmid=10213829|year=1999|last1=De Broe|first1=Marc E.|last2=De Weerdt|first2=Dirk L.|last3=Ysebaert|first3=Dirk K.|last4=Vercauteren|first4=Sven R.|last5=De Greef|first5=Kathleen E.|last6=De Broe|first6=Luc C.|doi-access=free}} (*) Free abstract for pay-per-view article by{{cite journal|title=The Low Countries – 16th/17th century|last1=De Broe|first1=Marc E.|last2=De Weerdt|first2=Dirk L.|last3=Ysebaert|first3=Dirk K.|last4=Vercauteren|first4=Sven R.|last5=De Greef|first5=Kathleen E.|last6=De Broe|first6=Luc C.|journal=American Journal of Nephrology|year=1999|volume=19|issue=2|pages=282–9|pmid=10213829|doi=10.1159/000013462|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="vjZwZ">{{cite web|title='A Day Without Yesterday': Georges Lemaitre & the Big Bang|date=24 March 2000|pages=18–19|author=Midbon, Mark|publisher=[[Commonweal (magazine)|Commonweal]], republished: Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC)|url=http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/science/sc0022.html|access-date=7 June 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070706021420/http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/science/sc0022.html|archive-date= 6 July 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[mathematician]] [[Simon Stevin]] among the most influential scientists.<ref name="jnhYL">{{cite book|title=The Fair Face of Flanders|author=Carson, Patricia|page=136|isbn=978-90-209-4385-6|publisher=Lannoo Uitgeverij|year=1969}}</ref>

Chemist [[Ernest Solvay]]<ref name="zHHZT">{{cite book|title=Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415060424|url-access=registration|page=1135|author=Day, Lance|editor1=Lance Day|editor2=Ian McNeil|publisher=Routledge|year=2003|isbn=978-0-203-02829-2}}</ref> and engineer [[Zenobe Gramme]] (École industrielle de Liège)<ref name="ec0kr">{{cite book|title=Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415060424|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415060424/page/523 523]|author=Woodward, Gordon|editor1=Lance Day|editor2=Ian McNeil|publisher=Routledge|year=2003|isbn=978-0-203-02829-2}}</ref> gave their names to the [[Solvay process]] and the [[Gramme dynamo]], respectively, in the 1860s. [[Bakelite]] was developed in 1907–1909 by [[Leo Baekeland]]. Ernest Solvay also acted as a major philanthropist and gave his name to the [[Solvay Institute of Sociology]], the [[Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management]] and the International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry which are now part of the [[Université libre de Bruxelles]]. In 1911, he started a series of conferences, the [[Solvay Conference]]s on Physics and Chemistry, which have had a deep impact on the evolution of quantum physics and chemistry.<ref name="VJ9RO">{{cite book|title=Cultures of Creativity: the Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize|author=Larsson, Ulf|page=211|isbn=978-0-88135-288-7|publisher=Science History Publications|year=2001}}</ref> A major contribution to fundamental science was also due to a Belgian, [[Monsignor]] [[Georges Lemaître]] ([[Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968)|Catholic University of Louvain]]), who is credited with proposing the [[Big Bang]] theory of the origin of the universe in 1927.<ref name="Eq42c">{{cite web|title=Georges Lemaître, Father of the Big Bang|url=http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/essaybooks/cosmic/p_lemaitre.html|publisher=[[American Museum of Natural History]]|year=2000|access-date=9 December 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117044852/http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/essaybooks/cosmic/p_lemaitre.html|archive-date=17 January 2013}}</ref>

Three [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine]] were awarded to Belgians: [[Jules Bordet]] (Université libre de Bruxelles) in 1919, [[Corneille Heymans]] ([[University of Ghent]]) in 1938 and [[Albert Claude]] (Université libre de Bruxelles) together with [[Christian de Duve]] ([[Université catholique de Louvain]]) in 1974. [[François Englert]] (Université libre de Bruxelles) was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 2013. [[Ilya Prigogine]] (Université libre de Bruxelles) was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] in 1977.<ref name="dXPik">{{cite web|title=The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1977|url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1977/|publisher=Nobelprize.org|access-date=9 December 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101203102528/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1977/|archive-date= 3 December 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Two Belgian mathematicians have been awarded the [[Fields Medal]]: [[Pierre Deligne]] in 1978 and [[Jean Bourgain]] in 1994.<ref name="AdIxU">{{MacTutor Biography|id=Deligne|title=Pierre Deligne}} (Retrieved 10 November 2011)</ref><ref name="zjTQ6">{{MacTutor Biography|id=Bourgain|title=Jean Bourgain}} (Retrieved 10 November 2011)</ref> Belgium was ranked 24th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024,<ref>{{Cite book |author=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |page=18 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |isbn=978-92-805-3681-2}}</ref> and its ranking advanced to 21st in the index of 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belgium ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2025|url=https://www.wipo.int/gii-ranking/en/belgium|access-date=2025-10-22 |website=www.wipo.int|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dutta |first1=Soumitra |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2025/en/index.html |title=Global Innovation Index 2025: Innovation at a Crossroads |last2=Lanvin |first2=Bruno |publisher=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |year=2025 |isbn=978-92-805-3797-0 |page=19 |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.58864 |access-date=2025-10-17}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Belgium|Belgians}}

[[File:Population density in Belgium.png|350px|thumb|Population density in Belgium by [[Arrondissements of Belgium|arrondissement]]]]

[[File:00 Bruxelles - Mont des Arts.jpg|thumb|Brussels, the capital city and largest metropolitan area of Belgium]]

As of 1 January 2024, the total population of Belgium according to its population register was 11,763,650.<ref name=population/> The population density of Belgium is {{convert|383|/km2|abbr=on}} as of January 2024, making it the [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|22nd most densely populated]] country in the world, and the [[Area and population of European countries|6th most densely populated]] country in [[Europe]]. The most densely populated province is [[Antwerp province|Antwerp]], the least densely populated province is [[Luxembourg (Belgium)|Luxembourg]]. As of January 2024, the [[Flemish Region]] (Flanders) had a population of 6,821,770 (58.0% of Belgium), its most populous cities being [[Antwerp]] (545,000), [[Ghent]] (270,000), and [[Bruges]] (120,000). The [[Walloon Region]] (Wallonia) had a population of 3,692,283 (31.4% of Belgium), its most populous cities being [[Charleroi]] (204,000), [[Liège]] (196,000), and [[Namur]] (114,000). The [[Brussels-Capital Region]] (Brussels) had a population of 1,249,597 (10.6% of Belgium), consisting of [[List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region|19 municipalities]], its most populous cities being the [[City of Brussels]] (197,000), [[Schaerbeek]] (130,000), and [[Anderlecht]] (127,000).<ref name=population/>

In 2023 the average [[total fertility rate]] (TFR) across Belgium was 1.38 children per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1; it remains considerably below the high of 4.87 children born per woman in 1873.<ref name="zNyvS">{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-born-per-woman?year=1800&country=BEL|title=Total Fertility Rate around the world over the last two centuries|author=Max Roser|website=Our World In Data |publisher=[[Gapminder Foundation]]|access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref> Belgium subsequently has one of the oldest populations in the world, with an average age of 41.6 years.<ref name="r40EE">{{citation|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/|title=World Factbook Europe: Belgium|work=[[The World Factbook]]|date=3 February 2021|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109104644/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Migration ===
{{As of|2007}}, nearly 92% of the population had Belgian citizenship,<ref name="HhLsk">This number evolved to 89% in 2011. {{cite web|title=Population par sexe et nationalité pour la Belgique et les régions, 2001 et 2011|language=fr|url=http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/population/structure/natact/beletr/|author=Belgian Federal Government|access-date=31 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031222719/http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/population/structure/natact/beletr/|archive-date=31 October 2012}}</ref> and other European Union member citizens account for around 6%. The prevalent foreign nationals were Italian (171,918), French (125,061), Dutch (116,970), [[Morocco|Moroccan]] (80,579), [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] (43,509), Spanish (42,765), [[Turkish people|Turkish]] (39,419) and German (37,621).<ref name="uWPjZ">{{cite web|title=European Migration Network—Annual Statistical Report on migration and asylum in Belgium (Reference year 2003)—section A. 1) b) Population by citizenship & c) Third country nationals, 1&nbsp;January 2004|date=April 2006|author=Perrin, Nicolas|others=Study Group of Applied Demographics (Gédap)|pages= 5–9|publisher=Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Interior—Immigration Office|url=http://www.dofi.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/belgian%20migration%20point/punt%208%20Belgian%20Statistical%20Report%20on%20Asylum%20and%20Migration%202003.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614025224/http://www.dofi.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/belgian%20migration%20point/punt%208%20Belgian%20Statistical%20Report%20on%20Asylum%20and%20Migration%202003.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 June 2007|access-date=28 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="O7sup">[https://web.archive.org/web/20021008133014/http://ecodata.mineco.fgov.be/mdn/Vreemde_bevolking.jsp De vreemde bevolking]. ecodata.mineco.fgov.be</ref> In 2007, there were 1.38&nbsp;million foreign-born residents in Belgium, corresponding to 12.9% of the total population. Of these, 685,000 (6.4%) were born outside the EU, and 695,000 (6.5%) were born in another EU Member State.<ref name="7g7jl">[http://www.emploi.belgique.be/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=28772 L'immigration en Belgique. Effectifs, mouvements et marche du travail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331120203/http://www.emploi.belgique.be/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=28772|date=31 March 2012}}. Rapport 2009. Direction générale Emploi et marché du travai</ref><ref name="f3GT2">{{cite web|title=Structure de la population selon le pays de naissance|language=fr|url=http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/population/structure/paysnaiss/|author=Belgian Federal Government|access-date=31 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825030522/http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/population/structure/paysnaiss/|archive-date=25 August 2012}}</ref>

At the beginning of 2012, people of foreign background and their descendants were estimated to have formed around 25% of the total population i.e. 2.8&nbsp;million ''new Belgians''.<ref name="npdata.be">[http://www.npdata.be/BuG/155-Vreemde-afkomst/Vreemde-afkomst.htm BuG 155 – Bericht uit het Gewisse – 01 januari 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120908042303/http://www.npdata.be/BuG/155-Vreemde-afkomst/Vreemde-afkomst.htm|date=8 September 2012}}. npdata.be (1 January 2012).</ref> Of these new Belgians, 1,200,000 are of European ancestry and 1,350,000<ref name="npdata">[http://www.npdata.be/BuG/159-Verkiezingen-2012/Verkiezingen-2012.htm BuG 159 – Bericht uit het Gewisse – 7 mei 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126102459/http://www.npdata.be/BuG/159-Verkiezingen-2012/Verkiezingen-2012.htm|date=26 January 2013}}. npdata.be (7 May 2012).</ref> are from non-Western countries (most of them from [[Morocco]], [[Turkey]], and the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|DR Congo]]). Since the modification of the [[Belgian nationality law]] in 1984, more than [[Demographics of Belgium|1.3&nbsp;million migrants have acquired Belgian citizenship]]. The largest group of immigrants and their descendants in Belgium are [[Italian Belgians]] and [[Moroccans in Belgium|Moroccan Belgians]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inca-cgil.be/informazioni-sul-belgio/|title=Informazioni sul Belgio - Sede INCA-CGIL in Belgio|access-date=18 March 2023|language=it|archive-date=27 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127034148/http://www.inca-cgil.be/informazioni-sul-belgio/|url-status=live}}</ref> 89.2% of inhabitants of [[Turkish people|Turkish]] origin have been naturalized, as have 88.4% of people of Moroccan background, 75.4% of Italians, 56.2% of the French and 47.8% of Dutch people.<ref name="npdata" />

[[Statistics Belgium|Statbel]] released figures of the Belgian population in relation to the origin of people in Belgium. According to the data, as of 1 January 2021, 67.3% of the Belgian population was of ethnic Belgian origin, and 32.7% were of foreign origin or nationality, with 20.3% of those of a foreign nationality or ethnic group originating from neighbouring countries. The study also found that 74.5% of the [[Brussels|Brussels-Capital Region]] were of non-Belgian origin, of which 13.8% originated from neighbouring countries.<ref name="Demographics2020">{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/origin|title=Diversity according to origin in Belgium|date=16 June 2021|work=Statbel.fgov.be|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-date=18 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218104221/https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/origin|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Largest cities
|country      = Belgium
|stat_ref     = Numbers according to the Belgium's National Register,<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistiques de population: Chiffres de population au 1er janvier 2023|url=https://www.ibz.rrn.fgov.be/fr/population/statistiques-de-population/|publisher=Belgium's National Register|language=fr|access-date=2023-02-13|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20231129195331/https://www.ibz.rrn.fgov.be/fr/population/statistiques-de-population/|url-status=live}}</ref> (1 January 2023)
|list_by_pop  = 
|div_name     = 
|div_link     = Regions of Belgium{{!}}Region

|city_1 = Antwerp
|div_1 = Flanders
|pop_1 = 536,079
|city_2 = Ghent
|div_2 = Flanders
|pop_2 = 267,709
|city_3 = Charleroi
|div_3 = Wallonia
|pop_3 = 203,245
|city_4 = Liège
|div_4 = Wallonia
|pop_4 = 194,877
|city_5 = City of Brussels
|div_5 = Brussels-Capital Region{{!}}Brussels
|pop_5 = 192,950

|city_6 = Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek
|div_6 = Brussels-Capital Region{{!}}Brussels
|pop_6 = 130,422

|city_7 = Anderlecht
|div_7 = Brussels-Capital Region{{!}}Brussels
|pop_7 = 124,353

|city_8 = Bruges
|div_8 = Flanders
|pop_8 = 119,445

|city_9 = Namur
|div_9 = Wallonia
|pop_9 = 113,174

|city_10 = Leuven
|div_10 = Flanders
|pop_10 = 102,851

|city_11 = Molenbeek-Saint-Jean{{!}}Molenbeek-Saint-Jean/Sint-Jans-Molenbeek
|div_11 = Brussels-Capital Region{{!}}Brussels
|pop_11 = 97,610

|city_12 = Mons, Belgium{{!}}Mons
|div_12 = Wallonia
|pop_12 = 96,055

|city_13 = Aalst, Belgium{{!}}Aalst
|div_13 = Flanders
|pop_13 = 89,915

|city_14 = Mechelen
|div_14 = Flanders
|pop_14 = 88,463

|city_15 = Ixelles/Elsene
|div_15 = Brussels-Capital Region{{!}}Brussels
|pop_15 = 88,081

|city_16 = Uccle/Ukkel
|div_16 = Brussels-Capital Region{{!}}Brussels
|pop_16 = 85,706

|city_17 = La Louvière
|div_17 = Wallonia
|pop_17 = 81,293

|city_18 = Sint-Niklaas
|div_18 = Flanders
|pop_18 = 81,066

|city_19 = Hasselt
|div_19 = Flanders
|pop_19 = 80,299

|city_20 = Kortrijk
|div_20 = Flanders
|pop_20 = 78,841

}}

=== Languages ===
{{Main|Languages of Belgium}}

{{bar box
|float = right
|title = Estimated distribution of primary languages in Belgium
|bars =
{{bar percent|[[Dutch language|Dutch]]|DarkSlateGray|59}}
{{bar percent|[[French language|French]]|DarkSlateGray|40}}
{{bar percent|[[German language|German]]|DarkSlateGray|1}}
}}
[[File:Brussels signs.jpg|thumb|[[Bilingual]] signs in Brussels]]
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. A number of non-official minority languages are spoken as well.<ref name="Ethnologue-16thEd">{{cite book|chapter=Languages of Belgium|title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World|edition=sixteenth|editor=Lewis, M. Paul|publisher=[[SIL International]]|location=Dallas, Texas, U.S.|year=2009|pages=1,248|isbn=978-1-55671-216-6|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BE|access-date=27 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429095334/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BE|archive-date=29 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> As no census exists, there are no official statistical data regarding the distribution or usage of Belgium's three official languages or their [[dialect]]s.<ref name="gkqeP">{{cite news|title=Surviving in Babel? Language rights and European integration|journal=Canaanite in the Amarna Tablets|volume=1|author=de Witte, Bruno|editor=Rainey, Anson F.|publisher=Brill|year=1996|isbn=978-90-04-10521-8|page=122}}</ref> However, various criteria, including the language(s) of parents, of education, or the second-language status of foreign born, may provide suggested figures. An estimated 60% of the Belgian population are native speakers of Dutch (often referred to as [[Flemish people|Flemish]]), and 40% of the population speaks French natively. French-speaking Belgians are often referred to as Walloons, although the French speakers in Brussels are not Walloons.{{efn|Native speakers of Dutch living in Wallonia and of French in Flanders are relatively small minorities that furthermore largely balance one another, hence attributing all inhabitants of each unilingual area to the area's language can cause only insignificant inaccuracies (99% can speak the language). Dutch: Flanders' 6.079&nbsp;million inhabitants and about 15% of Brussels' 1.019&nbsp;million are 6.23&nbsp;million or 59.3% of the 10.511&nbsp;million inhabitants of Belgium (2006); German: 70,400 in the German-speaking Community (which has [[Municipalities with language facilities|language facilities]] for its less than 5% French-speakers) and an estimated 20,000–25,000 speakers of German in the Walloon Region outside the geographical boundaries of their official Community, or 0.9%; French: in the latter area as well as mainly in the rest of Wallonia (3.321&nbsp;million) and 85% of the Brussels inhabitants (0.866&nbsp;million) thus 4.187&nbsp;million or 39.8%; together indeed 100%.}}

The total number of native Dutch speakers is estimated to be about 6.23&nbsp;million, concentrated in the northern Flanders region, while native French speakers number 3.32&nbsp;million in Wallonia and an estimated 870,000 (or 85%) in the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.{{efn|Flemish Academic Eric Corijn (initiator of [http://www.charta91.be/ Charta 91]), at a colloquium regarding Brussels, on 2001-12-05, states that in Brussels 91% of the population speaks French at home, either alone or with another language, and about 20% speaks Dutch at home, either alone (9%) or with French (11%)—After ponderation, the repartition can be estimated at between 85 and 90% French-speaking, and the remaining are Dutch-speaking, corresponding to the estimations based on languages chosen in Brussels by citizens for their official documents (ID, driving licenses, weddings, birth, sex, and so on); all these statistics on language are also available at Belgian Department of Justice (for weddings, birth, sex), Department of Transport (for Driving licenses), Department of Interior (for IDs), because there are no means to know ''precisely'' the proportions since Belgium has abolished 'official' linguistic censuses, thus official documents on language choices can only be estimations. For a web source on this topic, see e.g. [[#General|General online sources: Janssens, Rudi]]}}<ref name="britishcouncil">{{cite web|title=Belgium Market background|quote=The capital Brussels, 80–85 percent French-speaking,&nbsp;...|publisher=[[British Council]]|url=http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-information-background-belgium.htm|access-date=5 May 2007|archive-date=22 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122233056/http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-information-background-belgium.htm|url-status=dead}}—Strictly, the capital is the municipality [[Brussels|(City of) Brussels]], though the Brussels-Capital Region might be intended because of its name and also its other municipalities housing institutions typical for a capital.</ref> The [[German-speaking Community of Belgium|German-speaking Community]] is made up of 73,000 people in the east of the [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]]; around 10,000 German and 60,000 Belgian nationals are speakers of German. Roughly 23,000 more German speakers live in municipalities near the official Community.<ref name="German-speaking_Community">{{cite web|title=The German-speaking Community|publisher=The German-speaking Community|url=http://www.dglive.be/EN/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1263/2264_read-27181/|access-date=5 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530023348/http://www.dglive.be/EN/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1263/2264_read-27181/|archive-date=30 May 2007|url-status=dead}} The (original) [http://www.dglive.be/DesktopDefault.aspx/tabid-84/186_read-448/ version in German language] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070529215057/http://www.dglive.be/DesktopDefault.aspx/tabid-84/186_read-448/|date=29 May 2007}} (already) mentions 73,000 instead of 71,500 inhabitants.</ref><ref name="sTtZw">{{cite web|title=Citizens from other countries in the German-speaking Community|publisher=The German-speaking Community|url=http://www.dglive.be/EN/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1408/2267_read-27184/|access-date=5 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628233901/http://www.dglive.be/EN/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1408/2267_read-27184/|archive-date=28 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="UMYYg">{{cite web|title=German (Belgium)—Overview of the language|publisher=Mercator, Minority Language Media in the European Union, supported by the [[European Commission]] and the [[University of Wales]]|url=http://www.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/user/merwww/index.pl?rm=lang_detail;id=112;lang=1|access-date=7 May 2007|archive-date=11 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511181257/http://www.aber.ac.uk/cgi-bin/user/merwww/index.pl?rm=lang_detail%3Bid%3D112%3Blang%3D1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ofCHC">{{cite web|title=Belgique • België • Belgien—La Communauté germanophone de Belgique|work=L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde|language=fr|date=19 April 2006|author=Leclerc, Jacques|publisher=Host: Trésor de la langue française au Québec (TLFQ), [[Université Laval]], Quebec|url=http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/belgiqueger.htm|access-date=7 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503050229/http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/AXL/europe/belgiqueger.htm|archive-date=3 May 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

Both [[Belgian Dutch]] and [[Belgian French]] have [[Cognate|minor differences]] in vocabulary and semantic nuances from the varieties spoken respectively in the Netherlands and France. Many Flemish people still speak [[Dutch dialects|dialects of Dutch]] in their local environment. [[Walloon language|Walloon]], considered either as a dialect of French or a distinct [[Romance language]],<ref name="yBPue">According to [[Le Petit Larousse]], Walloon is a dialect of the [[langue d'oïl]]. According to the ''Meyers grosses Taschenlexikon''</ref><ref name="S2M27">{{cite book|author=Jules, Feller|title=Notes de philologie wallonne|publisher=Vaillant Carmanne|location=Liège|year=1912}}</ref> is now only understood and spoken occasionally, mostly by elderly people. Walloon is divided into four dialects, which along with those of [[Picard language|Picard]],<ref name="Ethnologue-15thEd">Among Belgium native German speakers many are familiar with the local dialect varieties of their region, that include dialects that spill over into neighboring Luxembourg and Germany.{{cite book|chapter=Languages of Belgium|title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World|edition=Fifteenth|editor=Gordon, Raymond G. Jr.|publisher=[[SIL International]]|location=Dallas, Texas, U.S.|year=2005}} (Online version: [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BE Sixteenth edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051203231327/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BE|date=3 December 2005}})</ref> are rarely used in public life and have largely been replaced by French.

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Belgium}}
[[File:Bruxelles - Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur à Koekelberg (5).jpg|thumb|[[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels|National Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] in [[Koekelberg]], Brussels]]The [[Constitution of Belgium]] provides for freedom of religion, and the government respects this right in practice.<ref name="MarshallCavendish2009">{{cite book|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|year=2009|author1=Loopbuyck, P.|author2=Torfs, R.|name-list-style=amp|volume=4|title=The world and its people – Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands|isbn=978-0-7614-7890-4|page=499}}</ref> Belgium officially recognizes three religions: Christianity (Catholic, Protestantism, Orthodox churches and Anglicanism), Islam and Judaism.<ref name="01gjU">{{cite web|url=http://www.euresisnet.eu/Pages/ReligionAndState/BELGIUM.aspx|title=State and Church in Belgium|website=euresisnet.eu|date=31 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717143131/http://www.euresisnet.eu/Pages/ReligionAndState/BELGIUM.aspx|archive-date=17 July 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the reigns of [[Albert I of Belgium|Albert&nbsp;I]] and [[Baudouin I of Belgium|Baudouin]], the [[Belgian royal family]] had a reputation of deeply rooted Catholicism.<ref name="MarshallCavendish2009"/>

Catholicism has traditionally been Belgium's majority religion; being especially strong in Flanders. However, by 2009 Sunday [[church attendance]] was 5% for Belgium in total; 3% in Brussels,<ref name="oLN9X">{{cite web|url=http://www.brusselnieuws.be/artikel/met-uitsterven-bedreigd-de-brusselse-kerkganger|language=nl|title=Churchgoers in Brussels threatened with extinction|website=Brusselnieuws.be|date=30 November 2010|access-date=4 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111123150/http://www.brusselnieuws.be/artikel/met-uitsterven-bedreigd-de-brusselse-kerkganger|archive-date=11 January 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and 5.4% in Flanders. Church attendance in 2009 in Belgium was roughly half of the Sunday church attendance in 1998 (11% for the total of Belgium in 1998).<ref name="DSDy4">[http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=3932PEIJ Kerken lopen zeer geleidelijk helemaal leeg – Dutch news article describing church attendance in Flanders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127203507/http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=3932PEIJ|date=27 November 2010}}. Standaard.be (25 November 2010). Retrieved 26 September 2011.</ref> Despite the drop in church attendance, Catholic identity nevertheless remains an important part of Belgium's culture.<ref name="MarshallCavendish2009" />

The European Social Survey in 2023 found that people who did not belong to a religion comprised 59% of the population. The share of Christians was 34%, with Catholicism being the largest denomination at 31% of the population. Protestants and other Christians comprised 2% and Orthodox Christians comprised 1%. Islam is the second largest religion with 6% of the population.<ref name="ESS2023A">{{Cite web | author1=European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure (ESS ERIC) |title=European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure (ESS ERIC) (2025) ESS11 - integrated file, edition 3.0 [Data set] |url=https://ess.sikt.no/en/datafile/242aaa39-3bbb-40f5-98bf-bfb1ce53d8ef?tab=1&elems=63bcf46e-157e-490a-8b76-8d6b6aeef25e |access-date=2025-07-28 |website= | date=2025 |publisher=Sikt - Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research |language=en |doi=10.21338/ess11e03_0}}</ref><ref name="ESS2023B">{{Cite web | author1=European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure (ESS ERIC) |title=European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure (ESS ERIC) (2025) ESS11 - integrated file, edition 3.0 [Data set] |url=https://ess.sikt.no/en/datafile/242aaa39-3bbb-40f5-98bf-bfb1ce53d8ef?tab=1&elems=2163066c-a197-4e4e-87e2-916daf2800fb |access-date=2025-07-28 |website= | date=2025 |publisher=Sikt - Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research |language=en |doi=10.21338/ess11e03_0}}</ref>

According to the Eurobarometer 2010,<ref name="Special Eurobarometer 393">''[http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf Eurobarometer Biotechnology report 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430163128/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf|date=30 April 2011}}'' p.381.</ref> 37% of Belgian citizens believe in God, 31% in some sort of spirit or life-force. 27% do not believe in any sort of spirit, God, or life-force. 5% did not respond. According to the Eurobarometer 2021, 49% of the total population of Belgium adhered to [[Christianity]], with [[Catholicism]] being the largest denomination with 44%. Protestants comprised 1% and Orthodox Christians were 1% of the total, other Christians were 3%. Non-religious people comprised 41% of the population and were divided between atheists (15%) and agnostics or non-believers (26%). A further 2% of the population was Muslim.<ref name="EB2021">{{cite web|url=https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/s2237_95_2_516_eng?locale=en|via=[[European Data Portal]] (see Volume C: Country/socio-demographics: BE: Question D90.2.)|title=Special Eurobarometer 516 : European citizens' knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology|publisher=[[European Union]]: [[European Commission]]|date=September 2021|access-date=29 July 2025}}</ref>
[[File:Syna_Bruxelles-2.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|Interior of the [[Great Synagogue of Brussels]]]]
In the early 2000s, there were approximately 42,000 Jews in Belgium. The [[Jewish Community of Antwerp]] (numbering some 18,000) is one of the largest in Europe, and one of the last places in the world where [[Yiddish]] is the primary language of a large Jewish community (mirroring certain Orthodox and Hasidic communities in New York, New Jersey, and Israel). In addition, most Jewish children in Antwerp receive a Jewish education.<ref name="2n62d">Ghiuzeli, Haim F. [http://www.bh.org.il/database-article.aspx?48207 The Jewish Community of Antwerp, Belgium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192659/http://www.bh.org.il/database-article.aspx?48207|date=29 October 2013}}. Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People</ref> There are several Jewish newspapers and more than 45 active synagogues (30 of which are in Antwerp) in the country.

[[File:Great Mosque of Brussels.jpg|thumb|The [[Great Mosque of Brussels]], former seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium]]
Sociologist Jan Hertogen estimated that in 2022 approximately 9.6% of the Belgian population was [[Islam in Belgium|Muslim]]. Muslims constituted 24.1% of the population of [[Brussels]], 8% of [[Wallonia]] and 7.6% of [[Flanders]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=% moslims per gemeente |url=https://www.npdata.be/BuG/535-Moslims/ |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=www.npdata.be}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Moslimbevolking per gemeente in België – evolutie 2010–2022 - Alfabetisch |url=https://npdoc.be/moslims/alfabetisch.htm |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=npdoc.be}}</ref>

===Health===
{{Main|Healthcare in Belgium}}

[[File:UZA ziekenhuis.jpg|thumb|University Hospital of Antwerp]]
The Belgians enjoy good health. According to 2012 estimates, the average life expectancy is 79.65 years.<ref name="CIA" /> Since 1960, life expectancy has, in line with the European average, grown by two months per year. Death in Belgium is mainly due to heart and vascular disorders, [[neoplasm]]s, disorders of the respiratory system and unnatural causes of death (accidents, suicide). Non-natural causes of death and cancer are the most common causes of death for females up to age 24 and males up to age 44.<ref name="Corens2007">{{cite journal|journal=Health Systems in Transition|volume=9|year=2007|title=Belgium, health system review|author=Corens, Dirk|url=http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/96442/E90059.pdf|issue=2|access-date=23 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523162634/http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/96442/E90059.pdf|archive-date=23 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Healthcare in Belgium]] is financed through both social security contributions and taxation. Health insurance is compulsory. Health care is delivered by a mixed public and private system of independent medical practitioners and public, university and semi-private hospitals. Health care service are payable by the patient and reimbursed later by health insurance institutions, but for ineligible categories (of patients and services) so-called 3rd party payment systems exist.<ref name="Corens2007" /> The Belgian health care system is supervised and financed by the federal government, the Flemish and Walloon Regional governments; and the German Community also has (indirect) oversight and responsibilities.<ref name="Corens2007" />

For the first time in Belgian history, the first child was euthanized following the 2-year mark of the removal of the euthanization age restrictions. The child had been euthanized due to an incurable disease that was inflicted upon the child. Although there may have been some support for the euthanization there is a possibility of controversy due to the issue revolving around the subject of assisted suicide.<ref name="cnn">{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/17/health/belgium-minor-euthanasia/index.html|publisher=CNN|title=Belgium euthanasia: First child dies - CNN.com|date=17 September 2016 |access-date=6 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210045348/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/17/health/belgium-minor-euthanasia/index.html|archive-date=10 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Excluding assisted suicide, Belgium has the highest suicide rate in Western Europe and one of the [[suicide rate by country|highest suicide rates]] in the [[developed countries|developed world]] (exceeded only by Lithuania, South Korea, and Latvia).<ref name="dVw5w">{{cite web|url=http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.MHSUICIDEASDR?lang=en|title=GHO {{!}} By category {{!}} Suicide rate estimates, age-standardized - Estimates by country|website=WHO|access-date=17 March 2020|archive-date=18 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018170407/http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.MHSUICIDEASDR?lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Education===
{{Main|Education in Belgium}}

[[File:2011-09-24 17.42 Leuven, universiteitsbibliotheek ceg74154 foto4.jpg|thumb|The Central Library of the [[KU Leuven]] University]]
Education is compulsory from 6 to 18 years of age for Belgians.<ref name="Hofman_Hofman_Gray_Daly">{{cite book|title=Institutional context of education systems in Europe: a cross-country comparison on quality and equity|first1=Roelande H.|last1=Hofman|first2=W. H. A.|last2=Hofman|first3=J. M.|last3=Gray|first4=P.|last4=Daly|publisher=Kluwer Academic Publishers|year=2004|isbn=978-1-4020-2744-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nskLDqh40dwC|pages=97, 105|access-date=11 October 2015|archive-date=18 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518143715/https://books.google.com/books?id=nskLDqh40dwC|url-status=live}} Extracts: [{{GBurl|id=nskLDqh40dwC|p=97}} p. 97], [{{GBurl|id=nskLDqh40dwC|p=105}} p. 105]</ref> Among [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]] countries in 2002, Belgium had the third highest proportion of 18- to 21-year-olds enrolled in [[postsecondary education]], at 42%.<ref name="NCES_Tbl-388">{{cite web|title=Table 388. Percentage of population enrolled in secondary and postsecondary institutions, by age group and country – Chapter 6. International Comparisons of Education, data: 2002|work=Digest of Education Statistics—Tables and Figures|year=2005|publisher=[[National Center for Education Statistics]], [[Institute of Education Sciences]] (IES), [[US Department of Education]]|url=http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_388.asp|access-date=6 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605120831/http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_388.asp|archive-date=5 June 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> Though an estimated 99% of the adult population is literate, concern is rising over [[functional illiteracy]].<ref name="Ethnologue-15thEd" /><ref name="UNDP">{{cite web|title=I. Monitoring Human Development: Enlarging peoples's choices&nbsp;... —5. Human poverty in OECD, Eastern Europe and the CIS|work=Human Development Indicators|pages=172–173|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP)|year=2000|url=http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2000/en/pdf/hdr_2000_back1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614025222/http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2000/en/pdf/hdr_2000_back1.pdf|archive-date=14 June 2007|access-date=6 June 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Programme for International Student Assessment]] (PISA), coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Belgium's education as the 19th best in the world, being significantly higher than the OECD average.<ref name="OECD_PISA-2006">{{cite web|title=Range of rank on the PISA 2006 science scale|publisher=[[OECD]]|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/42/8/39700724.pdf|access-date=27 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229020307/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/42/8/39700724.pdf|archive-date=29 December 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Education is organized separately by each community. The Flemish Community scores noticeably above the French and German-speaking Communities.<ref name="De-Meyer_Pauly_Van-de-Poele">{{cite web|title=Learning for Tomorrow's Problems – First Results from PISA2003|page=52|publisher=Ministry of the Flemish Community – Education Department; [[University of Ghent]] – Department of Education, Ghent, Belgium (Online by [[OECD]])|access-date=27 February 2011|year=2005|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/60/36324368.pdf|author1=De Meyer, Inge|author2=Pauly, Jan|author3=Van de Poele, Luc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428094513/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/60/36324368.pdf|archive-date=28 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Mirroring the structure of the 19th-century Belgian political landscape, characterized by the [[Liberal Party (Belgium)|Liberal]] and the [[Catholic Party (Belgium)|Catholic parties]], the educational system is segregated into secular and religious schools. The secular branch of schooling is controlled by the communities, the provinces, or the municipalities, while religious, mainly [[Catholic school|Catholic branch]] education, is organized by religious authorities, which are also subsidized and supervised by the communities.<ref name="De-Ley">{{cite web|title=Humanists and Muslims in Belgian Secular Society (Draft version)|author=De Ley, Herman|publisher=Centrum voor Islam in Europe (Center for Islam in Europe), [[Ghent University]]|year=2000|url=http://www.flwi.ugent.be/cie/CIE/deley10.htm|access-date=7 June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609120804/http://www.flwi.ugent.be/cie/CIE/deley10.htm|archive-date=9 June 2007}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Belgium}}

Despite its [[partition of Belgium|political and linguistic divisions]], the region corresponding to today's Belgium has seen the flourishing of major artistic movements that have had tremendous influence on European art and culture. Nowadays, to a certain extent, cultural life is concentrated within each language Community, and a variety of barriers have made a shared cultural sphere less pronounced.<ref name="Fitzmaurice" /><ref name="kED6Y">{{cite web|title=Belgium—Arts and cultural education|work=Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, 8th edition|publisher=Council of Europe / ERICarts|year=2007|url=http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/belgium.php?aid=831|access-date=8 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831150145/http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/belgium.php?aid=831|archive-date=31 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PjUPH">{{cite web|title=Belgique|work=European Culture Portal|publisher=[[European Commission]]|year=2007|url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/portal/sites/members/belgium_en.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224164244/http://ec.europa.eu/culture/portal/sites/members/belgium_en.htm|archive-date=24 December 2007|access-date=10 May 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since the 1970s, there are no bilingual universities or colleges in the country except the [[Royal Military Academy (Belgium)|Royal Military Academy]] and the [[Antwerp Maritime Academy]].<ref name="S2dnp">{{cite web|title=Frontière linguistique, frontière politique, une presse en crise|language=fr|author=Gonthier, Adrien|work=Le Monde diplomatique|year=2003|url=https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2003/05/GONTHIER/10142|access-date=17 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327212104/http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2003/05/GONTHIER/10142|archive-date=27 March 2008|url-status=live}} {{cite news|last=Mumford|first=David|author-link=David Mumford|title=The World Today Series|work=The New York Times|series=Western Europe/2007|year=2008|isbn=978-1-887985-89-5|url=https://archive.org/details/westerneurope20000wayn_0}}</ref>

===Fine arts===
{{See also|List of Belgian painters|Architecture of Belgium|Music of Belgium}}
[[File:Lamgods open.jpg|thumb|left|''The [[Ghent Altarpiece]]: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb'' (interior view), painted 1432 by [[Jan van Eyck|van Eyck]]]]
Contributions to painting and architecture have been especially rich. The [[Mosan art]], the [[Early Netherlandish painting|Early Netherlandish]],<ref name="Nv4HY">{{cite web|title=Low Countries, 1000–1400&nbsp;AD|work=Timeline of Art History|publisher=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]|year=2007|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/euwl/ht07euwl.htm|access-date=10 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070415094905/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/euwl/ht07euwl.htm|archive-date=15 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting|Flemish Renaissance]] and [[Flemish Baroque painting|Baroque painting]]<ref name="HFu1w">{{cite web|title=Low Countries, 1400–1600&nbsp;AD|work=Timeline of Art History|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|year=2007|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/euwl/ht08euwl.htm|access-date=10 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429051506/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/euwl/ht08euwl.htm|archive-date=29 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> and major examples of [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] and [[Baroque architecture]]<ref name="LFwFJ">Several examples of major architectural realizations in Belgium belong to [[UNESCO]]'s [[World Heritage List]]:{{cite web|title=Belgium|work=Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/be|access-date=15 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428173145/https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/be|archive-date=28 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> are milestones in the history of art. While the 15th century's art in the Low Countries is dominated by the religious paintings of [[Jan van Eyck]] and [[Rogier van der Weyden]], the 16th century is characterized by a broader panel of styles such as [[Pieter Brueghel the Elder|Peter Breughel]]'s landscape paintings and [[Lambert Lombard]]'s representation of the antique.<ref name="LjaN3">{{cite book|language=fr|first=Jacques|last=Hendrick|title=La peinture au pays de Liège|year=1987|location=Liège|publisher=Editions du Perron|isbn=978-2-87114-026-9|page=24}}</ref> Though the Baroque style of [[Peter Paul Rubens]] and [[Anthony van Dyck]] flourished in the early 17th century in the Southern Netherlands,<ref name="bGwvp">{{cite book|language=de|first=Herwig|last=Guratzsch|title=Die große Zeit der niederländische Malerei|year=1979|publisher=Verlag Herder|location=Freiburg im Beisgau|page=7}}</ref> it gradually declined thereafter.<ref name="I0Pep">{{cite web|title=Low Countries, 1600–1800&nbsp;AD|work=Timeline of Art History|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|year=2007|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/09/euwl/ht09euwl.htm|access-date=10 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513131424/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/09/euwl/ht09euwl.htm|archive-date=13 May 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="9nPUy">{{cite web|title=Art History: Flemish School: (1600–1800)—Artists: (biography & artworks)|url=http://wwar.com/masters/movements/flemish_school.html|date=5 February 2006|publisher=World Wide Arts Resources|access-date=10 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091013022635/http://wwar.com/masters/movements/flemish_school.html|archive-date=13 October 2009}}—A general presentation of the Flemish artistic movement with a list of its artists, linking to their biographies and artworks</ref>

During the 19th and 20th centuries many original [[romanticism|romantic]], [[expressionism|expressionist]] and [[surrealism|surrealist]] Belgian painters emerged, including [[James Ensor]] and other artists belonging to the [[Les XX]] group, [[Constant Permeke]], [[Paul Delvaux]] and [[René Magritte]]. The avant-garde [[COBRA (avant-garde movement)|CoBrA movement]] appeared in the 1950s, while the sculptor [[Panamarenko]] remains a remarkable figure in contemporary art.<ref name="2jzAd">{{cite web|url=http://wwar.com/masters/nationalities/belgian.html|title=Belgian Artists: (biographies & artworks)|date=5 February 2006|publisher=World Wide Arts Resources|access-date=10 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515200408/http://wwar.com/masters/nationalities/belgian.html|archive-date=15 May 2016}}—List of Belgian painters, linking to their biographies and artworks</ref><ref name="1BIrR">{{cite web|author=Baudson, Michel|title=Panamarenko|publisher=Flammarion (Paris), quoted at presentation of the XXIII Bienal Internacional de São Paulo|url=http://www1.uol.com.br/bienal/23bienal/universa/iueopa.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207233008/http://www1.uol.com.br/bienal/23bienal/universa/iueopa.htm|archive-date=7 February 2007|access-date=10 May 2007|year=1996|url-status=dead}}</ref> Multidisciplinary artists [[Jan Fabre]], [[Wim Delvoye]] and the painter [[Luc Tuymans]] are other internationally renowned figures on the contemporary art scene.

Belgian contributions to architecture also continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, including the work of [[Victor Horta]] and [[Henry van de Velde]], who were major initiators of the [[Art Nouveau]] style.<ref name="ibivW">[http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php Brussels, capital of Art Nouveau (page 1)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094014/http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php|date=9 May 2007}}, {{cite web|title=(page 2)|year=2007|publisher=Senses Art Nouveau Shop, Brussels|url=http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php?page=2|access-date=11 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304211919/http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php?page=2|archive-date=4 March 2007|url-status=live}} (for example)</ref><ref name="jIXeI">{{cite web|title=Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)|work=[[UNESCO]]'s [[World Heritage List]]|publisher=UNESCO|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1005|quote=The appearance of Art Nouveau in the closing years of the 19th century marked a decisive stage in the evolution of architecture, making possible subsequent developments, and the Town Houses of Victor Horta in Brussels bear exceptional witness to its radical new approach.|access-date=16 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513225235/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1005|archive-date=13 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:TV-uitzending Domino Jacques Brel tijdens de opname in Amsterdam, Marcanti, Bestanddeelnr 914-8399.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jacques Brel]]]]
The [[vocal music]] of the [[Franco-Flemish School]] developed in the southern part of the Low Countries and was an important contribution to Renaissance culture.<ref name="Y5k58">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Western music, the Franco-Flemish school|quote=Most significant musically was the pervasive influence of musicians from the Low Countries, whose domination of the music scene during the last half of the 15th century is reflected in the period designations the Netherlands school and the Franco-Flemish school.|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|year=2007|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-15698/Western-music|access-date=15 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208084519/https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-15698/Western-music|archive-date=8 December 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was an emergence of major violinists, such as [[Henri Vieuxtemps]], [[Eugène Ysaÿe]] and [[Arthur Grumiaux]], while [[Adolphe Sax]] invented the saxophone in 1846. The composer [[César Franck]] was born in Liège in 1822. Contemporary [[popular music]] in Belgium is also of repute. Jazz musicians [[Django Reinhardt]] and [[Toots Thielemans]] and singer [[Jacques Brel]] have achieved global fame. Nowadays, singer [[Stromae]] has been a musical revelation in Europe and beyond, having great success. In rock/pop music, [[Telex (band)|Telex]], [[Front 242]], [[K's Choice]], [[Hooverphonic]], [[Zap Mama]], [[Soulwax]] and [[Deus (band)|dEUS]] are well known. In the heavy metal scene, bands like [[Machiavel (band)|Machiavel]], [[Channel Zero (band)|Channel Zero]] and [[Enthroned]] have a worldwide fan-base.<ref name="XSYvA">Two comprehensive discussions of rock and pop music in Belgium since the 1950s:<br />{{cite web|title=The Timeline—A brief history of Belgian Pop Music|date=March 2007|work=The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives|publisher=Flanders Music Centre, Brussels|url=http://houbi.com/belpop/timeline.htm|access-date=7 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712181502/http://houbi.com/belpop/timeline.htm|archive-date=12 July 2007|url-status=live}}<br />{{cite web|title=Belgian Culture—Rock|year=2006|publisher=Vanberg & DeWulf Importing|url=http://www.belgianexperts.com/rock.php|access-date=11 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607110011/http://www.belgianexperts.com/rock.php|archive-date=7 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<!-- Please note: How can you list Amelie Nothomb and not Jacqueline Harpman!? Jacqueline Harpman more than deserves to be in this list. -->

Belgium has produced several well-known [[Belgian literature|authors]], including the poets [[Emile Verhaeren]], [[Guido Gezelle]], [[Robert Goffin]] and novelists [[Hendrik Conscience]], [[Stijn Streuvels]], [[Georges Simenon]], [[Suzanne Lilar]], [[Hugo Claus]] and [[Amélie Nothomb]]. The poet and playwright [[Maurice Maeterlinck]] won the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1911. ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'' by [[Hergé]] is the best known of [[Franco-Belgian comics]], but many other major authors, including [[Peyo]] (''[[The Smurfs]]''), [[André Franquin]] (''[[Gaston Lagaffe]]''), [[Dupa]] (''[[Cubitus]]''), [[Morris (comics)|Morris]] (''[[Lucky Luke]]''), [[Greg (comics)|Greg]] (''[[Achille Talon]]''), [[Lambil]] (''[[Les Tuniques Bleues]]''), [[Edgar P. Jacobs]] and [[Willy Vandersteen]] brought the Belgian cartoon strip industry a worldwide fame.<ref name="PtwmV">{{cite book|title=Comics in French: the European bande dessinée in context|author=Grove, Laurence|publisher=Berghahn Books|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84545-588-0}}</ref> Additionally, famous crime author [[Agatha Christie]] created the character [[Hercule Poirot]], a Belgian detective, who has served as a [[protagonist]] in a number of her acclaimed mystery novels.

[[Cinema of Belgium|Belgian cinema]] has brought a number of mainly Flemish novels to life on-screen.{{efn|Notable Belgian films based on works by Flemish authors include: ''De Witte'' (author [[Ernest Claes]]) movie by Jan Vanderheyden and Edith Kiel in 1934, remake as ''De Witte van Sichem'' directed by [[Robbe De Hert]] in 1980; ''De man die zijn haar kort liet knippen'' ([[Johan Daisne]]) [[André Delvaux]] 1965; ''Mira'' ('De teleurgang van de Waterhoek' by [[Stijn Streuvels]]) [[Fons Rademakers]] 1971; ''[[Malpertuis]] (aka The Legend of Doom House)'' ([[Jean Ray (author)|Jean Ray]] [pen name of Flemish author who mainly wrote in French, or as John Flanders in Dutch]) [[Harry Kümel]] 1971<!--not 1973 as hereafter 'see also' link, it won the Cannes Festival in 1972-->; ''De loteling'' ([[Hendrik Conscience]]) Roland Verhavert 1974; ''Dood van een non'' ([[Maria Rosseels]]) Paul Collet and Pierre Drouot 1975; ''Pallieter'' ([[Felix Timmermans]]) Roland Verhavert 1976; ''De komst van Joachim Stiller'' ([[Hubert Lampo]]) [[Harry Kümel]] 1976; ''[[De Leeuw van Vlaanderen (novel)|De Leeuw van Vlaanderen]]'' ([[Hendrik Conscience]]) [[Hugo Claus]] (a famous author himself) 1985; ''[[Daens (film)|Daens]]'' ('Pieter Daens' by [[Louis Paul Boon]]) [[Stijn Coninx]] 1992; see also [https://web.archive.org/web/20070514023803/http://www.ledoux.be/nl/dvdmain.htm Filmarchief ''les DVD!s de la cinémathèque''] (in Dutch). Retrieved on {{Nowrap|7 June}} 2007.}} Belgian directors include [[André Delvaux]], [[Stijn Coninx]], [[Luc Dardenne|Luc]] and [[Jean-Pierre Dardenne]]; well-known actors include [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]], [[Jan Decleir]] and [[Marie Gillain]]; and successful films include ''[[Bullhead (film)|Bullhead]], [[Man Bites Dog (film)|Man Bites Dog]]'' and ''[[The Alzheimer Affair]]''.<ref name="yH1O7">A review of the Belgian cinema till about 2000 can be found at{{cite web|title=History of Cinema in Belgium|work=Film Birth|year=2007|url=http://www.filmbirth.com/belgium.html|access-date=26 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914135756/http://www.filmbirth.com/belgium.html|archive-date=14 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Belgium is also home to a number of successful fashion designers [[:Category:Belgian fashion designers]].

===Folklore===
{{Further|Folklore of Belgium}}
[[File:Binche - Les Gilles.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Gilles]] of [[Binche]], in costume, wearing wax masks]]

Folklore plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life; the country has a comparatively high number of processions, [[cavalcade]]s, parades, [[ommegang]]s, ducasses,{{efn|The Dutch word ''ommegang'' is here used in the sense of an entirely or mainly non-religious procession, or the non-religious part thereof—see also [[:nl:Ommegang|its article on the Dutch-language Wikipedia]]; the Processional Giants of Brussels, Dendermonde and Mechelen mentioned in this paragraph are part of each city's ''ommegang''. The French word ''ducasse'' refers also to a procession; the mentioned Processional Giants of Ath and Mons are part of each city's ''ducasse''.}} [[kermesse (festival)|kermesse]]s, and other local festivals, nearly always with an originally religious or [[mythology of the Low Countries|mythological background]]. The three-day [[Carnival of Binche]], near [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]], with its famous [[Gilles]] (men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes) is held just before [[Lent]] (the 40 days between [[Ash Wednesday]] and [[Easter]]). Together with the 'Processional Giants and Dragons' of [[Ath]], Brussels, [[Dendermonde]], [[Mechelen]] and [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]], it is recognized by [[UNESCO]] as a [[Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]].<ref name="AyTJs">{{cite web|title=Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/05eur_uk.htm|access-date=15 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427153103/http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/05eur_uk.htm|archive-date=27 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other examples are the three-day [[Carnival of Aalst]] in February or March; the still very religious processions of [[procession of the Holy Blood|the Holy Blood]] taking place in [[Bruges]] in May, the [[Virga Jesse Basilica|Virga Jesse procession]] held every seven years in [[Hasselt]], the [[Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk|annual procession of Hanswijk]] in Mechelen, the 15 August festivities in [[Liège]], and the Walloon festival in [[Namur]]. Originated in 1832 and revived in the 1960s, the [[Gentse Feesten]] (a music and theatre festival organized in Ghent around [[Belgian National Day]], on 21 July) have become a modern tradition. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as [[cycle sport|cycling]], and many fall under the category of kermesses.

A major non-official holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) is [[Saint Nicholas Day]] (Dutch: ''[[Sinterklaas]]'', French: ''la Saint-Nicolas''), a festivity for children, and in Liège, for students.<ref name="X3HNa">{{cite web|title=Folklore estudiantin liégeois|publisher=[[University of Liège]]|url=http://www.ulg.ac.be/cms/c_36320/photographies-folklore-etudiant?hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any|language=fr|access-date=17 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620094647/http://www.ulg.ac.be/cms/c_36320/photographies-folklore-etudiant?hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any|archive-date=20 June 2010}}</ref> It takes place each year on 6 December and is a sort of early [[Christmas]]. On the evening of 5 December, before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas' horse or [[donkey]]. According to tradition, Saint Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the [[United States]], where Saint Nicholas is now known as [[Santa Claus]].

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Belgian cuisine}}

[[File:Moules Frites.jpg|thumb|''[[Moules-frites]]'' or ''mosselen met friet'' is a representative dish of Belgium.]]

Belgium is famous for [[beer]], [[chocolate]], [[waffle]]s and [[French fries]]. The national dishes are [[Steak frites|steak and fries]], and [[moules-frites|mussels with fries]].<ref name="7hiRd">{{cite web|url=http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/40035|access-date=12 August 2007|title=Steak-frites|publisher=Epicurious|date=20 August 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808152457/http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/40035|archive-date=8 August 2007|url-status=live}} Republished from{{cite book|title=Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook|date=October 1996|author1=Van Waerebeek, Ruth|author2=Robbins, Maria|publisher=Workman Publishing|isbn=978-1-56305-411-2}}</ref><ref name="cwjud">{{cite web|title=Belgium|publisher=Global Gourmet|url=http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/belgium/backgrounder.html|access-date=12 August 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928001505/http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/belgium/backgrounder.html|archive-date=28 September 2007}} Republished from{{cite book|title=Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook|date=October 1996|author1=Van Waerebeek, Ruth|author2=Robbins, Maria|publisher=Workman Publishing|isbn=978-1-56305-411-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Julia |title=10 Traditional Foods to Eat in Belgium—And Where to Try Them |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-09-08/10-things-you-should-eat-in-belgium |access-date=14 January 2024 |work=Condé Nast Traveler |date=6 July 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114153156/https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-09-08/10-things-you-should-eat-in-belgium |url-status=live }}</ref> Many highly ranked Belgian restaurants can be found in the most influential restaurant guides, such as the [[Michelin Guide]].<ref name="EWmqW">{{cite web|title=The Michelin stars 2007 in Belgium|publisher=Resto.be TM Dreaminvest|year=2007|url=http://www2.resto.be/bib_new.cfm?langue=uk|access-date=15 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009160257/http://www2.resto.be/bib_new.cfm?langue=uk|archive-date=9 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> One of the many beers with the high prestige is that of the [[Trappists|Trappist]] [[monk]]s. Technically, it is an [[ale]] and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only eleven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew [[Trappist beer]].

Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some [[recipe]]s were reputedly invented there, such as French fries (despite the name, although their exact place of origin is uncertain), [[Flemish stew|Flemish Carbonade]] (a beef stew with beer, mustard and [[bay laurel]]), [[speculaas]] (or ''speculoos'' in French, a sort of cinnamon and ginger-flavoured [[shortcrust pastry|shortcrust]] [[biscuit]]), [[Brussels waffle]]s (and their variant, [[Liège waffle]]s), [[waterzooi]] (a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), [[endive]] with [[bechamel]] sauce, [[Brussels sprout]]s, [[Belgian pralines]] (Belgium has some of the most renowned [[chocolate]] houses), ''charcuterie'' (deli meats) and ''[[Paling in 't groen]]'' (river [[eel]]s in a sauce of green herbs).

Brands of Belgian chocolate and pralines, like [[Côte d'Or (brand)|Côte d'Or]], [[Chocolatier Neuhaus|Neuhaus]], [[Leonidas (chocolate maker)|Leonidas]] and [[Godiva Chocolatier|Godiva]] are famous, as well as independent producers such as Burie and Del Rey in Antwerp and Mary's in Brussels.<ref name="6teth">{{cite book|title=Belgium and Luxembourg|author1=Elliott, Mark|author2=Cole, Geert|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Lonely Planet|year=2000|page=[https://archive.org/details/belgiumluxembour00loga/page/53 53]|isbn=978-1-86450-245-9|url=https://archive.org/details/belgiumluxembour00loga/page/53}}</ref> Belgium produces over [[Belgian beer|1100 varieties of beer]].<ref name="BierbijbelNieuwsblad">{{cite news|url=http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=G2I3H7IVR|title=Nieuwe bierbijbel bundelt alle 1.132 Belgische bieren|first=Chris|last=Snick|date=18 October 2011|language=nl|newspaper=Het Nieuwsblad|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605055509/http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=G2I3H7IVR|archive-date=5 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="BierbijbelKW">{{cite news|url=http://kw.knack.be/west-vlaanderen/nieuws/algemeen/nieuwe-bierbijbel-met-1-132-belgische-bieren-voorgesteld-in-brugge/article-1195119387827.htm|title=Nieuwe bierbijbel met 1.132 Belgische bieren voorgesteld in Brugge|date=18 October 2011|language=nl|newspaper=Krant van West-Vlaanderen|access-date=17 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531221549/http://kw.knack.be/west-vlaanderen/nieuws/algemeen/nieuwe-bierbijbel-met-1-132-belgische-bieren-voorgesteld-in-brugge/article-1195119387827.htm|archive-date=31 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The Trappist beer of the [[Westvleteren Brewery|Abbey of Westvleteren]] has repeatedly been rated the world's best beer.<ref name="0BjgZ">{{cite news|last=Ames|first=Paul|title=Buying the World's Best Beer|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/benelux/090828/st-sixtus-westvleteren-beer|access-date=19 November 2010|newspaper=Global Post|date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109221604/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/benelux/090828/st-sixtus-westvleteren-beer|archive-date=9 November 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="yTWd9">{{cite news|last=Guthrie|first=Tyler|title=Day trip to the best beer in the world|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/08/11/day-trip-to-the-best-beer-in-the-world/|access-date=19 November 2010|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=11 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204040743/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-11/travel/sc-trav-0810-strip-belgian-bike-trip-20100810_1_westvleteren-beer-day-trip|archive-date=4 December 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IOJxz">{{cite news|title=Monks run short of 'world's best' beer|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1435915.htm|access-date=19 November 2010|publisher=ABC|date=12 August 2005|agency=Reuters|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310004301/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1435915.htm|archive-date=10 March 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The biggest brewer in the world by volume is [[Anheuser-Busch InBev]], based in [[Leuven]].<ref name="EpBpi">{{cite press release|title=InBev dividend 2006: 0.72 euro per share—infobox: About InBev|quote=InBev is a publicly traded company ([[Euronext]]: INB) based in [[Leuven]], Belgium. The company's origins date back to 1366, and today it is the leading global brewer by volume.|date=24 April 2007|publisher=InBev|url=http://www.inbev.com/press_releases/20070424.1.e.cfm|access-date=31 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911223542/http://www.inbev.com/press_releases/20070424.1.e.cfm|archive-date=11 September 2007}}</ref>

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Belgium}}
[[File:Eddy Merckx Molteni 1973.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Eddy Merckx]], widely regarded as one of the greatest cyclists of all time]]Since the 1970s, sports clubs and federations are organized separately within each [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|language community]].<ref name="ch0h8">{{cite book|chapter=Organised sport in transition: development, structures and trends of sports clubs in Belgium|author1=Task, Marijke|author2=Renson, Roland|author3=van Reusel, Bart|name-list-style=amp|title=Sport Clubs in Various European Countries|editor=Klaus Heinemann|publisher=Schattauer Verlag|year=1999|isbn=978-3-7945-2038-1|pages=183–229}}</ref> The {{lang|fr|Administration de l'Éducation Physique et du Sport}} ([[ADEPS]]) is responsible for recognising the various French-speaking sports federations and also runs three sports centres in the Brussels-Capital Region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-adeps.be/|title=Portail officiel du sport en fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles|website=sport-adeps.be|language=fr|trans-title=Official sports portal in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation|access-date=11 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116150111/http://www.sport-adeps.be/|archive-date=16 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its Dutch-speaking counterpart is {{lang|nl|Sport Vlaanderen}} (formerly called [[Bloso|BLOSO]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sport.vlaanderen/|title=Doe aan sport|website=Sport.Vlaanderen|language=nl|trans-title=Do sports|access-date=11 November 2017|archive-date=3 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103121617/https://www.sport.vlaanderen/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Association football]] is the most popular sport in both parts of Belgium; also very popular are cycling, tennis, swimming, judo<ref name="tR60q">{{cite book|title=Belgium|author=Wingfield, George|publisher=Infobase Publishing|editor=Charles F. Gritzner|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7910-9670-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/belgium00wing/page/94 94–95]|url=https://archive.org/details/belgium00wing/page/94}}</ref> and basketball.<ref name="DM5hq">{{cite news|title=Belgium's 10 most popular sports|author=Hendricks, Kelly|work=The Bulletin|date=20 June 2014|url=http://www.xpats.com/belgiums-10-most-popular-sports|access-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141122130743/http://www.xpats.com/belgiums-10-most-popular-sports|archive-date=22 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Belgium national football team]] has been among the best on the [[FIFA World Rankings]] ever since November 2015, when it reached the top spot for the first time.<ref name="Fmads">{{cite news|title=Belgium go top, Chile and Austria soar|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/news/y=2015/m=11/news=belgium-go-top-chile-and-austria-soar-2730157.html|access-date=30 March 2016|publisher=FIFA|date=5 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626094459/http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/news/y%3D2015/m%3D11/news%3Dbelgium-go-top-chile-and-austria-soar-2730157.html|archive-date=26 June 2016}}</ref> Since the 1990s, the team has been the world's number one for the most years in history, only behind the records of [[Brazil National Football Team|Brazil]] and [[Spain National Football Team|Spain]].<ref>[https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/news/newsid=1351535.html ''Team of the Year Award 2010''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218180552/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/news/newsid%3D1351535.html|date=18 December 2010}} on the FIFA website</ref> The team's golden generations with the world class players in the squad, namely [[Eden Hazard]], [[Kevin De Bruyne]], [[Jean-Marie Pfaff]], [[Jan Ceulemans]] achieved the bronze medals at [[2018 FIFA World Cup|World Cup 2018]], and silver medals at [[UEFA Euro 1980|Euro 1980]]. Belgium hosted the [[UEFA Euro 1972|Euro 1972]], and co-hosted the [[UEFA Euro 2000|Euro 2000]] with the Netherlands.

Belgians hold [[List of Tour de France winners|the most Tour de France victories]] of any country except France. They also have the most victories on the [[UCI Road World Championships]].  With five victories in the [[Tour de France]] and numerous other cycling records, Belgian cyclist [[Eddy Merckx]] is often regarded as one of the greatest cyclists of all time.<ref name="rFgQf">{{cite news|title=Great, but there are greater|author=Majendie, Matt|work=BBC Sport|date=18 April 2005|quote=[the Author's] top five [cyclists] of all time: 1 Eddy Merckx, 2 [[Bernard Hinault]], 3 [[Lance Armstrong]], 4 [[Miguel Indurain]], 5 [[Jacques Anquetil]]|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/3925265.stm|access-date=20 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824143546/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/3925265.stm|archive-date=24 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Philippe Gilbert]] and [[Remco Evenepoel]] were the 2012 and 2022 world champions, respectively. Other well-known Belgian cyclists are [[Tom Boonen]], [[Wout van Aert]] and [[Lotte Kopecky]].

[[Kim Clijsters]] and [[Justine Henin]] both were [[WTA Awards|Player of the Year]] in the [[Women's Tennis Association]] as they were ranked the number one female tennis player.
The [[Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps|Spa-Francorchamps]] motor-racing circuit hosts the [[Formula One World Championship]] [[Belgian Grand Prix]]. The Belgian driver, [[Jacky Ickx]], won eight Grands Prix and six [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] and finished twice as runner-up in the Formula One World Championship. Belgium also has a strong reputation in, [[motocross]] with the riders [[Joël Robert]], [[Roger De Coster]], [[Georges Jobé]], [[Eric Geboers]] and [[Stefan Everts]], among others.<ref name="rCTsM">{{cite book|title=Motocross History: From Local Scrambling to World Championship MX to Freestyle|author=Woods, Bob|publisher=Crabtree Publishing Company|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7787-3987-6|page=19}}</ref>

Sporting events annually held in Belgium include the [[Memorial Van Damme]] athletics competition, the [[Belgian Grand Prix]] Formula One, and a number of [[classic cycle races]] such as the [[Tour of Flanders (disambiguation)|Tour of Flanders]] and [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]. The [[1920 Summer Olympics]] were held in Antwerp. The [[1977 European Basketball Championship]] was held in [[Liège]] and [[Ostend]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Belgium|European Union}}

* [[Outline of Belgium]]

{{Clear}}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Online sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite encyclopedia|title=Belgium|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago, Illinois, USA|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/59268/Belgium|access-date=7 June 2007|archive-date=28 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080428215519/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/59268/Belgium|url-status=live}}
* {{cite web|title=Boordtabel|year=2007|language=nl|publisher=Centre for Information, Documentation and Research on Brussels (BRIO)|url=http://www.briobrussel.be/ned/webpage4.asp?WebpageId=39|access-date=2 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070529224015/http://www.briobrussel.be/ned/webpage4.asp?WebpageId=39|archive-date=29 May 2007|url-status=dead}} (mentioning other original sources)
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Belgium | volume= 3 |last1= Boulger |first1= Demetrius Charles |author1-link= Demetrius Charles Boulger|last2= Edmundson |first2= George |author2-link= George Edmundson |last3= Gosse |first3= Edmund William |author3-link= Edmund Gosse |pages = 668&ndash;681 }}
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/ Belgium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109104644/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/ |date=9 January 2021 }}. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]]. Retrieved on 7 June 2007.
* {{cite web|title=The Constitution|date=21 January 1997|publisher=Federal Parliament Belgium|url=http://www.fed-parl.be/constitution_uk.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607094156/http://www.fed-parl.be/constitution_uk.html|archive-date=7 June 2007|access-date=7 June 2007|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=Country Portal – Europe—Belgium|publisher=Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy—Directorate-general Statistics Belgium|url=http://statbel.fgov.be/port/cou_eu_en.asp#BE|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701233100/http://www.statbel.fgov.be/port/cou_eu_en.asp#BE|archive-date=1 July 2007|access-date=7 June 2007|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=Die Stellung und Rolle der deutschsprachigen Minderheit in Ostbelgien innerhalb des belgischen Nationalstaats|author=Fischer, Kathrin|work=Kleiner Geländekurs in die Euregio Maas-Rhein|language=de|date=21 July 1999|publisher=Geographical Institute of the [[University of Göttingen]] (Department Culture and Social Geography), Göttingen, Germany|url=http://www.geogr.uni-goettingen.de/kus/personen/euregio/emr99-21.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070720161347/http://www.geogr.uni-goettingen.de/kus/personen/euregio/emr99-21.htm|archive-date=20 July 2007|access-date=13 June 2007|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=History of Belgium|date=30 May 2007|work=World History at KMLA|publisher=Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA)|url=http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/xbelgium.html|access-date=2 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706215841/http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/xbelgium.html|archive-date=6 July 2007|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book|title=Brusselse Thema's in Brussel—Taalverhoudingen, taalverschuivingen en taalindentiteit in een meertalige stad – summary ''The Use of Languages in Brussels''|pages=227–250|language=nl|date=1 June 2001|author=Janssens, Rudi|publisher=Vrije Universiteit Brussel Press, Brussels|isbn=978-90-5487-293-1|url=http://www.briobrussel.be/assets/bt8download.pdf|access-date=2 June 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605012657/http://www.briobrussel.be/assets/bt8download.pdf|archive-date=5 June 2007}}
* {{cite web|title=Belgique • België • Belgien|work=L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde|language=fr|year=2006|author=Leclerc, Jacques|publisher=Host: Trésor de la langue française au Québec (TLFQ), [[Université Laval]], Quebec|url=http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/belgiqueacc.htm|access-date=2 June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608172452/http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/belgiqueacc.htm|archive-date=8 June 2007}}
* {{cite news|title=Bye bye Belgium?|date=20 December 2006|author=Mnookin, Robert|author2=Verbeke, Alain|publisher=International Herald Tribune, republished by [[Harvard Law School]]|url=http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2006/12/20_mnookin.php|access-date=1 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321151959/http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2006/12/20_mnookin.php|archive-date=21 March 2007|url-status=live}}—Reflections on nations and nation-state developments regarding Belgium
{{refend}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}

* {{cite book |title=A History of the Low Countries |author=Arblaster, Paul |edition=Hardcover 312pp |date=23 December 2005 |series=Palgrave Essential Histories |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan, New York |isbn=978-1-4039-4827-4}}
* {{cite book |title=History of the Low Countries |editor=Blom, J. C. H. |editor2=Lamberts, Emiel |translator=Kennedy, James C. |edition=Hardcover 503pp |date=May 1999 |publisher=Berghahn Books, Oxford/New York |isbn=978-1-57181-084-7}}
* {{cite book |title=A History of Belgium from the Roman Invasion to the Present Day |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924027038417 |author=Cammaerts, Émile L.<!--NO WIKILINK to poor stub--> |orig-year=1913 |edition=357pp |year=1921 |publisher=D. Appleton and Co, New York |oclc=1525559 |asin=B00085PM0A}}<br /><!--
-->[Also editions [1913], London, {{OCLC|29072911}}; (1921) D. Unwin and Co., New York {{OCLC|9625246}} also published (1921) as ''Belgium from the Roman invasion to the present day'', The Story of the nations, 67, T. Fisher Unwin, London, {{OCLC|2986704}}]
* {{cite book |title=The History of Belgium: Part 1. Cæsar to Waterloo |author1=de Kavanagh Boulger |author2=Demetrius C. |edition=Paperback 493pp |orig-year=1902 |date=28 June 2001 |series=Elibron Classics |publisher=Adamant Media ([[Delaware corporation]]), Boston, Massachusetts, United States |isbn=978-1-4021-6714-0}} Facsimile reprint of a 1902 edition by the author, London<br /><!--
-->{{cite book |title=Ib. Part 2. 1815–1865. Waterloo to the Death of Leopold&nbsp;I |author=Ib. |edition=Paperback 462pp |orig-year=1909 |date=June 2001 |publisher=Ib |isbn=978-1-4021-6713-3}} Facsimile reprint of a 1909 edition by the author, London
* {{cite book |ref=Fitzmaurice |title=The Politics of Belgium: A Unique Federalism |author=Fitzmaurice, John |author-link=John Fitzmaurice (writer) |edition=Paperback 284pp |year=1996 |series=Nations of the modern world |publisher=Westview Press |place=Boulder, Colorado, US |isbn=978-0-8133-2386-2 |oclc=30112536}}
* {{cite book |title=The Low Countries: History of the Northern and Southern Netherlands |author=Kossmann-Putto, Johanna A. |author2=Kossmann Ernst H. |editor=Deleu Jozef H. M. |translator=Fenoulhet Jane |others=''De Lage Landen: geschiedenis van de Noordelijke en Zuidelijke Nederlanden''. Vlaams-Nederlandse Stichting [[Ons Erfdeel]], [[Rekkem]] |edition=3rd Rev. edition Paperback 64pp |orig-year=1987<!--verified, though @libris (alibris.com) mentions 1987--> |date=January 1993 |publisher=Flemish-Netherlands Foundation Stichting Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem, Belgium |isbn=978-90-70831-20-2 |author2-link=Ernst Kossmann}}

(Several editions in English, incl. (1997) 7th ed.)

{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|voy=Belgium}}

===Government===
* [https://www.monarchie.be/ Official site of the Belgian monarchy]
* [https://www.belgium.be/ Official site of the Belgian federal government]

===General===
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/ Belgium]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607084449/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/belgium.htm Belgium] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* [https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/eur/ci/be/ Belgium] information from the [[United States Department of State]]
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/international/european/belgium/be.html Portals to the World] from the United States [[Library of Congress]]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17205436 Belgium profile] from the [[BBC News]]
* [http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=BEL&subj=1&paia= FAO Country Profiles: Belgium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126041548/http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=BEL&subj=1&paia= |date=26 January 2012 }}
* [http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_22_1.asp Statistical Profile of Belgium at the Association of Religion Data Archives] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028171157/http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_22_1.asp |date=28 October 2014 }}
* {{wikiatlas|Belgium}}
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=BE Key Development Forecasts for Belgium] from [[International Futures]]
* [http://www.visitbelgium.com/ Official Site of the Belgian Tourist Office in the Americas and GlobeScope]

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