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Belgium

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

   Koninkrijk België
   Royaume de Belgique
   Königreich Belgien
   Kingdom of Belgium

   Flag of Belgium Coat of arms of Belgium
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: Dutch: Eendracht maakt macht
   French: L'union fait la force
   German: Einigkeit macht stark
   (English: "Unity Makes Strength")
   Anthem: " La Brabançonne" (The Song of Brabant)
   Location of Belgium
   Capital Brussels
   50°54′N 4°32′E
   Largest city Brussels, Antwerp^1
   Official languages Dutch, French, German
   Government Federal constitutional monarchy
    - King Albert II
    - Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
   Independence from Netherlands
    - Declared October 4, 1830
    - Recognised April 19, 1839
   Accession to EU March 25, 1957
   Area
    - Total 30,528 km² ( 140th)
   11,787 sq mi
    - Water (%) 6.4
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 10,419,000 ( 77th)
    - 2001 census 10,296,350
    - Density 342/km² ( 29th)
   886/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2004 estimate
    - Total $316.2  billion ( 30th)
    - Per capita $31,400 ( 12th)
   HDI  (2004) 0.945 (high) ( 13th)
   Currency Euro ( €)^2 ( EUR)
   Time zone CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST) CEST ( UTC+2)
   Internet TLD .be^3
   Calling code +32
   ^1 Brussels is the largest urban area, Antwerp is the largest city with
   legal status.
   ^2 Prior to 1999: Belgian franc.
   ^3 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European
   Union member states.

   This is a featured article. Click here for more information.

   The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België; French: Royaume de
   Belgique; German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in northwest Europe
   bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France and is one
   of the founding and core members of the European Union. Belgium has a
   population of over ten million people, in an area of around 30,000
   square kilometres (11,700 square miles).

   Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Romance Europe,
   Belgium is linguistically divided. It has two main languages: 60%,
   mainly in the region Flanders, speak Dutch (while Belgians of both
   major languages often refer to it as Flemish) ; French is spoken by 40%
   in the southern region Wallonia and in the officially bilingual
   Brussels-Capital Region which also includes a Dutch-speaking minority.
   Less than 1% of the Belgian people, live in the German-speaking
   Community in the east of the country. This linguistic diversity often
   leads to political and cultural conflict and is reflected in Belgium's
   complex system of government and political history.

   Belgium derives its name from the Latin name of the most northern part
   of Gaul, Gallia Belgica, named after a group of mostly Celtic tribes,
   Belgae. Historically, Belgium has been a part of the Low Countries,
   which also include the Netherlands and Luxembourg and used to cover a
   somewhat larger region than the current Benelux group of states. From
   the end of the Middle Ages until the seventeenth century, it was a
   prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the sixteenth century
   until the Belgian revolution in 1830, Belgium, at that time called the
   Southern Netherlands, was the site of many battles between the European
   powers, and has been dubbed "the battlefield of Europe" or "the cockpit
   of Europe". More recently, Belgium was a founding member of the
   European Union, hosting its headquarters, as well as those of many
   other major international organisations, such as NATO.

History

   Over the past two millennia, the area that is now known as Belgium has
   seen significant demographic, political and cultural upheavals. The
   first well-documented population move was the conquest of the region by
   the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC, followed in the 5th century
   by the Germanic Franks. The Franks established the Merovingian kingdom,
   which became the Carolingian Empire in the 8th century. During the
   Middle Ages, the Low Countries were split into many small feudal
   states. Most of them were united in the course of the 14th and 15th
   centuries by the house of Burgundy as the Burgundian Netherlands. These
   states gained a degree of autonomy in the 15th century and were
   thereafter named the Seventeen Provinces.
   The Seventeen Provinces (orange, brown and yellow areas) and the
   Bishopric of Liège (green area). For a detailed description, see
   Seventeen Provinces.
   Enlarge
   The Seventeen Provinces (orange, brown and yellow areas) and the
   Bishopric of Liège (green area). For a detailed description, see
   Seventeen Provinces.

   The history of Belgium can be distinguished from that of the Low
   Countries from the 16th century. The Eighty Years' War (1568–1648),
   divided the Seventeen Provinces into the United Provinces in the north
   and the Southern Netherlands in the south. The southern provinces were
   ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs. Until
   independence, the Southern Netherlands were sought after by numerous
   French conquerors and were the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and
   Franco-Austrian wars during the 17th and 18th centuries. Following the
   Campaigns of 1794 in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Low
   Countries—including territories that were never under Habsburg rule,
   such as the Bishopric of Liège—were overrun by France, ending
   Spanish-Austrian rule in the region. The reunification of the Low
   Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the end
   of the French Empire in 1815.
   Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave
   Wappers (1834), in the Ancient Art Museum, Brussels
   Enlarge
   Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave
   Wappers (1834), in the Ancient Art Museum, Brussels

   The 1830 Belgian Revolution led to the establishment of an independent,
   Catholic and neutral Belgium under a provisional government. Since the
   installation of Leopold I as king in 1831, Belgium has been a
   constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Between
   independence and World War II, the democratic system evolved from an
   oligarchy characterised by two main parties, the Catholics and the
   Liberals, to a universal suffrage system that has included a third
   party, the Labour Party, and a strong role for the trade unions.
   Originally, French, which was the adopted language of the nobility and
   the bourgeoisie, was the official language. The country has since
   developed a bilingual Dutch-French system.

   The Berlin Conference of 1885 agreed to hand over Congo to King Leopold
   II as his private possession, called the Congo Free State. In 1908, it
   was ceded to Belgium as a colony, henceforth called the Belgian Congo.
   Belgium's neutrality was violated in 1914, when Germany invaded Belgium
   as part of the Schlieffen Plan. The former German colonies
   Ruanda-Urundi—now called Rwanda and Burundi—were occupied by the
   Belgian Congo in 1916. They were mandated in 1924 to Belgium by the
   League of Nations. Belgium was again invaded by Germany in 1940 during
   the blitzkrieg offensive. The country was occupied until the winter of
   1944-45 when it was liberated by Allied troops. The Belgian Congo
   gained its independence in 1960 during the Congo Crisis, and
   Ruanda-Urundi became independent in 1962.

   After World War II, Belgium joined NATO and, together with the
   Netherlands and Luxembourg, formed the Benelux group of nations.
   Belgium is also one of the six founding members of the 1951 established
   European Coal and Steel Community, and the 1957 established European
   Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community. Belgium hosts
   the headquarters of NATO and a major part of the European Union's
   institutions and administrations, including the European Commission,
   the Council of the European Union and the extraordinary and committee
   sessions of the European Parliament, as well as parts of its
   administration.

   During the 20th century, and in particular since World War II, the
   history of Belgium has been increasingly dominated by the autonomy of
   its two main communities. This period saw a rise in intercommunal
   tensions, and the unity of the Belgian state has come under scrutiny.
   Through constitutional reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, regionalisation
   of the unitary state had led to the establishment of a three-tiered
   system of federalism, linguistic-community and regional governments, a
   compromise designed to minimise linguistic tensions. Nowadays, these
   federal entities uphold more legislative power than the national
   bicameral parliament, whereas national government still controls nearly
   all taxation, over 80% of the finances of the community and region
   governments, and 100% of the social security.

Government and politics

   Guy Verhofstadt, Prime Minister since July 1999
   Enlarge
   Guy Verhofstadt, Prime Minister since July 1999

   Belgium is a constitutional popular monarchy and parliamentary
   democracy that evolved after World War II from a unitary state to a
   federation. The bicameral parliament is composed of a Senate and a
   Chamber of Representatives. The former is a mix of directly elected
   senior politicians and representatives of the communities and regions;
   while the latter represents all Belgians over the age of eighteen in a
   proportional voting system. Belgium is one of the few countries that
   has compulsory voting, thus having one of the highest rates of voter
   turnout in the world.

   The federal government, formally nominated by the king, must have the
   confidence of the Chamber of Representatives. It is led by the Prime
   Minister. The numbers of Dutch- and French-speaking ministers are equal
   as prescribed by the Constitution. The King or Queen is the head of
   state, though with limited prerogatives. Actual power is vested in the
   Prime Minister and the different governments, who govern the country.
   The judicial system is based on civil law and originates from the
   Napoleonic code. The Court of Appeal is one level below the Court of
   Cassation, an institution based on the French Court of Cassation.

   Belgium's political institutions are complex; most political power is
   organized around the need to represent the main language communities.
   Since around 1970, the significant national Belgian political parties
   have split into distinct components that mainly represent the interests
   of these communities. The major parties in each community belong to
   three main political families: the right-wing Liberals, the centrist
   Christian Democrats, and the left-wing Social Democrats. Other
   important younger parties are the Green parties and, especially in
   Flanders, the nationalist and far-right parties. Politics is influenced
   by lobby groups, such as trade unions and business interests in the
   form of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium.

   The current king, Albert II, succeeded King Baudouin (Boudewijn in
   Dutch) in 1993. Since 1999, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from the VLD
   has led a six-party Liberal-Social Democrat-Greens coalition, often
   referred to as 'the rainbow government'. This was the first government
   without the Christian Democrats since 1958. In the 2003 elections,
   Verhofstadt won a second term in office and has led a Liberal-Social
   Democrat coalition of four parties. In recent years, there has also
   been a steady rise of the Flemish far right nationalist separatist
   party Vlaams Blok, meanwhile superseded by Vlaams Belang amidst
   allegations of racism promoted by the party.

   A significant achievement of the two successive Verhofstadt governments
   has been the achievement of a balanced budget; Belgium is one of the
   few member-states of the EU to have done so. This policy was applied by
   the successive governments during the 1990s under pressure from the
   European Council. The fall of the previous government was mainly
   because of the dioxin crisis, a major food intoxication scandal in 1999
   that led to the establishment of the Belgian Food Agency. This event
   resulted in an atypically large representation by the Greens in
   parliament, and a greater emphasis on environmental politics during the
   first Verhofstadt government. One Green policy, for example, resulted
   in nuclear phase-out legislation, which has been modified by the
   current government. The absence of Christian Democrats from the ranks
   of the government has enabled Verhofstadt to tackle social issues from
   a more liberal point of view and to develop new legislation on the use
   of soft drugs, same-sex marriage and euthanasia. During the two most
   recent parliaments, the government has promoted active diplomacy in
   Africa, opposed a military intervention during the Iraq disarmament
   crisis, and has passed legislation concerning war crimes. Both of
   Verhofstadt's terms have been marked by disputes between the Belgian
   communities. The major points of contention are the nocturnal air
   traffic routes at Brussels Airport and the status of the electoral
   district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde.

Administrative divisions

         CAPTION: Belgium is divided into three communities and into three
                                                                  regions.

                 Flemish Community

                  (Dutch speaking)
                                  French Community
                                                           German-speaking
                                                                 Community
                    Flemish region
                                    Walloon region
                                                   Brussels-Capital region

   The country's constitution was revised on 14 July 1993 to create a
   unique federal state, based on three levels:
    1. The federal government, based in Brussels.
    2. The three language communities:
          + the Flemish (i.e., Dutch-speaking) Community;
          + the French (i.e., French-speaking) Community;
          + the German-speaking Community.
    3. The three regions (which differ from the language communities with
       respect to the German-speaking community and the Brussels region):
          + the Flemish region;
          + the Walloon Region; and
          + the Brussels-Capital Region.

   Conflicts between the bodies are resolved by the Court of Arbitration.
   The setup allows a compromise so distinctly different cultures can live
   together peacefully.

   The Flemish Community absorbed the Flemish Region in 1980 to form the
   government of Flanders. The overlapping boundaries of the Regions and
   Communities have created two notable peculiarities: the territory of
   the Brussels-Capital Region is included in both Flemish and French
   Communities, and the territory of the German-speaking Community lies
   wholly within the Walloon Region. Flemish and Walloon regions are
   furthermore subdivided in administrative entities, the provinces.

   At the highest level of this three-tiered setup is the federal
   government which manages foreign affairs, development aid, defence,
   military, police, economic management, social welfare, social security
   transport, energy, telecommunications, and scientific research, limited
   competencies in education and culture, and the supervision of taxation
   by regional authorities. The federal government controls more than 90
   per cent of all taxation. The community governments are responsible for
   the promotion of language, culture and education in mostly schools,
   libraries and theatres. The third tier is the Regional governments, who
   manage mostly land and property based issues such as housing,
   transportation etc. For example, the building permit for a school
   building in Brussels belonging to the public school system would be
   regulated by the regional government of Brussels. However, the school
   as an institution would fall under the regulations of the Flemish
   government if the primary language of teaching is Dutch, but under the
   French Community government if the primary language is French.

Geography, climate, and environment

   Brussels, Antwerp (Antwerpen), Ghent (Gent), Charleroi, Liège, Bruges
   (Brugge) and Namur are the seven largest cities of Belgium, with
   populations above 100,000
   Enlarge
   Brussels, Antwerp (Antwerpen), Ghent (Gent), Charleroi, Liège, Bruges
   (Brugge) and Namur are the seven largest cities of Belgium, with
   populations above 100,000

   Belgium, with an area of 30 528 square kilometres (11,787  sq. mi), has
   three main geographical regions: the coastal plain in the north-west,
   the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands in the south-east. The
   coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Polders are
   areas of land, close to or below sea level that have been reclaimed
   from the sea, from which they are protected by dikes or, further
   inland, by fields that have been drained with canals. The second
   geographical region, the central plateau, lies further inland. This is
   a smooth, slowly rising area that has many fertile valleys and is
   irrigated by many waterways. Here one can also find rougher land,
   including caves and small gorges.
   Landscape in the Hautes Fagnes, in the Ardennes
   Enlarge
   Landscape in the Hautes Fagnes, in the Ardennes

   The third geographical region, called the Ardennes, is more rugged than
   the first two. It is a thickly forested plateau, very rocky and not
   very good for farming, which extends into northern France. This is
   where much of Belgium's wildlife can be found. Belgium's highest point,
   the Signal de Botrange is located in this region at only 694  metres
   (2,277  ft).

   The climate is maritime temperate, with significant precipitation in
   all seasons ( Köppen climate classification: Cfb; the average
   temperature is 3 °C (37°F) in January, and 18°  C (64 ° F) in July; the
   average precipitation is 65  millimetres (2.6  in) in January, and
   78 millimetres (3.1 in) in July).

   Because of its high population density and location in the centre of
   Western Europe, Belgium faces serious environmental problems. A 2003
   report suggested that the water in Belgium's rivers was of the lowest
   quality in Europe, and bottom of the 122 countries studied.

Economy

   Densely populated, Belgium is located at the heart of one of the
   world's most highly industrialised regions. Currently, the Belgium
   economy is heavily service-oriented and shows a dual nature with a
   dynamic Flemish part and Brussels as its main multilingual and
   multi-ethnic centre and a GNP/person which is one of the highest from
   the European union, and a Walloon economy that lags roughly one quarter
   behind (in GNP/person).
   Steelmaking along the Meuse River at Ougrée, near Liège.
   Enlarge
   Steelmaking along the Meuse River at Ougrée, near Liège.

   Belgium was the first continental European country to undergo the
   Industrial Revolution, in the early 1800s. Liège and Charleroi rapidly
   developed mining and steelmaking, which flourished until the mid-20th
   century. However, by the 1840s the textile industry of Flanders was in
   severe crisis and there was famine in Flanders (1846–50). After World
   War II, Ghent and Antwerp experienced a fast expansion of the chemical
   and petroleum industries. The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy
   into a prolonged recession. The Belgian steel industry has since
   experienced serious decline. This has been responsible for inhibiting
   the economic development of Wallonia. In the 1980s and 90s, the
   economic centre of the country continued to shift northwards to
   Flanders. Nowadays, industry is concentrated in the populous Flemish
   area in the north.

   By the end of the 1980s, Belgian macroeconomic policies had resulted in
   a cumulative government debt of about 120% of GDP. Currently, budget is
   in balance and public debt is equal to 94.3 % of GDP (end 2005) PDF. In
   2004, the real growth rate of GDP was estimated at 2.7% but is expected
   to fall to 1.3% in 2005.

   Belgium has a particularly open economy. It has developed an excellent
   transportation infrastructure of ports, canals, railways and highways
   to integrate its industry with that of its neighbours. Antwerp is the
   second-largest European port. One of the founding members of the
   European Union, Belgium strongly supports the extension of the powers
   of EU institutions to integrate the member economies. In 1999, Belgium
   adopted the euro, the single European currency, which replaced the
   Belgian franc in 2002. The Belgian economy is strongly oriented towards
   foreign trade, in particular of high value-added goods. The main
   imports are food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and
   petroleum products, chemicals, clothing and accessories, and textiles.
   The main exports are automobiles, food and food products, iron and
   steel, finished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products, and
   nonferrous metals. Since 1922, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a
   single trade market within a customs and currency union—the
   Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union. Its main trading partners are
   Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United
   States and Spain. Belgium ranks ninth on the 2005 United Nations Human
   Development Index.

Demographics

   Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels is the National Basilica of
   Belgium. It stands as a symbol of the historical link between the
   Belgian monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church.
   Enlarge
   Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels is the National Basilica of
   Belgium. It stands as a symbol of the historical link between the
   Belgian monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church.

   The population density (342 per km² or 886 per sq. mi) of Belgium is
   one of the highest in Europe, after that of the Netherlands and some
   microstates such as Monaco. The areas with the highest population
   density are around the Brussels-Antwerp- Ghent- Leuven agglomerations,
   also known as the Flemish Diamond, as well as other important urban
   centres as Liège, Charleroi, Mons, Kortrijk, Bruges, Hasselt and Namur.
   The Ardennes have the lowest density. As of 2005, the Flemish Region
   has a population of about 6,043,161, Wallonia 3,395,942 and Brussels
   1,006,749. Almost all of the population is urban (97.3% in 1999). The
   main cities and their populations are Brussels (1,006,749), Antwerp
   (457,749), Ghent (230,951), Charleroi (201,373), and Liège (185,574).

   About 58 percent of the country is Dutch-speaking, 41 percent
   French-speaking, and less than 1 percent German-speaking. Brussels,
   with 8% of the country's population, is officially bilingual
   (French-Dutch). Brussels evolved from a mainly Dutch-speaking city when
   the Belgian state became independent in 1830, with at that time only
   French as an official language. A large majority of its population
   (estimated at around 85 or 90%, which cannot been precisely known,
   since there is no more census) is registered as Francophone; this
   includes a large amount of Brussels residents of foreign stock who
   adopted French as their second (after their mother tongue) or main
   language.

   Both the Dutch spoken in Belgium and the Belgian French have minor
   differences in vocabulary and semantic nuances from the varieties
   spoken in the Netherlands and France. Many people can still speak
   dialects of Dutch but concerning the Walloon it is only understood and
   spoken occasionally, mostly by elderly people. These dialects, along
   with some other ones like Picard or Limburgish, are not used in public
   life.

   The laicist constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the
   government generally respects this right in practice. According to the
   2001 Survey and Study of Religion, about 47 percent of the population
   identify themselves as belonging to the Catholic Church. According to
   these figures, the Muslim population is the second-largest religious
   community, at 3.5 percent (see Religion in Belgium). Since
   independence, Catholicism, counterbalanced by strong freethought and
   especially freemason movements, has had an important role in Belgium's
   politics, in particular via the Christian trade union ( CSC/ACV) and
   the Christian Democrat parties ( CD&V, CDH).

   The vast majority of Belgians are either Flemish or Walloon. Together,
   they constitute a little over 85 percent of the population. The
   remaining 15% is largely made up of (in order of size) Italians,
   Moroccans, French, Turks and Dutch.

   An estimated 98 percent of the adult population is literate. Education
   is compulsory from the ages of six to 18, but many Belgians continue to
   study until the age of about 23. Among the OECD countries in 1999,
   Belgium had the third-highest proportion of 18–21-year-olds enrolled in
   postsecondary education, at 42 percent. Nevertheless, in recent years,
   concern is rising over functional illiteracy. In the period 1994–1998,
   18.4 percent of the population lacked functional literacy skills.
   Mirroring the historical political conflicts between the freethought
   and Catholic segments of the population, the Belgian educational system
   in each communities is split into a laïque branch controlled by the
   communities, the provinces, or the municipalities, and a subsidised
   religious – mostly Catholic – branch controlled by both the communities
   and the religious authorities – usually the dioceses. It should however
   be noted that – at least for the Catholic schools – the religious
   authorities have very limited power over these schools.

Culture

   Belgian cultural life has tended to concentrate within each community.
   The shared element is less important, because there are no bilingual
   universities, except the royal military academy, no common media, and
   no single, common large cultural or scientific organisation where both
   main communities are represented.
   The Tower of Babel, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, (1563) oil on board,
   now found in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum
   Enlarge
   The Tower of Babel, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, ( 1563) oil on board,
   now found in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum

   Belgium is well-known for its fine art and architecture. The region
   corresponding to today's Belgium has seen the flourishing of major
   artistic movements that have had tremendous influence over European
   art. The Mosan art, the Early Netherlandish, the Flemish Renaissance
   and Baroque painting, and major examples of Romanesque, Gothic,
   Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and the Renaissance vocal music
   of the Franco-Flemish School developed in the southern part of the Low
   Countries, are milestones in the history of art. Famous names in this
   classic tradition are Jan van Eyck, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Peter
   Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck.

   This rich artistic production, often referred to as a whole as Flemish
   art, gradually declined during the second half of the 17th century.
   However, in the 19th and 20th centuries, many original artists
   appeared. In music, Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1846. Henri
   Vieuxtemps, Eugène Ysaÿe and Arthur Grumiaux were major 19th- and
   20th-century violinists. Perhaps the most famous Belgian composer of
   this time was César Franck. The first Belgian singer to successfully
   pursue an international career is the pioneer of varieté and pop music
   Bobbejaan Schoepen. Jazz musician Toots Thielemans is world famous, so
   is singer Jacques Brel. In rock music Front 242, dEUS are well known
   (See also Music of Belgium). In architecture, Victor Horta was a major
   initiator of the Art Nouveau style. Belgium has produced famous
   romantic, expressionist and surrealist painters; these include Egide
   Wappers, James Ensor, Constant Permeke and René Magritte. In
   literature, Belgium has produced several well-known authors, such as
   the poets Emile Verhaeren and novelists Hendrik Conscience and Georges
   Simenon. The poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck won the Nobel
   Prize in literature in 1911. The best known Franco-Belgian comics are
   The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé but many other major authors of
   comics have been Belgian, including Edgar P. Jacobs, Willy Vandersteen
   and André Franquin.

   More recently, notable Belgian cinema directors have emerged, most of
   them strongly influenced by French cinema. The absence of a major
   Belgian cinema company has forced them to emigrate or participate in
   low-budget productions. Belgian directors include Stijn Coninx, Luc and
   Jean-Pierre Dardenne; actors include Jan Decleir, Marie Gillain; and
   films include Man Bites Dog (film) and The Alzheimer Affair. In the
   1980s, Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts produced the important
   fashion trendsetters, the Antwerp Six.

   Belgium has also contributed to the development of science and
   technology. Mathematician Simon Stevin, anatomist Andreas Vesalius and
   cartographer Gerardus Mercator are among the most influential
   scientists from the beginning of the Early Modern Age in the Low
   Countries. More recently, at the end of the 19th century, in applied
   science, the chemist Ernest Solvay and the engineer Zenobe Gramme have
   given their names to the Solvay process and the Gramme dynamo. Georges
   Lemaître is a famous Belgian cosmologist credited with proposing the
   Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe in 1927. Three Nobel
   Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded to Belgians: Jules
   Bordet in 1919, Corneille Heymans in 1938, and Albert Claude and
   Christian De Duve in 1974. Ilya Prigogine was awarded the Nobel Prize
   in Chemistry in 1977.

   On December 1, 2005, Father Damien was chosen as the Greatest Belgian
   of all time by the Flemish VRT, whereas the Walloons chose Jacques
   Brel.

   One cannot understand Belgian cultural life without considering the
   folk festivals, which play a major role in the country's cultural life.
   Examples are the Carnival of Binche and Aalst, the Ducasse of Ath, the
   procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges, the 15th-of-August festival in
   Liège, and the Walloon festival in Namur. A major non-official holiday
   is the Saint Nicholas Day, which commemorates the festival of the
   children and, in Liège, of the students.

   Cycling is especially popular. Among the well known cyclists, Eddy
   Merckx won five Tours de France and is considered one of the best
   cyclists ever because of his numerous victories in the Tour as well as
   other bicycle races.

   Belgium has two current female tennis champions: Kim Clijsters and
   Justine Henin-Hardenne. Football is also very popular.

   Belgium is well known for its cuisine. Many highly ranked restaurants
   can be found in the high-impact gastronomic guides, such as the
   Michelin Guide. Brands of Belgian chocolate, like Neuhaus and Côte
   d'Or, are world renowned and widely sold; even the cheapest and most
   popular brand, Leonidas, has earned a reputation for its quality.
   Belgium produces over 500 varieties of beer (see Belgian beer).
   Belgians have a reputation for loving waffles and French fries (both
   originated at Belgium). The national food is steak (or mussels) with
   French fries and lettuce.

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of United Kingdom  United Kingdom  Image:Template
   CanadianCityGeoLocation West.png   North Sea Flag of Netherlands
   Netherlands
   North Flag of Germany  Germany
   West    Flag of Belgium  Belgium     East
   South
   Flag of France  France Flag of Luxembourg  Luxembourg
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium"
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