Portal:Belgium

The Belgium Portal

Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België; French: Royaume de Belgique; German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg  and France and is one of the founding and core members of the European Union. Belgium has a population of over ten million people, in an area of around 30,000 square kilometres (11,700 square miles).

Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Romance Europe, it is linguistically divided. Mainly two languages are spoken in Belgium: Dutch is spoken by the 6 million people in Flanders to the north, French by the 3.3 million Walloons in the south. The capital, Brussels, is officially bilingual, while the majority of its residents speak French. Around 70,000 people live in the German-speaking Community in the east of the country. This linguistic diversity often leads to political and cultural conflict and is reflected in Belgium's complex system of government and political history.

Selected article for June

Portal:Belgium/Selected article/2008/June

Belgium news

• May 25: Boeing 747 cargo plane breaks in two after failed takeoff at Brussels Airport
• May 25: Former vice president of Democratic Republic of Congo arrested on charges of war crimes
• May 21: Eurovision 2008: First semi-final held in Belgrade
• April 12: Authorities in Belgium raid Church of Scientology
• March 20: After 9 months, Belgian coalition delivers government

Did you know...

• ...that Belgium is ranked as the best country to do academic research by The Scientist in 2007?
• ...that the 2007 government formation was the longest government formation in Belgian history?
• ...that the Belgians formed the third largest non-Commonwealth contingent in the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain?

Things you can do

• Visit the Wikiproject Belgium page and help to write, expand and improve Belgium-related articles
• List newly created articles at the announcement page
• Update News and Did You Know
• Suggest Selected article and Selected picture on the Portal talk page
• Help to expand the Belgium stubs

Related portals

Anniversaries for June 13

• 823: birth of Charles the Bald, King of West Francia
• 1142: death of Godfrey II of Leuven, Count of Leuven, landgrave of Brabant and margrave of Antwerp
• 1870: birth of Jules Bordet, immunologist and microbiologist, received the 1919 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• 1901: birth of Lode Zielens, writer and journalist
• 1913: death of Camille Lemonnier, writer and poet
• 1914: birth of Constant Vanden Stock, brewer, former president and player with R.S.C. Anderlecht, former coach of the Belgium national football team between 1958 and 1968
• 1952: birth of Jean-Marie Dedecker, judo coach and politician

Selected picture for June

Portal:Belgium/Selected picture/2008/June

Categories

Belgium

• Geography
  • Regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels)
  • Provinces (Flemish provinces, Walloon provinces)
  • Municipalities (Municipalities of Antwerp, Municipalities of Liège, ...)
• History (Belgian Revolution, ...)
• Culture (Arts, Languages, Literature, ...)
• Health (Healthcare, Hospitals Surgeons, ...)
• Economy - Organizations - Education
• Science and technology - Sport - Tourism
• People
• ...

New articles relating to Belgium

New articles or recently expanded: Liège-Guillemins train station - Revolution Liégeoise - Karl-Heinz Lambertz - Altiora Averbode - Dany - Paul Cuvelier - Luc Cromheecke - François Craenhals - Jan Bosschaert - Stijn Coninx - Jules Destrée - Arthur Berckmans - 0110 concerts - Will Tura - Pierre Carette - Johan Vande Lanotte

New stubs (you can help and expand them): Eeuwfeestkliniek - Jaak Boon - Fernand Feyaerts - Wim Feyaerts - Ronnie Commissaris - De Kotmadam - Annick Van Dam - Miel Louw - ABC-auto - Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussel) - Luk De Konink - Marijke Hofkens - Mark De Bie - Guy Bernaert - Vincent Rouffaer - Alfa Papa Tango - L'Affaire Labricole - Abdijen in de lage landen - Antwerp International Airport - Aangename kennismaking - Aan tafel - Arlette Sterckx - Leo Madder - Spoed - Verschoten & zoon - Grietje Vanderheijden - Herman Van Rompuy - National Congress of Belgium - Marleen Vanderpoorten - Committee for Another Policy - Isabelle Simonis - Magda De Galan

Belgium Topics

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