Belgium - bĕlˈjəm, Du. België, Fr. La Belgique, officially Kingdom of Belgium, constitutional kingdom (1995 est. pop. 10,082,000), 11,781 sq mi (30,513 sq km), NW Europe. Belgium is bordered on the N by the Netherlands and the North Sea, on the E by Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and on the W and SW by France.
Brussels is the capital and
Antwerp is the chief commercial center and one of the world's major ports. Other important cities include
Ghent and Liège.
Land and People The terrain is low lying except in the Ardennes Mts. in the south. It is crossed by the
Meuse and Scheldt rivers and by a network of canals. Belgium is one of the most densely populated nations in Europe. Historically, the country comprises two ethnic and cultural regions, generally called Flanders and Wallonia—Flanders embracing the northern provinces of
East Flanders,
West Flanders,
Antwerp,
Limburg, and part of
Brabant, and Wallonia comprising the remainder of Brabant,
Hainaut,
Liège,
Luxembourg, and
Namur. The dividing line runs roughly east-west just S of Brussels. Dutch is the official language in Flanders, while French is official in the south. The French-speaking people are commonly called
Walloons, although the term once referred chiefly to those people in the area of the city of
Liège who spoke Walloon, a French dialect. Brussels is bilingual, and German is spoken in a small section of Liège province. About three quarters of the population is Roman Catholic; the balance is largely Protestant, although there are Islamic and Jewish minorities in the cities. There are universities in Brussels, Ghent, Liège,
Louvain,
Mons, and Antwerp. The country also has numerous colleges, and schools of music, architecture, and art. Many cities (most notably Bruges and Ghent) have preserved their medieval architecture and art, which attract thousands of tourists annually. The North Sea coast is popular in the summer. Economy Belgium's economy is reliant on services, transportation, trade, and industry. Coal mining, which has declined in recent years, and the production of steel, chemicals, and cement are concentrated in the Sambre and Meuse valleys, in the
Borinage around Mons,
Charleroi,
Namur, and Liège, and in the Campine coal basin. Liège is a major steel center. A well-established metal-products industry manufactures bridges, heavy machinery, industrial and surgical equipment, motor vehicles, rolling stock, machine tools, and munitions. Chemical products include fertilizers, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and plastics; the petrochemical industry is concentrated near the oil refineries of Antwerp. Textile production, which began in the Middle Ages, includes cotton, linen, wool, and synthetic fibers; carpets and blankets are important manufactures. Ghent,
Kortrijk,
Tournai, and
Verviers are all textile centers;
Mechelen,
Bruges, and Brussels are celebrated for their lace. Other industries include diamond cutting (Antwerp is an important diamond center), cement and glass production, and the processing of leather and wood. Over 75% of Belgium's electricity is produced by nuclear power. Belgian industry is heavily dependent upon imports for its raw materials. Most iron comes from the Lorraine basin in France, while nonferrous metal products made from imported raw materials include zinc, copper, lead, and tin. Exports include iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, and petroleum products. Industrial centers are linked with each other and with the main ports of Antwerp and Ghent by the Meuse and Scheldt rivers and their tributaries, by a network of canals (notably the
Albert Canal), and by a dense railroad system. Belgium has much fertile and well-watered soil, although agriculture engages only a small percentage of the workforce. The chief crops are wheat, oats, rye, barley, sugar beets, potatoes, and flax. Cattle and pig raising as well as dairying (especially in Flanders) are also important. Processed foods include beet sugar, cheese, and other dairy items; beer and other beverages are manufactured. Government Belgium is a federal parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy. It has a bicameral legislature with a 72-member senate and a 150-seat chamber of representatives. The king is the official chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. Political divisions fall into three main groups–Christian Democrats, Liberals, and Socialists–each of these again divided into political parties constituted along linguistic lines. The country is divided into ten provinces and the capital region. History The Beginnings of Belgium Belgium takes its name from the Belgae, a people of ancient
Gaul. The Roman province of Belgica was much larger than modern Belgium. There the
Franks first appeared in the 3d cent. a.d. The Carolingian dynasty had its roots at
Herstal, in Belgium. After the divisions (9th cent.) of Charlemagne's empire, Belgium became part of
Lotharingia and later of the duchy of Lower Lorraine, which occupied all but the western part of the
Low Countries. In the 12th cent., Lower Lorraine disintegrated; the duchies of Brabant (see
Brabant, duchy of) and
Luxembourg and the bishopric of Liège took its place. The histories of these feudal states and of
Flanders and Hainaut constitute the medieval history of Belgium. The salient development was the rise of the cities (e.g., Ghent, Bruges, and Ypres) to virtual independence and economic prosperity through their wool industry and trade. In the 15th cent., all of present Belgium passed to the dukes of
Burgundy, who strove to curtail local liberties. Simultaneously the wool industry declined, mainly because of English competition. With the death (1482) of
Mary of Burgundy a period of foreign domination began (see
Netherlands, Austrian and Spanish for the period from 1477 to 1794). Belgium was occupied by the French during the
French Revolutionary Wars and transferred from Austria to France by the Treaty of
Campo Formio (1797). After the defeat (1815) of Napoleon at Waterloo, just S of Brussels, Belgium was given to the newly formed kingdom of the Netherlands (the decision was made at the Congress of Vienna; see
Vienna, Congress of). Under King
William I of the Netherlands, the Belgians resented measures that discriminated against them in favor of the Dutch, especially in the areas of language and religion. A rebellion broke out in Brussels in 1830, and Belgian independence was declared. William I invaded Belgium but withdrew when France and England intervened in 1832. The Kingdom of Belgium Belgian independence was approved by the European powers at the London Conference of 1830–31 (see under
London Conference). In 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was chosen king of the Belgians and became
Leopold I. A final Dutch-Belgian peace treaty was signed in 1839, and the "perpetual neutrality" of Belgium was guaranteed by the major powers, including Prussia, at the London Conference of 1838–39. The new country was among the first in Europe to industrialize and soon led the continent in the development of railways, coal mining, and engineering. Under the rule (1865–1909) of
Leopold II rapid industrialization and colonial expansion, notably in the Congo, were accompanied by labor unrest and by the rise of the Socialist party in opposition to the reactionary and clerical groups. Social conditions improved under
Albert I (reigned 1909–34), who also granted universal and equal male suffrage (the vote was extended to women in 1948). After the outbreak of World War I (Aug., 1914), Germany invaded Belgium in order to attack France by the easiest route; this flagrant violation of Belgian neutrality shocked much of the world and brought Great Britain, as one of Belgium's guarantors, into the war. The unexpected resistance of the Belgians against such heavy odds won widespread admiration, and German atrocities in Belgium, publicized by the Allies, played an important part in consolidating U.S. opinion against Germany. All of Belgium except a small strip in West Flanders, which served as a battle front throughout the war (see, e.g.,
Ypres), was conquered by Oct. 10, 1914, and the people suffered under a harsh occupation regime. The Belgian army, under the personal leadership of Albert I, fought in West Flanders and France throughout the war. Under the Treaty of Versailles after the war, Belgium received the strategically important posts of Eupen, Malmédy, and Moresnet, and a mandate over the northwestern corner of former German East Africa. In World War II, Germany, which in 1937 had guaranteed Belgian neutrality, attacked and occupied Belgium in May, 1940. King
Leopold III (reigned 1934–51) surrendered unconditionally on May 28, but the Belgian cabinet, in exile at London, continued to oppose Germany. German occupation inaugurated a reign of terror. Liberation by British and American troops, aided by a Belgian underground army, came in Sept., 1944. The unsuccessful German counteroffensive of Dec., 1944–Jan., 1945 (see
Battle of the Bulge), caused much destruction, adding to damage previously wrought by invasion and by Allied air raids. Postwar Belgium Belgium's industrial plant had remained relatively intact despite the war, enabling the economy to recover far more rapidly than those of the other nations of Western Europe. The immediate political issue was the return of Leopold III, who was barred from Belgium until 1950. Popular discontent led to his abdication (1951) in favor of his eldest son,
Baudouin. An economic union between Belgium and Luxembourg, formed in 1921 (the first of its kind in 20th-century Europe), was superseded in 1958 by the
Benelux Economic Union, which also includes the Netherlands. An early proponent of a united Europe and a firm advocate of |
