Belgium
Country Name
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium.
Location
It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and
The North Sea to the northwest.
Capital
Brussels.
Reason for naming the country
The name "Belgium" is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that before the Roman invasion in 100 BC, was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and German peoples.
Flag
The Belgium flag was officially adopted on January 23, 1831.
The national flag of the Kingdom of Belgium is a tricolor:
black, yellow, and red.
These colors are symbolic of the country coat of arms.
Black representing the shield;
Gold representing the lion,
Red representing the lion's claws and tongue
The vertical design may be based on the flag of France.
Language
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German.
English is widely spoken as a foreign language.
Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish, Antwerp and Limburgish.
A number of non-official minority languages are spoken as well.
Some sub-dialects may be quite distant from standard Dutch and not be readily intelligible for other Dutch-speakers.
Religion
The main religion in Belgium is Christianity, in particular, Roman Catholic, which is the largest religion in Belgium.
Belgium officially recognizes three religions: Christianity (Catholic, Protestantism, Orthodox churches and Anglicanism), Islam and Judaism.
Currency
Euro
Time Zone
+02:00 GMT
Government Regime
Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Climate
People living in Belgium can expect temperate conditions with mild winters and cool summers that are rainy, humid and cloudy.
International Phone Code
+32
Internet Code
.be