The State of Belgium was founded in 1830, when it gained independence from the Netherlands. Even as long ago as that, this little country had a long previous history, with periods under foreign rule by Spain, Austria and France respectively. In 1831 Leopold I of Saxony-Coburg-Saalfeld became the first ‘King of the Belgians’. King Albert II reigns over the country these days.
Belgium played a key part in founding the European Union. The capital of Brussels is known widely as the heart of Europe as it also is the capital of the European union. Furthermore, Brussels is the seat of the NATO.
Population
There are about 10,400,000 Belgians. Belgium is a trilingual country: 60% of the population speaks Dutch, nearly 40% of the population is French speaking and less than 1% of the population speaks German. It is important to know that Belgians also speak fluent English.
- Population growth rate: 0.4%
- Life expectancy: 78.62 years
- Median age: 40.55 years
- Religions: 75% Roman Catholic, 25% Protestant or other
Useful facts
Flag: three equally-sized vertical bands of black on the hoist side, yellow and red
Currency: euro - EUR - €
Time zone: Beijing is 7 hours ahead of Belgium
Weights and measures: the metric system
