Saturday 16 May 2009

Belgium


The Kingdom of Belgium is a country innorthwest Europe. It is a founding member of theEuropean Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizatsions, including NATO and the OECD. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 km2 (11,787 square miles) and has a population of about 10.7 million.

Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home for two main linguistic groups, the Flemings and the French-speakers, mostly Waloons, plus a small group of German speakers.

Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, with 59% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 31%. The Brussels- capital region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within theFlemish region, and has 10% of the population.A small German-speaking communiti exists in eastern Wallonia.Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of goverment.


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