AFGHANISTAN ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BAHRAIN ITALY JAMAICA JAPAN KAZAKHSTAN KENYA BANGLADESH KUWAIT BELGIUM MEXICO BERMUDA BOLIVIA BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BRAZIL CANADA NEPAL THE NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NIGERIA NORTH KOREA CHILE NORWAY CHINA PAKISTAN COLOMBIA COSTA RICA CROATIA CUBA DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO EGYPT ENGLAND PANAMA PERU THE PHILIPPINES POLAND PORTUGAL PUERTO RICO RUSSIA ETHIOPIA RWANDA FINLAND SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA SCOTLAND SENEGAL GERMANY SOUTH AFRICA GHANA SOUTH KOREA GREECE SPAIN GUATEMALA SWEDEN HONDURAS TAIWAN ICELAND INDIA INDONESIA THAILAND TURKEY UKRAINE IRAN THE UNITED STATES IRAQ UZBEKISTAN IRELAND VENEZUELA ISRAEL VIETNAM Belgium George Wingfield Series Editor Charles F Gritzner South Dakota State University Frontispiece: Flag of Belgium Cover: A view of Bruges on a spring day, one of the oldest cities in Belgium Belgium Copyright © 2008 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher For information contact: Chelsea House An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wingfield, George Belgium / George Wingfield p cm — (Modern world nations) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 978-0-7910-9670-3 (hardcover) Belgium—Juvenile literature. I Title. II Series DH418.W56 2008 949.3—dc22 2007045818 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967–8800 or (800) 322–8755 You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Series design by Takeshi Takahashi Cover design by Jooyoung An Printed in the United States of America Bang NMSG 10 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid Table of Contents Welcome to the Kingdom of Belgium Physical Landscapes 17 Belgium Through Time 29 People and Culture 47 Government and Politics 59 Belgium’s Economy 72 Living in Belgium Today 82 Belgium Looks Ahead 102 Facts at a Glance History at a Glance Bibliography Further Reading Index 107 110 113 114 116 Belgium Welcome to the Kingdom of Belgium T he small country of Belgium hugs the coast of the North Sea in northwestern Europe It is bordered by Germany to the east, the Netherlands to the north, and France to the south and southwest The smaller Grand Duchy of Luxembourg borders Belgium’s southeast corner There, the dense forests and rolling hills of both countries constitute a region known as the Ardennes Less than 70 miles (110 kilometers) to the west, across the narrow Strait of Dover, lies the island of Great Britain Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg together form a group of three countries referred to collectively as Benelux Thus, two small kingdoms and a grand duchy are sandwiched together between the large and powerful republics of Germany and France Belgium occupies an area of approximately 11,800 square miles (30,500 square kilometers), making it not much larger than the state of Maryland With a population of about 10 million people, Welcome to the Kingdom of Belgium its population density of 886 per square mile (342 per square kilometer) makes Belgium about twice as densely packed as Maryland as well This density is not far behind that of the Netherlands, which is among the highest in Europe The country is located at the heart of one of Europe’s most highly industrialized and urbanized regions One consequence of the dense urbanization in Belgium is that its highway network is tightly concentrated In fact, it appears so brightly lit at night that astronauts orbiting in space can easily see it! The country’s capital and largest city is Brussels (French: Bruxelles; Dutch: Brussel) This sprawling urban center has a popula- tion of slightly more than million, with more than million people inhabiting the metropolitan area Belgium’s position on the borders of French-speaking and German-speaking Europe means there is considerable linguis- tic diversity More than half of the population (59 percent) are Flemings who live mostly in the northern provinces, in a region known as Flanders They speak a strongly localized variety of Dutch called Flemish In the southern regions (Wallonia), the inhabitants, known as Walloons, speak French The BrusselsCapital region in the center of the country is officially bilin- gual, but the vast majority of the people speak French, the first language for 40 percent of the country’s population German speakers account for just percent of the population, mostly in the east Before 1830, there was no such country as Belgium This land was then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands During the eighteenth century, the region was ravaged by a suc- cession of wars that resulted in claims of sovereignty by both the royal dynasty of Spain and that of Austria In addition, parts of the Netherlands and the region that is now Belgium were invaded by the armies of France during the French Revo- lutionary Wars Some years later, in 1815, the British and their allies defeated the French under Napoleon in the decisive Battle of Waterloo Following this event, the Netherlands were united 106 Belgium national unity In 1993, Belgium’s King Baudouin died after reigning for 42 years His death was unexpected and sent much of Belgium into a period of deep mourning He was succeeded by his younger brother, who became King Albert II After his father, Leopold III, abdicated in 1951, Baudouin brought stability (although not harmony) to a country gripped by the struggle between Dutch-speaking Flanders and Frenchspeaking Wallonia At the time of Baudouin’s death, Belgium had begun to implement a far-reaching federalization that made the maintenance of Belgian unity questionable The wave of mourning that marked the passing of Baudouin brought Flemings and Walloons together in support of the monarchy There certainly was no support for a designated deputy who shouted in favor of a European republic before Albert took his oath This call for a republic during the royal investiture is a Belgian tradition Some republicans had anticipated that, early in the new millennium, there would be a rush to full separa- tion into independent states It became evident, however, that the Belgians were committed to the dynasty and preservation of the country The general election of 2007, however, has caused this vex- ing problem of national fragmentation to arise once again Six months after the election, Yves Leterme, a Flemish Christian Democrat whose party had triumphed in June, abandoned his second attempt to form an administration, and King Albert accepted his request to be relieved of the coalition-forming task Leterme is, however, a controversial figure who once branded Belgium as an accident of history and joked that the country’s French speakers were too stupid to learn Dutch Even so, this lack of national government and the failure of Flem- ish and Walloon politicians to reach a compromise indeed raise the question of whether the country should be split into an independent Flanders and an independent Wallonia If this were to happen, Brussels would become a kind of Washington, D.C., for the European Union, and Belgium as such would cease to exist Is such a scenario possible? We can only wait and see Facts at a Glance Physical Geography Location Western Europe; bordering the North Sea, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France Area Total: 11,787 square miles (30,528 square kilometers), about the size of Maryland; land: 18,813 square miles (30,278 square kilometers); water: 155 square miles (250 square kilometers) Boundaries Border countries: France, 385 miles (620 kilometers); Germany, 103 miles (167 kilometers); Luxembourg, 91.9 (148 kilometers); and the Netherlands, 279 miles (450 kilometers) Coastline 41 miles (66.5 kilometers), facing upon the Strait of Dover Climate Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy Terrain Flat coastal plains in northwest; central rolling hills; fairly rugged hills and mountains of the Ardennes in southeast Elevation Extremes Lowest point, North Sea (sea level); highest point, Signal de Botrange, 2,277 feet (694 meters) Land Use Arable land, 27.42%; permanent crops, 0.69%; other, 71.89% Note: includes Luxembourg (2005) Irrigated Land 248 square miles (400 square kilometers) (2003) Natural Hazards Flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land protected from the sea by concrete dikes Natural Resources Construction materials, silica sand, carbonates Environmental Issues Intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges People Population 10,392,226 (July 2007 est.); males, 5,087,143; females, 6,141,868 Population Density 886 people per square mile (342 per square kilometer) 107 Population Growth Rate Net Migration Rate Fertility Rate Birth Rate Death Rate Life Expectancy at Birth Median Age Ethnic Groups Religion Language 0.12% per year 1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population 1.64 children born per woman 10.29 births/1,000 population 10.32 deaths/1,000 population Total population: 78.92 years; male, 75.75 years; female, 82.24 years Total: 41.1 years; male, 39.9 years; female, 42.4 years Fleming, 58%; Walloon, 31%; mixed or other, 11% Roman Catholic, 75%; other, (includes Protestant), 25% Dutch (official), 60%; French (official), 40%; German (official), less than 1% Literacy (Age 15 and over can read and write) Total population: 99% (99%, male; 99%, female) (2003) Economy Currency GDP Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP Per Capita Labor Force Unemployment Rate Labor Force by Occupation Agricultural Products Industries Exports Imports Leading Trade Partners Export Commodities Euro $342.5 billion (2006 est.) $34,460 4.9 million (2006 est.) 8.1% (2006 est.) Industry, 24.5%; services, 74.2%; agriculture, 1.3% (2003 est.) Sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk Engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum $283.8 billion f.o.b (2006 est.) $279.9 billion f.o.b (2006 est.) Exports: Germany, 19.7%; France, 16.9%; Netherlands, 12%; U.K., 7.9%; U.S., 6.2%; Italy, 5.2% (2006) Imports: Netherlands, 18.3%; Germany, 17.3%; France, 11.2%; U.K., 6.6%; Ireland, 5.7%; U.S., 5.4% (2006) Machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs 108 Import Machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, Commodities pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products Transportation Roadways: 93,557 miles (150,567 kilometers); 72,975 miles (117,442 kilometers) are paved; Railways: 2,197 miles (3,536 kilometers): Airports: 43; 27 are paved runways; Waterways: 1,269 miles (2,043 kilometers) Government Country Name Conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium; Conventional short form: Belgium: Local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie; Local short form: Belgique/Belgie Capital City Brussels Type of Government Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy Head of Government Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt Independence October 4, 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); July 21, 1831 (King Leopold I ascended to the throne) Administrative 10 provinces and regions Divisions note: As a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with complex divisions of responsibilities Communications TV Stations Radio Stations Phones Internet Users 25 86 (AM 7, FM 79) (1998) 14.379 million (including 9.66 million cell phones) 4.8 million NOTE: All data, unless otherwise indicated, are based on 2007 figures These and other statistical data can be obtained and updated on an annual basis using the CIA- The World Factbook (2007) 109 History at a Glance 800,000 b.c Primitive Stone Age implements indicate region’s inhabitation (approximate date) 350,000 to 40,000 b.c Neanderthal man lives on the banks of the River Meuse and was eventually supplanted by Homo sapiens 3000–1500 b.c Neolithic dolmens and passage graves are built in the Liège region c 75 b.c Roman legions subdue the Celtic Belgae tribes in a region they call Gallia Belgica a.d 400 Gallia Belgica is invaded by the Germanic tribes of the Franks 768–814 Charlemagne reigns as king of the Franks; capital is at Aachen c 1000–1200 Ghent, then known as Gaunt, flourishes as the secondlargest city in Europe 1363–1477 Low Countries become part of the domain of the French Dukes of Burgundy and so are embroiled in the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) between France and England 1477 Charles the Bold is killed at the Battle of Nancy; domain of the Low Countries passes to the Habsburgs, Austrian rulers of the Holy Roman Empire 1504–1700 The land that is today’s Belgium becomes the Spanish Netherlands 1579 The Union of Utrecht is proclaimed; under William I of Orange, the Northern provinces secede and the Dutch revolt against Spain continues throughout the Eighty Years War, until 1648 1701–1714 War of the Spanish Succession is fought; the battles of Ramillies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet take place 1748 Austrian rule is restored; under Empress Maria Theresa, there is new prosperity 1794 The armies of revolutionary France defeat the Austrians and annex what is now Belgium 1814–1815 The Congress of Vienna agrees to unify the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (before the brief return to power from exile by Napoleon) 110 1815 The Battle of Waterloo is fought; the final defeat of French emperor Napoleon’s army by the British and Dutch/Belgian forces, together with their Prussian allies, takes place 1830 The Belgian Revolution establishes an independent, neutral, and Catholic Belgium 1831 Leopold of Saxe-Coburg is chosen as king of the new country and is enthroned 1885 King Leopold II acquires the Congo Free State, which becomes his private domain 1908 Belgium takes control of the Belgian Congo from King Leopold II 1914 Germany invades Belgium after demand of passage for its troops is refused 1914–1918 World War I battles are fought across Belgium and Northern France 1927 George Lemtre proposes the big bang theory of the creation of the universe 1930 The Belgian government recognizes Dutch as the only official language of Flanders; Dutch-speaking and French-speaking areas of administration are defined 1940–1944 World War II occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany occurs 1944 Ardennes Offensive: The Battle of the Bulge between the U.S Army and German troops is fought until 1945 1949 The United States, Belgium, and the other European allies sign the North Atlantic Treaty 1951 King Leopold III abdicates in favor of his son King Baudouin I 1957 The Treaty of Rome is signed; the European Economic Community (EEC) is formed, a precursor to the European Union (EU) 1960 The Belgian Congo is granted independence; RuandaUrundi gains independence in 1962 1967 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) are relocated to Belgium 111 1992–1993 The Treaty of Maastricht leads to the creation of the EU, replacing the earlier EEC and specifying protocols for European monetary and political union 1993 Constitutional amendments and new federalization measures are introduced in the Belgian parliament; Albert II succeeds Baudouin as king of the Belgians 1999–2007 Guy Verhofstadt of the Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (VLD) party leads two consecutive Purple Coalition governments of Liberals and Socialists 2002 The Belgian franc is replaced by the euro, the official EU standard unit of currency 112 Bibliography The CIA World Factbook Available online at https://www.cia.gov/library/ publications/the-world-factbook/print/be.html “Internet Usage in Europe.” Internet World Stats Available online at http:// www.internetworldstats.com/stats4.htm “UFO in Eupen, Belgium.” Short French-language video Available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIGXdv-Chjo&mode=related&search= Wikipedia-The Free Online Encyclopedia Available online at http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wright, John W., ed The New York Times Almanac New York: Penguin, 2007 113 Further Reading Cammaerts, Emile A History of Belgium from The Roman Invasion to the Present Day New York: D Appleton and Co., 1921 de Kavanagh Boulger, and Demetrius Charles Belgium of the Belgians New York: C Scribner’s Sons, 1918 ——— The History of Belgium: Part 1—Caesar to Waterloo London: Adamant Media Corporation, 2005 (reprint of 1902 original) ——— The History of Belgium: Part 2—1815–1865 Waterloo to the Death of Leopold I London: Adamant Media Corporation, 2005 (reprint of the 1909 original) Goscinny, Rene, and Albert Uderzo Asterix in Belgium London: Orion, 2005 Logan, Leanne, and Geert Cole Lonely Planet Belgium & Luxembourg London and Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet Publications, 2007 McDonald, George Frommer’s Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publications, Inc., 2005 Web Sites Belgian Culture http://pespmcl.vub.ac.be/BELGCUL.html CIA World Factbook—Belgium https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/be.html Introduction to Belgium http://www.visitbelgium.com 114 Photo Credits page: 10: 13: 18: 22: 24: 33: 37: 43: 49: 52: 55: © Lucidity Information Design, LLC www.shutterstock.com © Lucidity Information Design, LLC © Kevin Burke/CORBIS © Richard Klune/CORBIS © Hulton Archive/Getty Images © Hulton Archive/Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images © Louis Grandadam/Getty Images © Gianni Giansanti/Sygma/CORBIS © Scala/Art Resource, NY 61: 67: 74: 77: 84: 86: 93: 96: 103: 105: Cover: Patrick Hermans/shutterstock.com 115 © Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images © Getty Images www.shutterstock.com © AFP/Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images © AFP/Getty Images Index abortion, 53 The Adventures of Tintin (Hervé), 14–15 Affaire Dutroux, 95, 97–98 Africa, 40–44, 51 agriculture area of, 25, 27, 77 importance to economy of, 72, 77–78 Albert I (king), 70 Albert II (king), 11, 106 animal raising See agriculture Antwerp (Antwerpen; Anvers) crime in, 95 importance of, 20–21 industry in, 73–74 location of, 20 Royal Museum of Fine Arts, 90 during World War II, 38, 39 Antwerp province, 20–21, 50 architecture in Antwerp, 21 in Bruges, 14 in Brussels, 71, 80–81 in Ghent, 19 modern, 56–58 Ardennes, 8, 25–26, 26–27, 38–39 Arlon, 26 Arnolfini Portrait (van Eyck), 54 art, 53–54, 56, 90 Asia, 51 Association Internationale Africaine, 40 atomic bombs, 42 Atomium, 80–81 Austrian Netherlands, 11 auto industry, 74–75 Band of Brothers (television miniseries), 39 Bastogne, 39 Battlefield of Europe, 29 Baudouin I (king) Congo and, 42 crowned, 39 death of, 48, 106 religion and, 53 World Fair and, 81 Belgian Congo, 40–43 Belgian Revolution (1830), 11, 34, 53 Benelux countries, 8, 11 Berlin, Conference of, 40 big bang theory, 15–16 Bologna Process, 88 Brabant provinces, 22–23 breweries, 78, 91 Brouwer, Wilfried De, 100–101 Brueghel, Pieter the Elder, 53–54 Bruges (Brugge), 12, 13–14, 19, 78, 95 Brussels (Bruxelles; Brussel) crime in, 95 EU and, 102 as headquarters of international organizations, 11, 45, 83 high-speed trains and, 76 housing in, 84–85 museums in, 89–90 population of, tourism in, 12, 71, 80–81, 89–90, 93–94 Buddhism, 53 Bulge, Battle of, 38–39 Burgundy, dukes of, 30–31 Burundi, 41, 44 canals, 21, 76 “The Cannibal,” 57 “Capital of Europe,” 83 carnivals, 92 Carolingian Empire, 30 Catholic Church, 34, 51, 53, 66 Catholic Party, 65, 66 central plateau, 20–25 Chamber of Representatives, 60, 62–63 Charlemagne (Charles the Great), 30 Charleroi, 95 Charles the Bold, 31 chocolate, 13–14 Christian Democratic Party, 66–67, 69 cities Antwerp, 20–21, 38, 39, 73–74, 90, 95 Arlon, 26 Bruges, 12, 13–14, 19, 78, 95 crime in, 95, 97–98 Duffel, 21 Ghent, 19–20, 74, 92, 95 Hasselt, 21 Mons, 45 Ostend, 19 Spa, 25 See also Brussels (Bruxelles; Brussel) Clijsters, Kim, 58 climate, 26 coastal plain, 12, 19–20, 35–36, 39 Cold War, 11, 44–46 colonies, 40–44 commerce See trade and commerce computers, 88 Congo/Congo Free State, 40–43 Congress of Vienna, 11, 34 crime, 95, 97–98 culture architecture, 14, 19, 21, 56–58, 71, 80–81 art, 53–54, 56, 90 comic books, 14–15 languages and, 88–89 museums, 89–90 music, 15, 56 currency, 79–80 Danubian culture, 28 Degauque, Muriel, 98 116 Index Dehaene, Jean-Luc, 44, 66–67 Democratic Republic of Congo, 40–43 Den Horen Brewery, 91 diamond industry/trade, 21, 73–74 Duffel, 21 Dutch language, 30, 38, 87 See also Flemings Dutroux, Marc, 95, 97–98 East Flanders province, 19 economy aging population and, 49 agriculture, 25, 27, 72, 77–78 energy and, 75 of EU countries, 70, 103–104 gross domestic product growth, 83 gross national product, 72 industry, 73–75, 78, 91 trade and commerce, 14, 21, 79 transportation, 19, 75–76 education, 53, 85, 87–88 Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648), 31 Einstein, Albert, 15 elections, 59–60, 62 energy, 75 environment, 27 European Coal and Steel Community, 12 European Community (EC), 12 European Economic Community (EEC), 12 European Union (EU) currency of, 79–80 economy of, 70, 103–104 European Parliament, 11 foreign residents from other nations in, 51 founding of, 12 growth of, 69, 102–104 media owned by, 79 medical care in, 85 trade and travel in, 79 federal government, 59–60, 62–64, 106 See also monarchy fertility rate, 48 festivals, 19, 92–94 fictional characters, 14–15 fishing, 78 Flanders East Flanders province, 19 percent of foreign residents in, 50 West Flanders province, 12, 35–36, 39 Flemings location of and language spoken by, 9, 30, 38, 50, 87 population, 50 separatism and, 47, 48, 104–105 during World War II, 38 food, 12–14, 90–91 forests, 26–27 Formula One (F1) Belgian Grand Prix, 25 Fraihi, Hind, 98 France invasion of Belgium by, Napoleonic Wars, 9, 32–34 NATO and, 45 War of Spanish Succession and, 32 World War I and, 35–36 Franck, César, 56 Franks, 29–30 French language, 9, 23, 34, 50, 87 Gallia Belgica, 29 genocide, 37–38, 44 geography, 8, 17, 18 See also regions German language, 9, 25 Germany colonies in Africa, 41 World War I and, 35–36 World War II and, 36–39 Ghent, Treaty of, 20 Ghent (Gent; Gand), 19–20, 74, 92, 95 government federal, 59–60, 62–64, 66–67 religion and, 53 subnational, 64–65 2007 national election and, 48 See also monarchy Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Grand-Place, 12 Great Britain colonies in Africa, 41 Congo and, 41 Hundred Years’ War, 30–31 Napoleonic Wars, 9, 32–34 War of Spanish Succession and, 32 World War I and, 35–36 Green Party, 65 gross domestic product (GDP), 83 gross national product (GNP), 72 Habsburgs, 31–32 Hainaut province, 23, 50 Hasselt, 21 health care, 49, 85 Henin, Justine, 58 Hergé (Hervé), 14–15 Het Nieuwsblad (journal), 98 highways, 9, 75–76 holidays, 11, 19, 92–93 Holy Roman Empire, 31 housing, 84–85 Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453), 30–31 Hutus, 44 immigration, 48, 50 independence, 11 information technology, 88 117 Index Internet use, 88 Ireland, 103–104 Islam, 51 Jews, 21, 37–38, 51 Katanga, Belgian Congo, 42–43 languages cultural life and, 88–89 education and, 85, 87 elections and, 60, 62 ethnicity and, 50–51 Franks and, 30 media and, 78–79 name of monarchy and, 70–71 political parties and, 65–66, 67–69 spoken currently, subnational governments and, 64–65 See also specific languages Lemtre, Georges, 15–16 Leopold I (king), 11, 34, 71 Leopold II (king), 40 Leopold III (king), 36–37, 39–40, 63, 71 Leopold of Saxe-Coburg See Leopold I (king) Leterme, Yves, 69, 106 liberal political parties, 65, 68–69 Liège, Battle of, 23–24 Liège (city), 23–25, 95–96, 99–100 Liège province, 23–25, 50 life expectancy, 48 Limburg province, 21, 50 location, 8, 10 lumber industry, 78 Lumumba, Patrice, 42–43 Luxembourg province, 25–26 Maastricht, Treaty of, 69 Magritte, René, 54, 56 Manneken Pis, 93–94 manufacturing, 73–75 Maria Theresa (empress of Austria), 32 Martens, Wilfried, 53 Mary, 31 Maximilian I (Holy Roman emperor), 31 media, 78–79 medical services, 49, 85 Menin Gate Memorial, 36 Merckx, Eddy, 57, 95 Middle Ages, 29–31 Mobutu, Joseph, 43 monarchy Albert I, 70 Albert II, 11, 106 Baudouin I, 39, 42, 48, 53, 81, 106 established, 11, 34–35 family name of, 70–71 Leopold I, 11, 34, 71 Leopold II, 40 Leopold III, 36–37, 39–40, 63, 71 role in government of, 63–64 Royal Palace, 71 Mons, 36, 45 Montigny, Hubert, 99 Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain, GICM), 98 movies, 89 museums, 89–90 music, 15, 56 names for Belgium, 29 Namur province, 23 Napoleon, 9, 32–34 National Day, 11 natural resources, 73 Nazis, 36–39 Neanderthals, 27–28 Netherlands Belgium as part of, 9, 34 Frank domination of, 29–30 population density of, Spain and, 31–32 newspapers, 78 Nicholl, Heinrich, 99 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 11, 44–45 Ostend (Oostende), 19 Parliament, 59–60, 62–63 patriotism, 48 Philip the Handsome, 31 La Pierre Haina, 27–28 Poirot, Hercule (fictional character), 15 polders, 19 political parties, 65–69, 104–105 pollution, 27 population aging of, 48–49 of Belgian Congo, 41 density, foreign residents, 50–51 growth rate, 48 languages spoken by, number of people, 8, 48 prehistoric era, 27–28 Pro Belgica, 48 Protestantism, 51 public safety, 95, 97–98 quality of life ranking, 82–83 racing, 25, 57 railways, 76 118 Index regions Ardennes, 8, 25–26, 26–27, 38–39 central plateau, 20–25 coastal plain, 12, 19–20, 35–36, 39 economy in 83 gross national product and, 72 map of, 18 religion Catholicism, 34, 51, 53, 66 education and, 85 Ghent and, 20 government and, 53 Jewish, 21, 37–38, 51 Protestantism, 51 variety of, 51, 53 William of Orange and, 31 Remi, Georges, 14–15 Republic of the Congo, 43 River Meuse, 21, 23 River Scheldt, 20 Roman Catholicism, 34, 51, 53, 66 Roman Empire, 29 Rome, Treaty of, 12 Royal Palace, 71 Ruanda-Urundi, 41, 44 rubber, 40–41 Rubens, Peter Paul, 54 Rwanda, 41, 44 theaters, 89 Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), 32 Tintin (fictional character), 14–15 tourism in Bruges, 14 in Brussels, 12, 71, 80–81, 89–90, 93–94 in Luxembourg province, 26 trade and commerce, 14, 21, 79 transportation, 19, 75–76 travel, 79 Tutsis, 44 la Saint-Nicolas, 92–93 Sax, Adolphe, 15 saxophone, 15 school wars, 53 science, 15–16 Senate, 59–60, 63 separatism, 47–48, 65, 104–106 Short History of the World (Wells), 30 Signal de Botrange, 26 Sinterklaasdag, 92–93 soccer, 94 Socialist Party, 65, 67–68, 69 Somme, Battle of, 36 Spa, 25 Spanish Netherlands, 31–32 sports, 25, 57–58, 94–95 “Sports Figure of the Century,” 57, 95 Stanley, Sir Henry Morton, 40 Strait of Dover, “Submissive Belgium” (government report), 38 Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE), 45 Wallonia economy in, 72, 73 percent of foreign residents in, 50 provinces comprising, 23–25, 95–96, 99–100 religion in, 51 Walloons immigration of, 34 location of and language spoken by, 9, 50 during World War II, 38 War of Spanish Succession, 32 Waterloo, Battle of, 9, 33–34 weather, 26–27 Wells, H.G., 30 Wéris, 27–28 West Flanders province, 12, 35–36, 39 White March, 95, 98 William of Orange (William the Silent), 31 women in sports, 58 World Fair (1958), 80–81 World Heritage Sites, 12 World War I, 23, 35–36 World War II, 24–25, 36–39, 42 Tanganyika (Tanzania), 41 television, 79 tennis, 58 terrorism, 98 textile industry, 78 unidentified flying objects (UFOs), 98–101 Union of Utrecht, 31 United Kingdom of the Netherlands, 9, 34 United Nations Eductional, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 12 United Provinces of the Netherlands, 31 United States, 35, 36, 38–39, 45–46 uranium ore, 42 Utrecht, Treaty of, 32 Van de Velde, Henry, 56–57 van Eyck, Jan, 54 Verhofstadt, Guy, 68, 69 Versailles, Treaty of (1919), 36, 41 Vlaamse Belang (VB), 104–105 Vlaamse Liberalen Democraten (VLD), 68, 69 Ypres (Ieper), Battle of, 35–36 Yser Tower (IJzertoren), 39 Zaire, 43 119 About the Contributors George Wingfield is a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where he earned both a B.A and an M.A in natural sciences He has worked as an astronomer at the Royal Greenwich Observatory and as an engineer and consultant for IBM He has contributed to a number of books on the cropcircle phenomenon in Britain and, in 1992, presented a lecture on the topic at the Smithsonian Institution and appeared on Larry King Live In 2007, he published Prehistoric Sacred Sites of Wessex and Glastonbury Isle of Avalon He currently leads tours of ancient and sacred sites in England, Scotland, and Ireland Charles F Gritzner is distinguished professor of geography at South Dakota State University in Brookings He is now in his fifth decade of col- lege teaching and research In addition to classroom instruction, he enjoys traveling, writing, working with teachers, and sharing his love of geography with readers As a senior consulting editor for Chelsea House’s Modern World Nations and Major World Cultures series, he has a wonderful oppor- tunity to combine each of these “hobbies.” Dr Gritzner has served as both president and executive director of the National Council for Geographic Education and has received the council’s highest honor, the George J Miller Award for Distinguished Service to Geographic Education, as well as other honors from the NCGE, Association of American Geographers, and other organizations 120 ... Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wingfield, George Belgium / George Wingfield p cm — (Modern world nations) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 978-0-7910-9670-3 (hardcover) Belgium Juvenile literature. ... to the Kingdom of Belgium Physical Landscapes 17 Belgium Through Time 29 People and Culture 47 Government and Politics 59 Belgium s Economy 72 Living in Belgium Today 82 Belgium Looks Ahead... member nations increases, more and more national interests must be considered and respected while simultaneously catering to the needs of Europe as a whole 11 12 Belgium Following World War II, Belgium