It has a territory that is one tenth of that of Italy and which borders, to the north, with the Netherlands; to the south and south-west, with the French; to the east, with the Germany and the Luxembourg; to the west, with the North Sea.
Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels
Inside, it appears divided into three regions: Le Flanders, to the north, where 58% of the population is concentrated and soft Dutch is spoken. There Wallonia, to the south, where French is spoken. The region of Brussels, centre, administratively and bureaucratically independent (albeit physically a Flemish enclave) and officially bilingual, despite the vast majority of the population speaking French.
There is also a small German-speaking community, which includes the areas ceded by Germany to Belgium, in 1919 and re-annexed to it, between 1940 and '45, at the time of Hitler's dictatorship.
Le Flanders, northern region, are enclosed between two rivers: lo Scheldt and the Lys. Morpholigically, are nothing but a large plain, low and sandy to the west, washed by the North Sea, with large dunes and the characteristic polders, land reclaimed from the force of the sea with a daring system of dikes.
In the hinterland, flat areas still dominate, which only rarely exceed 100 meters above sea level. The official language is Flemish, a sweet variant of Dutch and English is widespread in tourist areas and is spoken at an excellent level. THE Flemings they are overwhelmingly Catholic, but there are Protestant, Jewish and Islamic minorities. Cities, how Antwerp, Bruges, Leuven, Ghent… are of timeless beauty, with prestigious historical and cultural heritages, all characterized by a lively, welcoming and cosmopolitan spirit, despite their small size.
Bruges, for example, is nicknamed la Venice Belgian; with its medieval historic center, perfectly preserved, it has entered the long list of assets Unesco World Heritage Site.
La Wallonia, to the south, is one of the greenest regions in Europe, it also includes the wild and wooded area of the Ardennes, an Eden for lovers of trekking and naturalistic tourism. It is also crossed by navigable rivers such as the Mosa , Samber, and it is also a region rich in history, art, villages and thousand-year-old castles. The main centers are Liege, university city, elegant and modern; Namur, the capital, located at the confluence of the two rivers, and particularly pleasant to discover on board a quiet bateax mouches or a tourist train. Charleroi, cradle of comics. Mons, city of art par excellence. And Waterloo, about twenty kilometers from Brussels, whose memories are inextricably linked to Napoleon's last battle.
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Belgium: see also
The Belgium card
- Country: Belgium
- Area 30.510 km²
- Capital: Brussels
- Population: 10 million inhabitants
- Language: Dutch (60%), French (40%)
- Religion: the majority is Catholic
- State law: constitutional monarchy
- Major cities: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Brugge
Useful information about Belgium
- Currency: Euro
- Country code: +32
- International license plate: B
- Driving lane: right
- Entry documents: Identity Card or Passport
- Vaccination required: NN
- § Electric current: 220V 50Hz
- Unit of measure: decimal metric
- Jet lag: as in Italy
- Fixed date holidays: January 1st: New Year's Eve; January 6: Epiphany; March-April: Easter Monday; March-April: Easter; May 1st: Labor Day; Thursday 40 days after Easter: Ascension; Pentecost; 11 days after Pentecost: Corpus Christi; 11 July: Flemish Community Day; July 21: Independence Day; August 15: assumption of Mary; 27 September: Francophone Community Day; October 26: national holiday; November 1: All Saints' Day; November 2: Day of the Dead; November 15: Dynasty Day; December 25: Christmas; December 26: Boxing Day
- Climate: the climate is cool, temperate and rainy
- Average temperatures: the annual average in the nation in winter is 7°, in summer 25°
- Transportation: National airline SN Brussels Airlines; and many others with direct flights to Belgium Alitalia, Virgin Express, Ryanair, On Air, etc. Trains: Trenitalia, German Railways (Die Bahn), RailEurope, Eurostar, Thalys; internal connections with SNCB – Belgian National Railway Company
- Airports: Brussels – Zaventem Airport, Charleroi Airport
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