Ha un territorio che è un decimo di quello dell’Italia e che confina, a nord, con i Paesi Bassi; a sud e sud-ovest, con la Francia; a est, con la Germania e il Lussemburgo; a ovest, con il Mare del Nord.
Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels
Inside, it appears divided into three regions: Flanders, in the north, where 58% of the population lives and a soft Dutch is spoken. Wallonia, in the south, where French is spoken. The Brussels-Capital region, in the center, administratively and bureaucratically independent (although 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 between 1940 and ’45, during the Hitler dictatorship.
Flanders, the northern region, is enclosed between two rivers: the Scheldt and the Lys. Morphologically, it is nothing more than a large plain, low and sandy in the west, washed by the North Sea, with large dunes and characteristic polders, lands reclaimed from the sea with a bold system of dikes.
In the hinterland there are still flat areas, which only rarely exceed 100 meters in altitude. The official language is Flemish, a soft variant of Dutch, and in tourist locations English is widely spoken at a very good level. The Flemish are predominantly Catholic, but there are also Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic minorities. The cities, such as Antwerp, Bruges, Leuven, Ghent… are timelessly beautiful, with prestigious historical and cultural heritage, all characterized by a lively, welcoming, and cosmopolitan spirit, despite their small size.
Bruges, for example, is nicknamed the Belgian Venice; with its perfectly preserved medieval historic center, it has entered the long list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Wallonia, in the south, is one of the greenest regions in Europe, also including the wild and forested Ardennes area, an eden for lovers of trekking and nature tourism. It is also crossed by navigable rivers like the Meuse and the Sambre, and is a region rich in history, art, villages, and millennial castles. The main centers are Liège, a university city, elegant and modern; Namur, the capital, located at the confluence of the two rivers, and particularly pleasant to explore aboard peaceful bateaux mouches or a tourist train. Charleroi, cradle of comics. Mons, a city of art par excellence. And Waterloo, about twenty kilometers from Brussels, whose memories are inextricably linked to Napoleon’s last battle.
Belgium’s profile
- Country: Belgium
- Area: 30,510 km²
- Capital: Brussels
- Population: 10 million inhabitants
- Language: Dutch (60%), French (40%)
- Religion: the majority is Catholic
- Form of government: constitutional monarchy
- Major cities: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges
Useful information about Belgium
- Currency: Euro
- International dialing code: +32
- International plate: B
- Driving lane: right
- Entry documents: Identity Card or Passport
- Vaccination required: No
- § Electric current: 220V 50 Hz
- Unit of measurement: metric decimal
- Time zone: same as Italy
- Fixed-date holidays: January 1: New Year; January 6: Epiphany; March-April: Easter Monday; March-April: Easter; May 1: Labor Day; Thursday 40 days after Easter: Ascension; Pentecost; 11 days after Pentecost: Corpus Christi; July 11: Flemish Community Day; July 21: Independence Day; August 15: Assumption of Mary; September 27: French Community Day; October 26: National Day; November 1: All Saints’ Day; November 2: All Souls’ Day; November 15: Dynasty Day; December 25: Christmas; December 26: St. Stephen’s Day
- Climate: the climate is cool, temperate and rainy
- Average temperatures: annual average in the country is 7°C in winter, 25°C in summer
- 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 – National Railway Company of Belgium
- Airports: Brussels – Zaventem Airport, Charleroi Airport
