About Belgium

Belgium (officially the Kingdom of Belgium, Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique) is a federal state in Western Europe. It is located between the North Sea and the Ardennes, bordering the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France. As of January 1, 2022, Belgium had approximately 11.6 million inhabitants on an area of 30,688 square kilometers. With 377 inhabitants per square kilometer, Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The degree of urbanization in Belgium, at nearly 98 percent, is the highest in Europe. Brussels is the capital and the seat of the Belgian royal family, the federal government, and the center of the Brussels-Capital Region. The most populous cities are Brussels (1.222.000), Antwerp (530.000), Ghent (265.000), Charleroi (202.000), Liège (195.000), Bruges (118.000), Namur (112.000), Leuven (102.000), Mons (96.000), and Aalst (88.000).

Since its independence in 1830 and the adoption of its constitution in 1831, Belgium has been a parliamentary hereditary monarchy. However, its history stretches much further back: “Belgium is a country with a young state but a long history” (Christoph Driessen). Belgium comprises four linguistic regions. The northern part of the country, home to the Flemish population, is Dutch-speaking, while the southern part, inhabited by the Walloons, is French-speaking. The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual but predominantly French-speaking. In the German-speaking region in eastern Belgium, Standard German and dialects are common.

Belgium is a founding member of the European Economic Community, now the European Union, whose main institutions are based in its capital, Brussels. Alongside the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium is also a member of the Benelux Economic Union.