Kingdom of Belgium (en)
Koninkrijk Belgi (nl)
Knigreich Belgien (de)
( Flag of Belgium ) ( Arms of Belgium )
Motto : " Unity is strength "( French , original version) "Eendracht maakt macht ( Dutch ) "Einigkeit macht stark ( German )
Official Languages	Dutch , French , German
Capital	Brussels Hab. 359.94 inhabitants / km 2
Independence - From Austria - From France - The Netherlands - Recognized	1790 1814 1830 1839
Demonym	Belgium (male and female)
GDP (PPP) ( 2008 )	390 billion ( 29th )
GDP (nominal) ( 2008 )	506 billion ( 20th )
HDI ( 2010 )	0.953 (high) ( 18th )
Currency	Euro ( EUR )
Time Zone	UTC +1 (summer +2)
National anthem	The Brabant
Internet domain	. Be
Indicative Telephone	+32

Belgium, officially called the Kingdom of Belgium, Netherlands and in German and under the old regime Belgica or Belgica Regia is a federal state of Western Europe. It is one of six founding members of the European Union which it receives in its capital Brussels , the main institutions (the European Council , the Council of the European Union and European Commission ), as well as other international organizations such as NATO , Eurocontrol or ACP. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 km ² with a population of about ten and a half million inhabitants.

Belgium is surrounded by the Netherlands , the German , the Luxembourg , the France and the North Sea. It stretches over a distance of 318 km between De Panne and Arlon. Its relief is low: it sprawls gradually towards the southeast, peaking at 694 m Botrange signal.

From the late Middle Ages until the politico-religious revolution of the ^sixteenth century , this area is a thriving commercial and cultural center. Almost all of its territory (with the exception of principalities of Liege and Stavelot-Malmedy and the Duchy of Bouillon ) has been convened by the dukes of Burgundy in the ^fifteenth century. Geographers refer to the Belgian provinces (later Belgium) and the provinces of the Netherlands in the north (Holland) under the collective name of Leo Belgicus After the advent of Protestantism under Spanish rule, the Seventeen Provinces are divided and north - the future Netherlands - becomes independent. In the mapping of time means the north under the name Belgia Foederata. The southern, Catholic, Belgia Regia is called because it is a kingdom under the feudal power of the king of Spain, although the country has its own States-General under the authority of a government appointed Council of State. Various powers Europe ( Spain , Austria , France ) will compete during the wars lined with popular revolts motivated by religious rivalries and opposition of the States General at the mercy of foreign rulers who want to eradicate the old franchise pulled over time at all speeds. Meeting in 1815 with former United Provinces to form the Kingdom of the Netherlands , the southern part of the new state became independent in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution of 1830. This is the Kingdom of Belgium still living in the early twenty-first century. The country's recent history was marked by industrialization early in the colonization of the Congo , by the two world wars and the emergence of political conflicts between the two main linguistic communities , the Flemish Community , speaking Dutch and the French Community of Belgium. Note that in Belgium a third official language communities: the speaking Community. It has a legislative autonomy because of its cultural and linguistic minorities, like the other two communities. Belgium also has three official regions: the Flemish Region , the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region.

Belgium is a constitutional monarchy which is the current king Albert II , the sixth king of the Belgians, since 1993. It is a federal state since 1994. On February 17, 2011, Belgium beat world record in the country which is the longest with a government limited to current affairs, and that due to persistent disagreements between political parties. Accordingly, the federal government is constrained in many areas. But Parliament has the power to confer the right to override the current business whenever a majority of deputies and senators decide, especially as regards the implementation of EU directives. In more than 300 days of this regime, the country has been ruled "bare minimum". But training, following the 2006 election, of regional and community has not given rise to political difficulties that affect the formation of the federal government. Also, the powers exercised by these devolved powers do they complement the limited power of the federal government and the country he runs to the astonishment of the stranger who is not accustomed to a seemingly complex system like that of Belgium. But at the cost of this relative complexity that peace was maintained between the Belgians who have experienced war against the alien and have always wanted to protect inner peace.

In Belgium, there are approximately 8.3 million (78% ) of "Belgian descent and 2.7 million residents of foreign origin. They represent 22% of the total population. 56% (1,313,000) of these "new Belgians" are of European origin and 44% (950,000) of non-European origin (Africa, Turkey, Asia). The city of Brussels Capital Region has almost 1.1 million inhabitants.

Physical Geography

The relief of Belgium

The signal Botrange , the highest point of Belgium to 694 m

Situation

The Kingdom of Belgium is located in the northern hemisphere and east of the Greenwich meridian (latitude and longitude). It extends latitude of 2 degrees, Meerle north (51 30 ') to Torgny south (49 30 '), and less than 4 degrees in longitude, Panne as most point to the West (2 33 ') in Manderfeld east (6 24'). Its geographic center is located in Nile St. Vincent , in the Walloon Brabant , 50 38 'north latitude and 04 40' east longitude. It stretches over a maximum distance of 318 km between De Panne and Arlon.

Belgium shares borders with France (645.6 km) south, the Netherlands (459.6 km) to the north of Germany (153.4 km) and Luxembourg (150 , 4 km) east and has 73.1 kilometers of maritime borders along the North Sea. The land area is 30,528 square km and 33,990 sq km territorial waters by adding .

Terrain and climate

Its relief is low: it sprawls out gradually from the coast to the southeast of the country, peaking at 694 m Botrange signal. Three geographical areas can be distinguished: Belgium low (below 100 m altitude), the average Belgium (100 to 200 m) and high Belgium (from 200 to over 500 m). The bass begins after Belgium coast, a strip of sandy beaches and dunes, by polders to sink to the interior with plain and Flemish Kempen. Belgium average rises gradually to the valleys of the Sambre and Meuse is an area that consists of low plateaus loam with fertile plateau in west-Brabant Hainaut and is Hesbaye. South of the Sambre and Meuse begins high Belgium, the region's least populated and most forested country with the Plateau Condroz and valleys of the Meuse and the Ourthe. There is also the country of Herve , which extends east from the Maas and Weser , then the region Fagne - Famenne in southern Condroz, and then further south the Ardennes and is the High Fens which peak at 694 m Botrange signal. There is also the Gaume , or Belgian Lorraine, which has a milder climate, especially on the side of the third cuesta where they grow even vines. The climate is temperate oceanic with regular rainfall, 200 rainy days per year on average , and frequent throughout the year (Cfb in the Kppen classification ). Prevailing winds blow from the south-west.

Hydrography

Because of its population density high, Belgium faces serious environmental problems. A 2003 report suggests that the quality of surface waters in Belgium is the worst of 122 countries surveyed . In the 2008 study on the environmental performance index , Belgium has a total score of 78.4% and is ranked third last country of the European Union, although it is 57 ^th out of 149 countries .

Human geography

Languages

Linguistic communities in Belgium:
Flemish Community Brussels (part of the French and Flemish) French Community Speaking community

The country, meeting of cultures Germanic and Romanic, includes different linguistic and cultural communities. The three official languages are Dutch , the French and German. They are placed on an equal footing at the federal level. Among the regions, only the Brussels-Capital Region (inhabited by nearly 10% of the population) is officially bilingual (French and Dutch). The Flemish Region (inhabited by nearly 58% of the population), north-west, is officially unilingual Dutch. The Walloon Region (inhabited by over 32% of the population), south-east, is officially unilingual French, with the exception of the region speaking Community of Belgium , which includes 75 000 people or less one percent of the Belgian population. Linguistic minorities are present in unilingual regions, their respective sizes can only be estimated, census language is prohibited by law in Belgium. Dutch speakers represent 57% to 60% of the Belgian population, and French 40% to 43% . At the same time as the official languages are spoken regional languages or dialects endogenous. This is the Brabant , the Champagne , the West Flemish , East Flemish , the Frankish Ripuarian of Limburg , of Lorraine , of Luxembourg , the Picard and Walloon. Linguistic diversity often leads to political conflict, linked to other issues (the position of minority arithmetically speaking, the more sociocultural Dutch initially the French language in Brussels , the foreign policy between the wars , Walloon economic problems, especially from the 1960's , etc..), which have created a complex system of government.

Demographics

Population change since 1948 in Belgium.

The Belgian population is spread over the whole territory, with a high density and large disparities (8300000) Old Belgians and 2.7 million residents of foreign origin or New Belgium. These represent 22% of the total population. 56% (1,313,000) of his New Belgians are European (Italy, Portugal, France, Netherlands), and 44% (950 000) are non-European origin (Morocco , Turkey, Congo and others).

Population : 10,988,201 inhabitants ( 2011 )
The country is ^79th in the world rankings by total population
Density : 359.94 inhabitants / km ( 2010 )
The population density is the third largest in the EU after that of Malta and the Netherlands and before the United Kingdom and Germany.
Ages: 0-14 years: 16.85%; 15-64 years: 65.91%; + 65 years: 17.24% ( 2008 )
Male life expectancy: 76 years (in 2007 )
Female life expectancy: 82 years (in 2007 )
Rate of population growth: 0.12% (in 2007 )
Birth rate : 10.29 (in 2007 )
Death rate : 9.51 (in 2007 )
Infant mortality rate: 4.6 (in 2007 )
Fertility rate : 1.65 children born / woman ( 2010 )
Migration rate: 1.22 (in 2007 )
Average size of male: 1.76 m

Religion

Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution. It is a country of tradition Roman Catholic , but who knows some de-Christianization, Christianity loses its dominant character and become almost obligatory for the act of a personal choice of individuals grouped together. In fact, the number of believers in churches has been declining since the fifties .

The most widespread religion remains the Catholic. Others, such as the Islam , the Protestantism , the Judaism and Orthodox Christianity are practiced in Belgium.

Belgium subsidizes churches and non-confessional philosophical organizations recognized in its territory. This feature is included in the section 181 of the Belgian Constitution :

"The salaries and pensions of ministers of religion are borne by the Crown and are necessary to deal with are the annual budget. (...) "

As such, the Belgian government has spent in 2003 :

• Roman Catholic worship: 458.62 million euros
• organized secularism: 75.36 million euros
• Islamic worship: 20.33 million euros
• Evangelical Protestant: 18.80 million
• Jewish worship: 3.21 million
• Orthodox Worship: 2.36 million
• Anglican: 0.46 million euro

A 7 ^th worship could be recognized: Buddhism. It has 30 000 and 50 000 followers.

History

Inhabited since the Mesolithic (stations in the valley of the Meuse ), Belgium experienced a continuous human occupation in prehistoric times (many Neolithic sites) and the early history (many sites in the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Conquered by Rome around 50 BC, the territory is included in Belgian Gaul. As a result of Germanic invasions and throughout the Middle Ages , the territory is divided between the Latin influence ( France , Spain) and Germanic (Netherlands Lo, Holy Roman Empire) by feudal allegiance that share the territory. From the late Middle Ages until the politico-religious revolution of the ^seventeenth century , this area is a thriving commercial and cultural center but does not form the current country. Its almost all (with the exception of the Principality of Lige ) is part of the Seventeen Provinces gathered by the dukes of Burgundy in the ^fifteenth century under the name of Leo Belgicus, which means Lion Belgium / A>. The lion, discovered by the Crusaders in the East has, indeed, influenced heraldry in many European countries that have made this animal a symbol of strength and beauty. After the fall of the Burgundian dynasty and the accession of Charles V , a descendant of the Burgundians and born in Ghent, the Seventeen Provinces are prospering. They collect the fruits of the wars of Charles, who, to his titles of Duke of Brabant and other areas of the Netherlands added that the King of Spain and Emperor Germanic. This dignity, he obtained by joining the votes of the Germanic Diet. But the emergence of Protestantism leads to a repression that is amplified during the reign of Philip II, son of Charles V., and lead to a revolution in anti-Spanish mix including mobile claim of religious freedom to the refusal of taxation more increasingly heavy. But ultimately, only the northern part of the Netherlands which becomes independent on the first name "Belgica Foederata" the future "Nederland", while the south, "Belgica Regia" , representing the future Belgium remains under the dominion of the Spaniards. These, mainly the army and nobles, with ill will consist of the States-General representing the nobility and the people. The split from the Netherlands also produces northern wars with them, staked, and more uprisings in the south. On the other hand, attempts to lead French conquest battles and looting to completing the ^sixteenth century , a century of misery. " Just then Austrian rule by hereditary transmission of the Habsburgs of Spain with those of Austria. This will lead a new revolution that will lead to a brief period of independence under the name "United States Belgiums. But the country was annexed by France in 1793. With the wars of the Empire appear local uprisings which a peasant war due to abuse of conscription, especially in Wallonia. In 1815 , the fall of the Empire, the meeting sought by the major powers, with the former United Provinces to form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. But in two centuries, such differences have emerged between the two major parties Netherlands reconstituted as the southern part rises up against the north and this new revolution leads to independence. This is the Belgian Revolution of 1830. In the subsequent history of Belgium has been marked by industrialization early in the colonization of the Congo , by the two world wars and the emergence of political conflicts between the two main linguistic communities , the Flemings , d The term Dutch , and French.

Prehistory

One of the skulls discovered by Philippe-Charles Schmerling in 1830 Engis - Collection of the Grand Curtius

He came very close to the Neanderthal man , discovered in 1856, bears the name of the community Belgian Spy. There, in 1886 the remains of two human skeletons were identified as contemporaneous with those of Neanderthals: the man of Spy. By 1830, human remains are found in Engis , but they were not directly identified as belonging to a man fossil. During the twentieth ^century, many Paleolithic and Mesolithic sites have been discovered in the valley of the Meuse , primarily in rock shelters and caves Natural ( Hastings , Han-sur-Lesse , Sclayn ) but also in open terrain ( Namur ). The Neolithic (-4000 to Belgium), the human population earns trays Ardenne Condroz and the plains of Flanders and Hesbaye: many occupation sites were studied.

Protohistory

In addition to numerous spurs crossed into the valley of the Semois, hundreds of tombs of the Bronze Age have been identified throughout the country. The territory was in effect in the area of influence of the Celtic civilization of Champagne.

Antiquity

The Roman conquest in Gaul comes around 50 BC. The oldest use of the terms and Belgae Belgica reached us is in the Gallic Wars of Julius Caesar. He divides his conquest of Gaul into three parts: the Gauls proper, Aquitaine and the Belgians. These are separated from Gaul by the Seine and the Marne. Under Augustus , Gaul is divided by Marcus Agrippa in three provinces and one of them is called Belgica. The latter will be reorganized under Domitian which divides it into three new provinces, Gallia Belgica and Germania two. Gallia Belgica will be even further split in two: the Belgica Belgica Prima and Secunda. Belgium is now a remnant of the Roman provinces, the bulk of its territory lies in Germania Inferior (later called Germania Secunda) Belgica Secunda in ^{Middle Ages}

A gradual migration of Germanic tribes Frankish during the ^fifth century took advantage of the slow disintegration of Roman power in Gaul, the territory passed to the Merovingians , unified under the authority of Clovis , at Tournai in 510. His successors will share a territory straddling France and Belgium today. Overthrown in 751 in favor of a coup, the last Merovingian kings cede power to the Carolingians. After a period of stability under Charlemagne, the empire was again divided, in the ninth ^century. The territory of present-day Belgium passes to Lothair, before being divided between the kingdom of France and the Germanic empire. In the late Middle Ages, through the alliances and marriages, most of the territory of Belgium, passed into the hands of the Burgundians, enters the house of Habsburg. Philip the Good , the great unifier, unite the country under the name of Leo Belgicus , as evidenced by an official map of the time. After the fall of his son, Charles the Bold , the country will remain under the authority of the Habsburgs, culminating in Charles Quint. In these times of the Middle Ages, and especially the Burgundian era, when a division of the territory that prefigures more or less, future provinces. It is also the age when cities to uproot feudal rights is called "privileges". The dukes of Burgundy stumble through popular uprisings, but failed to extirpate them. That the States-General of Brabant and other princes that must be resolved to ask for monetary contributions and military.

Modern Times

The Emperor Charles V , a descendant of the dukes of Burgundy, inherits the Seventeen Provinces that it strengthens the union by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 , while weighed down its power over the Principality of Liege , which retains in its internal independence prince bishops ^{Revolutions of 1789 Brabant and Liege and the French annexation}

In 1789-1790, another revolution broke out, this time against the abuse of Austrian absolutism is the Brabant Revolution. The Austrian army is defeated at Turnhout and revolutionaries proclaimed the United States of Belgium , while an uprising broke out in Liege during the absence of the prince-bishop. Heads of Brussels and Liege are trying to agree, but neither of revolutions can be maintained for long because of infighting in Brussels between Statistics (Conservatives) and Vonckistes (liberals) and the return of the prince-bishop Lige supported by Prussia. The Austrians returned in force and relocate, but not for long. They will soon be driven out by the French armed forces .

After the military campaigns of 1794 the French Revolution , the Netherlands Belgium - including territories that have never been under the personal domination of the Habsburgs, as the Principality of Lige - were annexed by the First French Republic , finally putting end the long reign Hispano-Austrian. Wars Napoleonic conscription causing increasingly serious, resulting in an opposition that led to a peasant war in the Walloon part. After the fall of the Empire in 1815 , the Great Powers reunite the Netherlands. This is the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Belgian revolution of 1830

Reunification fails. Under the authority deemed too "Napoleon" of William ^I , the restriction of political and religious freedoms, the political under-representation and the "tax exploitation" of the southern provinces are born Catholic and liberal opposition which led to an alliance between these two great currents of opinion in the South. That unionism is "specifically Belgian and Belgian objections specifically sets forth" . The authority of the regime collapses while in the south, a climate pre-revolutionary reign, the king can not be maintained in Belgium by the use of force .

The Belgian revolution of 1830 results in the defeat of the Dutch army. Despite a brief comeback attempt offensive, the Dutch have to give up Belgium with the consent of the great powers who want to quickly extinguish a fire of sedition as Brussels was swarming with political refugees from all over Europe: nostalgic the republic and the French empire, owned intriguing political sects like the Carbonari , the last supporters of Babeuf and Buonarotti and Polish survivors of the tsarist repression and even South American exiles.

Brussels events arouse the appetites of powers. The French Foreign Minister Talleyrand proposes to annex most of Wallonia and Brussels, leaving Liege (though a Francophile city) in the hands of Prussia , while attracting the complicity of Britain abandoning him in Flanders until 'to the Scheldt, including Antwerp. The Belgian response expressed by Alexander Gendebien , an influential member of the Provisional Government in Brussels January 6, 1831 is clear: the threat of an uprising Belgium General powers who try to carve up the country as did the monarchies under the former regime . In the climate of unrest that Europe is facing is the prospect of seeing the events Belgian contaminate other countries, while the aftermath of the Polish uprising against the Russians and their echoes in Germany are not extinguished, not more than the labor unrest in France where the revolutionary days of July resent the recovery of power by a new monarchy.

This second Belgian independence in less than fifty years led to the recognition by the powers at the London conference in January 1831, a neutral state under the authority of a provisional government and a national convention. With the installation of Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as the first king of the Belgians , Belgium became a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The union between Catholics and liberals, sealed in 1827-1828, was dedicated in 1830 by a compromise: the construction of a liberal state where there is no anti-clerical policy and which Catholicism is recognized as a religion of the majority , all based on a constitution untouchable in their eyes, which guarantees a high number of freedoms compared to other fundamental laws of the time . That unionism is transformed after independence in "a permanent electoral coalition and government, composed of moderate members of both parties who have not forgotten the lessons of the Brabant Revolution" . The country was then ruled by a oligarchy elected to suffrage and capability to majority representation , whose language is the de facto French . The union still existed as the fear of annexation Dutch or French will be strong. The Liberals then create their own party and it will follow a period with a bipolar system between liberal and Catholic. The emergence of a Catholic party organized in 1869 saw the Conservatives in 1884 to settle in power for 30 years, and created the Socialist Workers Party in 1885. The country knows the plural voting to proportional representation on 18 April 1893 and - later and in stages - the universal suffrage and the first advanced linguistic rights as law-Coremans De Vriendt in 1898. It was not until the 10 April 1967 to see a full version of the Dutch Constitution officially recognized and in 1991 for the German version .

Thanks to industrialization since the early beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in the ^eighteenth century , favored by territories densely populated by a continental blockade under Napoleon , Belgium has experienced strong economic growth and becoming a major industrial power . By the intervention of the state, country to rapidly develop the first railway in continental Europe, who will be the densest . It is the cradle of technological advances in many fields such as chemistry with the discovery of a method for industrial production of soda by Ernest Solvay.

By the initiative's second king, Leopold II , who acquired the Congo Free State as a private possession after the Berlin Conference in one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four - 1885 , Belgium became a colonial empire in 1908 after the king bequeathed the sovereignty its field to the Belgian State. The takeover by the State of Congo (77 times the current size of Belgium) wins at the end of 1905 after the report of a commission of inquiry deploring the exploitation of indigenous and abuse they suffer, especially for the harvest of natural rubber ..

First World War

Infantry soldiers participating in the defense of Liege near Herstal in August 1914.

Soldiers of the German occupation in Liege.

In 1914 , the First World War broke out. The German Empire ignore the neutrality of Belgium and invaded by applying the Schlieffen Plan to take back the French armies. The German plan fails because of resistance from the Belgian army to which German strategists do not expect.
After the Battle of Lige , Battle of arrest delivered 5 to 16 August by the Belgian army relied on the strength of the fortified established before the city is the victory of Haelen against the Huns supported by the Infantry and the siege of Antwerp , which begins Aug. 25 by the outputs of the field army from the fortified sugissant built to within 20 kilometers of the city. Three times repulsed the Germans to reach the second ring of forts on September 26 and began the siege itself with their heavy artillery. October 5, the third belt, which consists of high-nineteenth ^century, is crushed and the Belgian army must withdraw Oct. 8. Thus, by acting on the rear of the German Army, the Belgian army helped to relieve the French army attacked the north-eastern France. The Belgian soldiers are more motivated than the enemy is engaged in numerous atrocities against the population on the basis that snipers civilians in guerrilla fighting . This is especially the fighting before Liege and Haelen which accumulate 150,000 German soldiers, deprived the German General Staff to have all its numbers in the Battle of the Marne, which explains the gap left between the German armed a crucial moment in the battle, including General Joffre was able to capitalize in launching his troops. Also, the French press is full of praise it on the resistance of Belgium. As written by The Echo de Paris: "We French, we need to Belgians, more than admiration we owe them a memorable recognition. "A glorious page of contemporary history" writes the French daily "Le journal" Nevertheless, Belgium is finally almost fully occupied. To preserve the last piece of territory starts from 20 October to 17 November, a very tough battle between the Belgo-French-English retreated behind the river Yser and the German army launched repeated assaults that cost him a lot of losses. Flooding of lowlands further strengthen allied defense and, finally, the Emperor of Germany came to attend to what he believes would be a triumph, must go. For the German Empire, hope is lost smash through the coastal plains skirting the allies, especially the French. The Belgian government, based in Sainte-Adresse in France, will remain there throughout the war, but King Albert ^I remain in command of the army that fights for four years on the banks of the Yser defending the last piece of territory remained free.
In occupied Belgium, the German occupiers in 1915 will install a Flamenpolitik for dividing Belgium into two satellite states : Flanders and Wallonia.

In Africa, the army of the Belgian Congo , shoulder the British forces and won several victories against the forces of German East Africa , until the capture of Tabora on 19 September 1916. But it is under a very broad consultation with the British. Also, will he hard to the British Empire - which includes ownership of the entire German colony - concedes the establishment of a military base in Kisumu ^, then Mwanza to allow the supply of troops through the line of railway connecting the towns to the port of Mombasa.

After the war, the fourth part of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 , called Milner-Orts Agreements "gives Belgium the territory of Ruanda-Urundi and a communication by rail with a free port on the coast East of the British East Africa . The release is also an opportunity for King to establish universal male suffrage, through a "little sprain" in Belgian constitutional law .

Between the wars

During the period between the wars , the history of Belgium is similar to the rest of Western Europe: an energetic reconstruction during the Roaring Twenties , an economic crisis between 1931 and 1935 , the emergence of parties fascists with the outbreak Rexists from 1936-1937 around Leon Degrelle and the VNV Flemish Staf de Clercq. Walloon and Flemish movements are also experiencing a radicalization and a strengthening of patriotism after the Belgian at the end of the war. In 1934, King Albert ^I died unexpectedly and his son Leopold III succeeded him. But ministerial instability and national divisions worse, prompting the emergence in some public opinion, a current of political thought authoritarian advocating a strong order which is said to not let the king indifferent. Despite what appears to have been a coup attempt led by an amateur Leon Degrelle , leader of REX , a supporter of Mussolini and tempted by the example of Hitler, democracy is protected, the king does nothing to promote anti drift democratic. In 1936, at his instigation and with the support of parliament and government, Belgium denounced the alliance with the 1920 Franco-British and folds into a strict neutrality , claiming refuse any cooperation with the staffs allies, then even Hitler asserted that the threat border. This is not to provoke Germany, given the depleted state of the Belgian Defence. It is also inadequate former French and British allies, both militarily and politically, that motivates the policy of neutrality accompanied by a massive rearmament program. The sacrifice of Czechoslovakia abandoned by the powers of Hitler's appetite, when the Treaty of Munich, gives everything to fear of future German claims on Belgium if the European powers abandon it as they abandoned Czechoslovakia. The king, who has contacts in the English aristocracy, known by them that the British government thought it could appease the appetite for conquest of Hitler by offering him the Belgian Congo, even compel by force the Belgium to accept. Hitler referred mainly interested in its expansion to the east, is not interested in this project, especially since the Allemage no military means to intervene in Africa. But it is clear that Belgium must be able to defend against attempts to impose a combination containing the bargain of Munich found on the back of Czechoslovakia. But the enemy is above all Germany. Belgium should be able to defend herself, fearing that the English, and perhaps even the French are not guarantees of the rescued. This is the meaning of the regime of armed neutrality voted by parliament, a solution that would hopefully be, avoid being dragged into a conflict between Germany and the Franco-English. By 1938, it is clear that Belgium and France are covered by German imperialism. While Belgium is rearming in the guise of neutrality, information is communicated secretly with France reveals that the intelligence services were convinced that the German attack would be through the south of the Belgian Ardennes. Demonstrated by the French commander in chief Maurice Gamelin who reveals in his memoir "Serve" he had with the Belgian king in person, Leopold III , direct communication with the military attaches . But this general there is no profit to organize its strategy, preferring to rely on the opinion of Marshal Petain, who had declared the Ardennes impractical for a modern army. However, it is by this that will manifest the main offensive of the Wehrmacht.

World War II

In May 1940 , Belgium was again invaded by Germany. Then began the campaign of eighteen days. While the army of the Netherlands flows back to the hastily Zealand before the Blitzkrieg German, the French army at Sedan is pierced, as foreseen in the German plans, which the French had refused to consider despite the information from the French and Belgian intelligence and warnings of King Leopold to General Gamelin French chef who was in direct relationship with the king, as he acknowledged in his memoir "Serve" . The French General Staff had therefore had time to counter the offensive between the entry of the Wehrmacht in the Ardennes, May 10, and his attack on French positions. A delay due to resistance fighters in the Ardennes, an elite squad of the Belgian army, which delayed the Germans for two days because they did not begin to cross the Meuse on the 12th. This drop French at Sedan, was threatening the Belgian army on his right, then it was turned on its left in the wake of the defection of the Dutch (who were about to return four days later) and was itself pierced at its center, on the Albert Canal by the capture of Fort Eben-Emael helpless after twenty-four hours using a new type of explosive German. The army will continue, therefore, have to retreat along the French and English, without them and the Belgians can restore a front face of German attacks root tips that constantly threaten to make the encirclement allies. First is the battle off of the Dender and the Battle of Lys, stopping only battle of the entire country, where the Belgian army resists five days, abandoned by the British Army who retires to re-embark at Dunkirk there without anything being prepared to evacuate Belgians. King resigned on 28 May 1940, after a campaign of eighteen days leaving the army exhausted and ammunition, to accept the surrender. There is evidence that he had warned the commander in chief of the French army from the north, as attested by recordings of radio communications Franco-Belgian military. Attestation made by a Gaullist of the first hour, Colonel Rmy . The king also prevents the British military attach who certify in a book of memoirs. Also, the conflict broke out between the king and the ministers he is less about the capitulation on the date thereof and the question of whether the government should go into exile, taking the king with him. Le roi refuse, estimant que son statut de chef de l'arme lui fait obligation, de par la constitution, de rester avec celle-ci, faute d'tre considr comme dserteur. Le roi tombe alors aux mains des allemands comme prisonnier de guerre et le gouvernement belge, qui veut continuer la guerre, mme sans le chef de l'tat, dclare celui-ci dans l'impossibilit de rgner (de par la constitution qui fait un devoir au gouvernement d'assumer seul ses responsabilits et collgialement, sans le blanc seing royal lorsque le roi n'a plus sa libert d'action).

Le gouvernement du premier ministre Hubert Pierlot, en exil, se rfugie Londres (aprs toute une odysse en France acheve en ce qui concerne Hubert Pierlot et Paul-Henri Spaak , ministre des affaires trangres, par une traverse clandestine de l'Espagne aux mains d'un gouvernement pro allemand). Le gouvernement belge pleinement lgal et disposant du Congo va alors mettre les forces de la colonie, ses productions agricoles et minrales - notamment l'uranium - la disposition des allis. En mme temps, il organise la reconstitution d'une infanterie militaire belge et la participation de trois escadrilles belges dans la Royal Air Force, ainsi que l'effort de la marine marchande au service des allis et la campagne victorieuse des troupes belges d'Abyssinie qui remportent la victoire de Sao contre les Italiens. En Belgique, se dveloppe une rsistance arme soutenue par des parachutages d'armes et des missions de propagande par la radio belge de Londres. Le roi, lui, reste silencieux durant toute l'occupation et ne donne aucun signe apparent d'appui la rsistance, au gouvernement de Londres et la cause allie. Des rvlations publies longtemps aprs la guerre rvlent cependant qu'il a crit par deux fois Hitler pour protester contre des dportations, mais sans autre effet que la menace d'tre dport lui-mme avec sa famille, ce qui finira d'ailleurs par tre excut par les nazis. Il ya aussi eu un change de communications entre le roi et le gouvernement en exil Londres, l'initiative de celui-ci qui tentait un rapprochement dans le but d'apaiser le conflit n en mai 1940. Le propre beau-frre du premier ministre Pierlot se dvoua pour quitter l'Angleterre afin de rentrer clandestinement en Belgique pour apporter au roi une communication du gouvernement en exil. Arrt par les Allemands alors qu'il tentait de quitter le pays pour porter en Angleterre la rponse du roi, il sera excut et l'on ne saura peut-tre jamais ce que l'entrevue avait pu donner.

En mai 1940, des millions de Belges ont pris le chemin de l'exil vers la France, craignant, comme le confirme l'historien Max Lagarrigue , de subir les mmes atrocits que durant la Grande Guerre . Accueillis pour leur grande majorit dans le Midi de la France, ils rentrent pour la plupart en septembre - octobre 1940. Les Allemands vont faciliter et encourager leur retour afin de remettre en marche le bassin sidrurgique belge qui participera l'effort de guerre de l'occupant .

Les Belges vivent sous l'occupation jusqu' la Libration par les forces allies en septembre 1944. Les quatre annes passes sous l'administration militaire allemande, dirige par le gnral Alexander von Falkenhausen , voient notamment la dportation sans retour de 25 000 Juifs du pays vers Auschwitz-Birkenau , avec la collaboration parfois des autorits. La municipalit d'Anvers envoie sa police collaborer aux rafles allemandes, celle de Lige livre l'occupant des listes de juifs, mais celle de Bruxelles s'y refuse et son bourgmestre, le docteur "Jef" Van de Meulebrouck est arrt. Le collge des secrtaires gnraux de ministres se contente de grer le pays comme il le peut, confront aux exigences et aux rquisitions allemandes. Certains secrtaires gnraux seront limogs et remplacs par des collaborateurs des Allemands. Aid des collaborationnistes , l'occupant traque les rsistants qui sont arrts par milliers, souvent torturs et dports en camps de concentration depuis le fort de Breendonk. A la suite d'attentats de la rsistance , prs de 300 otages sont galement fusills en reprsailles. Livr au pillage, la faim et au march noir / A>, the country also saw hundreds of thousands of his men sent to forced labor in Nazi war factories in Germany. Sympathy in some quarters for the Flemish occupier who will not hesitate to stir up division of the Flemish and Walloons and conquer, to help nourish new intercommunal resentments after liberation. Economic cooperation has been strong throughout the country. The Walloon fascist Lon Degrelle original French by his parents before the war and partisan theories of Charles Maurras (French far right), was converted into a pro-Nazi and said, in 1941 , the "Germanic character" of Wallonia. "Volunteers" Flemish and Walloon in Russia will fight alongside the Wehrmacht. After the release of 1944 by the English with the Belgian forces of General Piron, a final German offensive between the Wehrmacht and the SS special troops to American GIs. It's the Battle of the Bulge with its attendant atrocities perpetrated by the SS against the population. But at the end of December 1944, the last German troops were expelled from Belgium.

After the War

Liberation is turbulent. The resistance movements are reluctant to surrender their weapons and dissolve. The recovery plan provides the military commitment of volunteers around the Piron Brigade who helped in the liberation of territory and it will serve as an outlet for the discontent of the community strong. But national exaltation, which may sound like the one we had observed in 1918, is moderated by the effects of incivility and collaboration, much more after the First World War. The context is passionate opposition between the Walloon and Flemish, the first emphasizing the collaboration pro-Nazi circles Flemish VNV heirs of prewar. But the French also had their staff around the Walloon French-born Leon Degrelle. A number of people are condemned judicially . This policy of repression leads to excesses that lead to the resignation of several ministers of justice. That, plus a significant difference in climate in Flanders brings out a new claim in the Flemish movement: amnesty . In addition to law enforcement and amnesty applications, the royal question weighs heavily on the country's political life: King Leopold III , transferred into the Reich in June 1944 , can not return home after his release in May 1945, because his "political testament" written in spring 1944, unfriendly to the Allies and the government in exile and ignoring the resistance, showed his shift with the government Pierlot, public opinion and the general trend of the world.

Questioning the system

The issue of return of the king crystallizes around a political cleavage and Community: the Social Christians and the vast majority of the Flemings are in favor, the other parties and the majority of Walloons hostile . This question leads to the royal abdication of Leopold III and the enthronement of his son Baudouin in July 1951. Political parties also compete in a new school war in the 1950s with the epilogue as the Covenant School in 1958 , with a power different depending on the region, foreshadowing the next important language divide and community problems ^, .

Colonies

The Belgian colonial presence in Africa ends in 1960 with the independence of the Congo and in 1962 with that of Burundi and Rwanda which Belgium since the end of the First World War, the mandatory power by the League of Nations to have driven the German troops. The two wars have put the Belgian Congo with the contribution to raising black soldiers - commanded by Belgian officers - and the casualties that resulted. First, from 1914 to 1918 , during the two campaigns that drove the Germans in German East Africa. Then, in 1941 and 1942 , in victory against Italian troops in Ethiopia. Besides the dead and wounded, a major civil participation was organized by the Belgians during the wars with the organization of supply columns, while agriculture and mineral resources were exploited to support the war effort. It is especially during the Second World War that the Belgian Congo's mineral wealth was used to reinforce the role of Belgium in the Allied camp, including the exploitation of tin, copper and uranium.

After the war, the League of Nations (LON) gave a mandate to Belgium on a portion of the former German colony of East Africa. But it was in conditions that wanted to rely on what a committee of the League considered to be the local ethnic traditions that it was imperative for the Belgians to meet. It was to maintain the policy of social division of German colonizers. Long after, when the Rwandan genocide in 1994 , the result of fierce controversy, with the discovery of the consequences of Belgian colonial policy which had continued the policy of former German colonial divide between communities Hutu and Tutsi following pressures of the League of Nations. However, in recent years of the Belgian presence, we wanted to end the legacy of this situation, which had imposed the mention of ethnicity on identity cards. But a tradition of nearly a century, located in the popular consciousness, could disappear. A ruling elite was substituted for Belgians to further strengthen an opposition that eventually escalate into deadly conflict. Supported by the British policy which resumed its ideology of expansion in the Congo Basin, immigrants succeeded in ending the civil war by imposing their law and the English language, so that the country was part of Francophone states since Belgian colonial rule, sought and obtained entry into the British Commonwealth in 2007.

After 1960

In 1960, Belgium was also shaken by a political crisis. To cope with the difficulties posed by the loss of the Belgian Congo and the new conditions of economic competition in Europe, the socio-Christian coalition and develop a liberal economic stimulus program and austerity - the only law - resulting in winter 1960-1961 the largest general strike that Belgium has ever known. This is initiated by the Walloon part of the FGTB and is much followed in Wallonia, where it is accompanied by the threat of splitting the country from the activists Walloon . These events mark the beginning of the crystallization of the language divide that leads to new legislation which the binding language of the linguistic border, the division of the University of Louvain , and above marks the end of the Belgian unitary state through the creation of Communities in 1970 and the Regions in 1980 by a series of revisions to the constitution . The 1980s were marked by the transition to a federal state that is officially recognized by the constitution of 1993.

The 1960s and 70s saw the Flanders region becoming the most productive and then the richer the country, and sometimes English replace French as their first foreign language in Flanders. The decline resulted from a Walloon divestment on large private holdings. Set in the 1990s, reform of pension system in Belgium has brought industry, government and unions to seek higher economic growth by addressing the problems of early retirement and the low employment rate of older workers in Wallonia.

European and International Relations

Belgium has participated in the birth of the European Union with the creation of Benelux on 5 September 1944 , creating the European Coal and Steel Community on 18 April 1951 and the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957.

Previously, Belgium has signed the Brussels Treaty in 1948 and NATO on 4 April 1949.

As a NATO member, Belgium contributed to the common defense effort of countries signatory to the end of the Cold War. Since, as in other Western countries, the military effort was released, the area occupation of "niche" Belgian in Germany was abandoned and the military service was abolished. The defense is reduced to an army career that retains the basic components of the ground force, naval and air, but an effort to modernize weaponry is made which is disputed by any party. Also, Belgian troops land and air were they sent to Afghanistan, after participation in air operations of NATO in Yugoslavia. In 2011, the Belgian government unanimously approved by the federal parliament decided on a military contribution to operations in Libya. In conjunction with the air forces of the United States, France and other European countries, Belgian Air Force sent six fighter bombers participate in operations F.16 fly sky Libyan decided by the Council of Security Issues UN to prevent the Libyan aircraft to bomb the people revolted against the Gaddafi regime.

Etymology

The first mention of the Belgica we arrived in the Gallic War , recounting the conquest of territory by Julius Caesar. These terms disappear almost entirely after the great invasions by persisting only in the writings of some church. They do not reappear until the second half of the ^ninth century after the split of the empire of Charlemagne , with the creation of Lorraine. Clerics at the time Belgica use the term to describe the kingdom of Lothair II of Gallia located between Charles the Bald and the Germania of Louis the German. The names Belgae, Belgica Gallia Belgica disappear back to the ^twelfth century after the death of Lorraine. "Its inhabitants are called Belgae. In the eyes of clerics ancient spice of purism, the word is a monstrous barbarism Lotharingia. Belgica is much more noble name has a real sound ancient. After the fragmentation of Lorraine, to the late twelfth ^century, the use of terms Belgae, Belgica Gallia Belgica in their meaning "Lotharingian disappears completely from the political vocabulary. They reappear in the Dukes of Burgundy .

The ^fifteenth and ^sixteenth centuries , the different areas occur gradually under the same authority. The term reappears Belgica humanists of the Renaissance but its use remains limited in intellectual circles but fills a need because we look for common denominators for these principalities. Under Philip the Good , duke of Burgundy unifying the provinces of what is known as a very general name "the Burgundian Netherlands, appears the name" Leo Belgicus "meaning Lion Belgium , which is reflected on maps drawn by a lion whose silhouette covers more or less the geographic shape of Burgundian possessions. Another term is: Belgium, Belgia. At that time, Belgium, the Netherlands , the Luxembourg and northern France today were known as the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces, covering more or less the territory of the Seventeen Provinces, but the principality Cork has always been an enclave. Later, after the popular uprising against the oppressive policies of the successor of Charles V , the division of the seventeen provinces of the Burgundian Netherlands gives birth to two names to designate the two countries, "Belgica Foederata" for the Netherlands Lower North 'Belgica Regia "to the South, they occupy on the map of Western Europe, instead of what would later be one of modern Belgium. The ^seventeenth and ^eighteenth centuries , the word Belgium becomes an administrative term and therefore also the name of an allegory representing the nymph of the Netherlands. The semantic is reduced, however, after the division of Seventeen provinces resulting from the war of Eighty Years : It is increasingly used to speak only of the southern provinces and its people but is a synonym including Dutch Dutch. The United States of Belgium (Belgium then being a qualifier) is the official name of the nation emerged from the ephemeral Brabant revolution of 1789. That being said Verenigde Nederlandse Staten Verenigde Belgische Staten or in Dutch during the annexation by France , and the meeting of the Principality of Lige to the French Republic . The Belgian then current term to describe the inhabitants of the regions of the present Kingdom of Belgium. In 1830, the word becomes a noun Belgium and Belgian replaces the word as a qualifier.

Politics

Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary including the present king is Albert II , the sixth king of the Belgians.

Federal State

Belgium is a federal state since 1994 composed of different entities. The Constitution Belgium described as follows:

• Title 1
  • Art. 1 Belgium is a federal state consisting of communities and regions.
  • Art. 2 Belgium has three communities : French Community , Flemish Community and speaking Community.
  • Art. 3 Belgium has three regions : the Walloon Region , the Flemish Region and Brussels Region ,
  • Art. 4 Belgium has four linguistic regions: the French-speaking region, the Dutch-speaking region, the bilingual region of Brussels-Capital Region and the German language.

The Belgian population is divided as follows: 1.1 million people live in the Brussels region (9.74%), 6.1 million in the Flemish region (57.80%) and 3.4 million in Wallonia (32, 46%). Belgium has three official languages: the German , the French and Dutch.

Political organization

The political structure of Belgium is mainly regulated by the Belgian Constitution and by laws to special majority decision in pursuance thereof.

Federal Government

• At the federal level, the legislature consists of the House of Representatives (150 members) and Senate (71 seats), elected every four years. The federal legislature drafts laws and controls the executive branch. It is exercised by Parliament and the king.
• The executive branch consists of the king, ministers and secretaries of State (Prime Minister is a primus inter pares). The executive leading the country in regard to national matters (armies, domestic and foreign affairs, finance, etc..). It ensures that laws are applied in concrete and they are respected. From 25 November 2009 to 22 April 2010 , Belgian Prime Minister was Yves Leterme (resigned) from the party CD & V
• The judiciary is, in turn exercised by courts and tribunals. It declares itself in litigation. It also reviews the lawfulness of executive acts.

Joint Commission in Brussels

Community areas of Brussels, a bilingual city, is managed or jointly by French and Dutch speakers within the CoCCom Community Commission (Joint) or separately depending on group membership language of concerned citizens, in COCOF (French Community Commission) or the FCC (Flemish Community).

Political parties

All major parties have since the federalization of the country in 1970, the representatives of their linguistic community. Exceptions, the environmentalists , Flemish and Walloon Ecolo Groen, forming a united political group in the federal parliament. But the socialist parties, former Christian Socialists and liberals are divided between French and Flemish which occasionally enter into agreements on the basis that approximates that of the socialist doctrine, liberal humanist or social for former Christian. It speaks, in this case, "family" policy, the Open-VLD for Flanders with the MR for the Walloon Region, the socialist parties, PS and SP French Flemish Christian Democrat parties both in Flanders and Brussels Wallonia CD V and CDH. The creation of training "minor" is regularly attempted and is also not a new phenomenon. It was known in the sixties and later, training anti-tax and, later, the birth of separatist formations. Only training Vlaams Blok became Valaam Belang, and in 2010, Flemish NVA have been relatively successful up to represent 27% of the vote, but only in Flanders. This represents only 16% of the votes at a general level of Belgian voters.

Political crisis

After the federal elections of 10 June 2007 , the liberal parties and the Social Christians tried in vain to form a government. This serious crisis of several months, against a background of deep disagreement community constituted a fact unprecedented in the country's political history. An agreement reached more than six months after the elections in December 2007 ended (provisional) to this crisis by establishing a government "transitional" led by outgoing Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. On March 20, 2008, after nine months of negotiations, Yves Leterme became prime minister and the new government is installed . But the resignation of Prime Minister Yves Leterme July 15, 2008 (although not accepted by Belgium's King Albert II) plunges the country into the uncertainty of a political crisis by not allowing the extension of the current government as a form of increasingly truncated and plotting the hot topics at later dates, relaunching the debate on whether to vote in advance in 2009, during the regional elections, and thus to unify again the legislative and regional elections. He suggested the resignation of his government on 19 and 22 December 2008, and King Albert II finally accepts the second offer to resign. The Government Van Rompuy oath before the King December 30, 2008 and replaces the government Leterme.

A poll by the newspaper La Voix du Nord and Le Soir in early July 2008 revealed that 49% of respondents favor Walloons, among many theoretical possibilities, a part of France if Belgium split, then they don ' were 29% in January of that year ^,. But elections grant only 1.5 to 0.5% of the vote in lists of small parties advocating annexation to France. This disparity between the opinions and votes seems to be common in Belgium, because such differences had already proved in the recent past.

Following the election of Herman Van Rompuy the post of President of the European Council , Prime Minister Yves Leterme returns on 25 November 2009 and forms a new government. On April 22, 2010, Belgium plunged into another political crisis with the resignation request of the Government following the conflict between French and Dutch language on issues concerning the court district and electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde , in this two months of the Presidency of the European Union must assume that the country from ¹ July 2010. On April 26, 2010, King Albert II , after a mediation attempt, agreed that the government's resignation, but the royal decree endorsing it does not appear in the official newspaper Le Moniteur Belge. Yet the government is restricted to not care, therefore, that current affairs on the basis of budget appropriations voted by the parliament, called provisional twelfths, which represent the budget required to operate in Belgium every month. You should know that the notion of current affairs is variable and can go far if you know a government in current affairs, endorsed by the king at the time, had signed the Treaty of Lisbon and could be approved by a parliament that did not have the same majority of this government.

New elections were held June 13, 2010 and see the breakthrough of the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie , the Flemish independence party chaired by Bart De Wever . As three years earlier, parties have difficulty in forming a government. On 25 December 2010, this crisis becomes the longest in Belgian political history with 195 days without government ^{, ,} . On 8 January 2011, the European record is beaten (208 days without government) . On 17 February 2011, the world record is beaten with 249 days without government.

Foreign policy

Belgium is a founding member of the European Union and of NATO. It is home to the main institutions of the two international organizations. Belgium is also a member or is affiliated with many international organizations such as ACCT , NEA , IDA , IEA , IAEA , AfDB , ADB , EIB , Benelux , EBRD , IDB , IBRD , BIS , CCC , CE , CERN , IOC , UNCTAD , Zangger Committee , CPA , EAPC , ICC , ESA , FAO , IFAD , IFRCS , IMF , Australia Group , NSG , G-10 , Inmarsat , Interpol , ISO , MICR , UNMIK , MONUC (observers), ICAO , OECD , OAS (observer), NATO , IHO , OPCW , IOM , ILO , WTO , IMO , WMO , WIPO , WHO , UN , UNIDO , UNTSO , OSCE , IFC , EU , EMU , WEU , ITU , UNECE , UNESCO , UNHCR , UNMOGIP , UNRWA , UPU.

Environmental Policy

Kyoto Protocol

Signed April 29, 1998 and approved May 21, 2002 by all EU members, which is now a condition for accession, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force February 16, 2005. Under the protocol, Belgium must reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases by 7.5% compared to emissions in 1990. It has therefore divided its reduction commitment between the regions and the federal government as follows:

• Walloon region: -7.5%
• Flemish Region: -5.2%
• Brussels Region: 3.475%
• The federal government will cover the shortfall by purchasing emission reductions related to the flexibility mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol (+ / - 2.46 million tonnes of CO2 per year)

Because jurisdiction is very cross between the regions and federal institutions were created 2:

• The National Climate Commission (Consultation on records intrabelge)
• Group Greenhouse (Dialogue on international issues)

Organisation of the Belgian Federal Government

Coat of arms of Belgium

Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary. The head of state is King Albert II, but the power is exercised by a bicameral parliament and a government, elected every four years. Distributions reflect the public's language, the country is divided since 1970 into three linguistic communities and three territorial regions. The Constitution was amended in 1993 to adopt a federal system to prevent breakage between Dutch and French. Despite this, political tensions, cultural, linguistic and economic still exist between the two communities. Flemish political party, the Vlaams Belang , and promotes the independence of Flanders in the short term while a small minority Francophone party, the RWF , wants the annexation of Wallonia and Brussels to France. These two movements have denominational Republican by nature. However, in practice, the country retains some characteristics confederal.

The Belgian federalism is built on the concept of equipoise standards , that is to say that the level of federal power does not take precedence over federal entities. A decree passed in the Walloon Parliament and can not be contradicted by a Belgian law. Moreover, as the federated entities have, in essence, the exclusive powers (including internationally), the same jurisdiction can not be owned by both the federal entities and the Belgian State.

In 1980 during the creation of regions, the Flemish were immediately transferred all their powers to the regional Flemish Community , as permitted by the Constitution. The six members of Parliament from the Flemish Region Brussels-Capital, however, does not vote decrees on regional matters.

The federal government is in the hands of Prime Minister and his government. Since the elections of June 2007 the Christian Democrats (Flemish community) and the Francophone Liberals (French community) together have a majority in the House of Representatives (81 of 150 seats). The federal government has jurisdiction in all areas of national interest, such as defense and international affairs, any social security, 95% tax, economics, telecommunications and major powers semi-federalized, as in the field of scientific research, and education (age of compulsory education, diplomas, etc.)..

Communities - French, Flemish Germanophone, - are responsible for culture and education (schools, libraries, theaters, visual ...) and assistance to people. Regions - Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels-Capital - dealing with territorial and economic problems (transport, land use plan ...) for the area that concerns them. Communities and Regions have mastered, in addition, international relations relating to the matters within their competence, with the exception of aid to the Third World in these areas.

Each province and municipality belongs to Region, and is subject to its supervision.

Federated entities and subdivisions specific

Main cities of Belgium

Regions

Regions ( Wallonia , Flanders and Brussels-Capital Region ) are the constituent entities primarily responsible for matters concerning regional economy.

• The legislature consists of a parliament elected by region, whose mandate is renewed every five years to maturity is the same for all three regions (the next is scheduled for June 2013). The regional parliament drafts of decrees having the force of law in the regional expertise (infrastructure, transport, tourism, budget, etc..) And controls the regional executive.
• The executive is appointed from among the elected members of Parliament, it enforces federal laws and decrees regional.
• There is no regional judiciary, justice is but a federal judicial districts reflect the linguistic realities of their territory.

Communities

Communities ( French Community , Flemish Community and speaking Community ) are federal entities that are competent for cultural matters and manage the so-called person. Communities are subsidized by the federal government.

• The legislature consists of a parliament elected by region, whose mandate is renewed every five years to maturity is the same as for the three regions (the next is scheduled for June 2013). The EU parliament drafts of decrees having the force of law within the powers assigned (education, use of languages recognized, early childhood and youth welfare, etc.)..
• Executive power is exercised by community ministers elected from among the elected members of Parliament of the Community. Member governments of the three communities can also sit in a Regional Government

Provinces

The provinces represent a political intermediary between the Region and the municipality. Belgium (outside the Brussels region which is a provincial land almost devoid of provincial institutions, with the exception of a governor), is divided into ten provinces, who directly depend Regions :

Flemish provinces in French and Dutch (with towns in parentheses):

Regions and provinces of Belgium

• Antwerp ( Antwerp ) - Antwerpen (Antwerp)
• Flemish Brabant ( Leuven ) - Vlaams-Brabant (Leuven)
• West Flanders ( Bruges ) - West-Vlaanderen (Brugge)
• East Flanders ( Ghent ) - Oost-Vlaanderen (Gent)
• Limburg ( Hasselt ) - Limburg (Hasselt)

Walloon provinces in French and Dutch (with towns in parentheses):

• Walloon Brabant ( Wavre ) - Waals-Brabant (Waver)
• Hainaut ( Mons ) - Henegouwen (Bergen)
• Lige ( Lige ) - Luik (Luik)
• Luxembourg ( Arlon ) - Luxemburg (Aarlen)
• Namur ( Namur ) - Namen (Namen)

List of Belgian provinces (and local)

Culture

Night of partying Flagey

Belgian cultural life has tended to develop in each community. The communal elements are less numerous, partly because of the lack of bilingual university, apart from the Royal Academy of common media or cultural organizations or significant scientific where all communities are represented. These specified items, in Belgium itself is culturally known for its fine art and architecture. It should be noted that the Internet is also an element of communal divide in that both communities will participate in virtually any online communication that is common in cultural, scientific, technical or even hobbies, French frequenting circles French and Flemish organizing them.

The area now in Belgium was the birthplace of major artistic movements that had a major influence on European art. The Mosan art , Flemish painting of the Renaissance , painting baroque , architecture Romanesque , Gothic , Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau and classical music of the Renaissance are major elements of art history.

The Surrealists are widely represented in Belgium with artists like Ren Magritte or James Ensor , it even says that Surrealism is the soul of Belgium. Painters and friends of Vincent van Gogh , Eugene Boch and Anna Boch are from La Louviere.

Holidays and Celebrations

Array of festivals and national holidays ^Education

• Belgian educational system
• Secondary schools in Belgium
• Academies of Music and Art in Belgium
• Universities in Belgium
• Francophone universities in Belgium
• Graduate studies in Belgium
• Royal Conservatory

Sport

Economy

Justice

Army

The Belgian Army account in 2005, 26 400 men in the Army, 8600 in aviation 2400 in the Navy and the Medical Service 2000, a total of 39 400 men. Recruitment is mainly based on voluntary career since the suspension of military service (the ¹ March 1995 ). There are also the principles of voluntary reserve (military or civilian career having signed an undertaking) and mandatory only for members of this framework and, for a fixed term.

Miscellaneous

Semois, near Bouillon

• Belgian media
• Criminal courts (Belgium)

• Landlines: 4,718,682 or 44.9 per 100 inhabitants ( 2006 ); source INS (statbel.fgov.be)
• Phones: 9659819 or 91.9 per 100 inhabitants (in 2006 ); source INS (statbel.fgov.be)
• Radios: 8.075 million (in 1997 )
• Televisions: 3,556,235 (in 2001 ); source INS (statbel.fgov.be)
• Internet users: 5.5 million (in 2006 ) or 52.6% of the population; source INS (statbel.fgov.be)
• Number of ISPs: 10 (in 2007 ), source (www.astel.be)
• Roads: 151,372 km ( 2006 ) as follows :
  • Brussels Capital Region-1 881 km
  • Walloon region: 79 708 km
  • Flemish Region: 69,783 km;
• Railways: 3,521 km ( 2005 )
• Waterways: 2 043 km
• Number of airports: 43 (including 25 with paved runways) (in 2006 )

Personalities Belgian

• Designers Herg ( Tintin ), Franquin ( Gaston Lagaffe ) Jij ( Jean Valhardi ), Peyo ( The Smurfs ), Maurice Tillieux ( Gil Jourdan ), Will ( Tif and Tondu ), Edgar P. Jacobs ( Blake and Mortimer ), Greg ( Achilles Heel ), Lambil ( The Blue Tunics ), Morris ( Lucky Luke ), Willy Vandersteen ( Suske en Wiske ) and Philippe Geluck ( Cat ) (see also the category of Belgian designers )
• Writers Georges Simenon ( Maigret ), Henri Michaux , Maurice Lent , Philip Riemaecker , Francois Weyergans , Amelie Nothomb , Maurice Maeterlinck , Emile Verhaeren and Christian Dotremont (see also the category of Belgian writers )
• The painter Ren Magritte , Paul Delvaux , Felicien Rops , James Ensor , Spilliaert and Theo Van Rysselberghe (see also the category of Belgian painters )
• Photographers Grooteclaes Hubert , Marcel Lefrancq , Harry Gruyaert , Pierre Houcmant , Norbert Ghisoland , Gustave Marissiaux , Raoul Ubac
• Architects Victor Horta , Henry van de Velde , Alphonse Balat , Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (see also the category of Belgian Architects )
• Directors Chantal Akerman , Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne , Andr Delvaux , Grard Corbiau , Benedict Marriage and Jaco Van Dormael (see also the category of Belgian directors )
• The actress Yolande Moreau , Emily Dequenne , Nade Dieu , Cecile de France , Marie Gillain , Lapiower Helen , Circe Lethem and Natacha Regnier (see also the category of actresses Belgian )
• Actors Jan Decleir , Fernand Gravey, Olivier Gourmet , Benoit Poelvoorde , Jeremie Renier and Jean-Claude Van Damme (see also the category of Belgian actors )
• The TV hosts Virginia Efira , Sandrine Corman , Gilles Verlant , Christine Ockrent
• The singers Jacques Brel , Salvatore Adamo , Arno , Philippe Lafontaine , Pierre Rapsat , Jos van Dam and Stromae (see also the category of Belgian singers )
• The singer Lio , Keane , Lara Fabian , Annie Cordy and Axelle Red (see also the category of Belgian singer )
• The bands dEUS , Girls in Hawaii , Summer 67 , Clouseau , Lords of Acid , K's Choice , Hooverphonic , the Belgian Asociality , Channel Zero , Enthroned , The Scabs , Sttellla , Front 242 and Urban Trad (see also the category Category: Group Belgian music )
• The comedy The Brothers floats , Raymond Devos , Francis Pirette , Virginia Hocq , Alain Doucet , Francois Damiens and Philippe Geluck (see also the category of Belgian comics )
• Sportsmen Eddy Merckx (cycling), Johan Museeuw (cycling), Raymond Ceulemans (billiards), Joel Robert and Stefan Everts (motocross), Jean-Michel Saive (table tennis), Paul Van Himst (football), Jacky Ickx (Form 1) and Tom Boonen (cycling), Robert Van de Walle (judo), Olivier Rochus and Xavier Malisse (tennis), Enzo Scifo (football), Lei Clijsters (Football) (see also the category of sports Belgian )
• The sports Justine Henin , Kim Clijsters and Yanina Wickmayer (tennis), Ingrid Berghmans (judo), Tia Hellebaut (heptathlon and high jump) and Kim Gevaert (Athletics - Sprint) (see also the category of sports Belgian )
• Scientists Adolphe Quetelet (statistician), Gram Znobe (creator of the dynamo), Etienne Lenoir (combustion engine), Georges Lematre (theorist of Big Bang ), Ernest Solvay ( chemist ), Ilya Prigogine ( Nobel Prize in Chemistry ), Christian de Duve ( Nobel Prize in medicine in 1974 ) and Dirk Frimout (astronaut and scientist)
• Various Grevisse Maurice , Joseph Hanse (grammarians)

Codes

Belgium has the code:

• B , according to the list of international codes of plates ,
• BE , according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (list of country codes), code alpha-2
• BE , according to the list of country codes used by NATO , alpha-2 code,
• BEL , as the list of country codes IOC ,
• BEL , as the list of country codes used by NATO , code alpha-3,
• BEL , according to the standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 (list of country codes)
• OO , according to the list of prefixes ICAO aircraft registration ,
• . Be , according to the list of Internet ccTLD (country code Top-Level Domain)

References

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