Belgium

Located in Western Europe, Belgium shares borders with France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Belgium is divided into three regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.

Capital is Brussels

The three official languages are Dutch, French, and German.

Population, 11,736,085. Size, 30,528 km^2.

Official currency is the Euro.

The major religions are Roman Catholic and Atheist.

Major cities include Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, and Liege.

The national dish is Moules-Frites, mussels and french fries. Principal crops include sugar beets, chicory, flax, cereal grains and potatoes.

Belgium's climate has moderate temperatures, abundant cloud cover, and frequent participation. It is cool and wet due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean.

Belgium holds the world record for the longest period without a government. The Law Courts of Brussels is the biggest courthouse in the world. It’s among the most densely populated countries in Europe. Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world, polishing and shaping 85% of the world’s rough diamonds before they go to stores. Brussels takes the second place after New York City in terms of international presence. Belgium experiences some of the most congested traffic in Europe. Coast Tram is the world’s longest tram line, doing a roundtrip in 2:20 hours. Some of the world’s best painters come from Belgium including, Peter Paul Rubens, René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, James Ensor, and Jan Van Eyck. Belgium was the first country in continental Europe to undergo the Industrial Revolution. Belgium erected Europe’s first skyscraper. Belgium was the second country worldwide to legalize homosexuality. French fries owe their creation to the Belgians, not the French. The national symbol of Belgium is a urinating boy. Belgium has a 70% divorce rate. Lastly, Belgium is home to some of the world’s best music festivals.