Contents

Belgium

Belgium
Country



Native name
Koninkrijk België (Dutch)
Royaume de Belgique (French)
Königreich Belgien (German)




Capital
Brussels




Official languages
Dutch, French, German


Demonym
Belgian




Legislature
Federal Parliament








Currency
Euro(EUR)



Calling code
+32






Website
[belgium.be Official website]


Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe. It borders the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast and France to the southwest and west, while its northwest coast faces the North Sea. Its federal capital is Brussels. Belgium covers about 30,690 square kilometres and had 11,867,634 inhabitants on 1 January 2026.[1][2]

Belgium is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Political authority is divided among the federal government, three Regions and three language-based Communities. Dutch, French and German are the country's three official languages.[3] King Philippe has been King of the Belgians since 2013, while Bart De Wever has served as prime minister since 3 February 2025.[4][5]

Belgium was created as an independent state during the Belgian Revolution of 1830. Its location between major European powers has shaped much of its history. Belgium was invaded during both world wars and later became closely involved in European and transatlantic cooperation. It has been part of the European integration project since 1958, was a founding member of NATO in 1949 and was among the original members of the United Nations in 1945.[6][7][8]

Belgium has a highly developed, internationally connected economy. The World Bank recorded a nominal gross domestic product of about US$725.47 billion and GDP per person of about US$60,750 in 2025.[9] Brussels is also one of Europe's main institutional centres, hosting the European Commission, the European Council and the headquarters of NATO.[10][11]

Name and national symbols

The name Belgium has ancient roots. Roman writers used the name Gallia Belgica for a province inhabited partly by peoples collectively called the Belgae. Forms of the name continued to be used for the Low Countries in later centuries. During the revolution of 1830, the southern provinces that separated from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands adopted Belgium as the name of the new state.[12]

The Belgian flag has three vertical bands of black, yellow and red. The country's national anthem is La Brabançonne, which developed during the Belgian Revolution. Versions are used in Dutch, French and German.[13] Belgium's national motto is L'union fait la force in French, Eendracht maakt macht in Dutch and Einigkeit macht stark in German, usually translated into English as "Unity makes strength".[14]

Belgium celebrates its National Day on 21 July, marking the date in 1831 when Leopold I took the constitutional oath as the first King of the Belgians.[15]

History

Early history and the Low Countries

The territory of present-day Belgium formed part of the Roman world after the conquest of Gaul. The Roman province of Gallia Belgica extended beyond the borders of the modern country. During the early medieval period, the region came under Frankish rule, and parts of what is now Belgium later belonged to a series of feudal counties, duchies and ecclesiastical territories.[12]

From the late Middle Ages, much of the area became associated with the Burgundian Netherlands and later the Habsburg Netherlands. The Low Countries developed important commercial and cultural centres, including Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. After political and religious conflicts divided the Low Countries, the southern provinces remained under Habsburg control and later became known as the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands.[12]

French revolutionary forces occupied the region in the 1790s, and it was incorporated into France. Following the defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna joined the former southern and northern Netherlands in 1815 as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, ruled by King William I.[12]

Revolution and independence

Political, religious, linguistic and economic tensions developed between the southern provinces and William I's government. Unrest increased in 1830, and fighting broke out in Brussels. Dutch troops withdrew from the city in September. A provisional government declared Belgian independence on 4 October 1830.[16]

A National Congress drew up a constitution that was adopted on 7 February 1831. The new state became a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers.[17] Leopold of Saxe-Coburg took the oath as Leopold I on 21 July 1831.[15]

European powers recognised Belgium's separation from the Netherlands during the diplomatic process that followed the revolution. The Netherlands formally recognised Belgian sovereignty under the Treaty of London on 19 April 1839.[18]

Industrialisation and colonial rule

Belgium industrialised rapidly during the nineteenth century, particularly in coal mining, metallurgy, textiles, glass production and engineering. In 1835, the country opened a railway between Brussels and Mechelen, described by the Belgian national railway company as the first public railway line on the European mainland. Nearly 3,400 kilometres of track were constructed during the following four decades.[19]

Belgium's colonial history was centred on Central Africa. From 1885 to 1908, King Leopold II was sovereign of the Congo Free State, which was not initially a Belgian state colony. Systems used to extract rubber and ivory relied heavily on coercion and forced labour and were accompanied by severe violence, punitive expeditions, population displacement, disease and extensive loss of life. Historians disagree on a precise death toll because reliable population data for the period are lacking.[20]

International criticism contributed to the transfer of the Congo Free State to the Belgian state in 1908. It then became the Belgian Congo. Belgian colonial rule continued until the territory became independent on 30 June 1960 as the Republic of the Congo, later the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[21]

World wars

Belgium's internationally recognised neutrality did not prevent Germany from invading the country during the First World War. Much of Belgium was occupied, while Belgian forces held part of the front around the Yser. The fighting and occupation caused major destruction and economic disruption.[16]

Belgium again attempted a policy of neutrality before the Second World War, but Nazi Germany invaded on 10 May 1940. The Belgian army surrendered later that month. King Leopold III remained in Belgium, while the government continued the war from exile in London.[22]

German occupation authorities imposed anti-Jewish measures and deported nearly 25,000 Jews from Belgium to Auschwitz between 1942 and 1944; most of those deported were murdered. Resistance networks also helped thousands of Jews and other people targeted by the occupation to hide. Allied forces liberated most of Belgium in September 1944, although fighting continued in parts of the country during the Battle of the Bulge.[22]

Post-war period and federalisation

After 1945, Belgium became closely involved in building multilateral European and Atlantic institutions. It was an original member of the United Nations, a founding NATO member and one of the six countries that formed the European Economic Community in 1958.[8][7][6]

Domestic politics increasingly focused on relations between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities, as well as questions of cultural and economic autonomy. Language laws enacted between 1873 and 1963 recognised Dutch, French and German as official languages and established rules governing their use.[23]

A series of state reforms beginning in 1970 gradually transferred powers away from the central state. Constitutional changes in 1993 formally established Belgium as a federal state. Later reforms continued to redistribute responsibilities among the federal government, Regions and Communities.[23]

Geography

Belgium lies in Western Europe and has land borders with France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. Its northwest coast runs along the North Sea. The country's modern measured area was approximately 30,690 square kilometres in 2025.[2]

The country is commonly divided into three broad physical zones. Lower Belgium includes the coastal plain, dunes and low-lying polders. Central Belgium consists mainly of gently rising and fertile plateaus. Upper Belgium includes the more elevated areas south of the Sambre and Meuse, including the Ardennes, where forests, plateaus and river valleys dominate the landscape.[24]

The country's highest point is the Signal de Botrange, at about 694 metres above sea level.[25] Major rivers include the Scheldt, Meuse and Sambre. Belgium's coastal zone is relatively short, while much of the country's population and economic activity is concentrated in densely urbanised central and northern areas.

Belgium has a temperate maritime climate influenced by the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Rain occurs throughout the year, and temperatures are generally moderate compared with more continental parts of Europe. The Royal Meteorological Institute uses 30-year periods, currently including 1991–2020, to calculate official climate normals.[26]

Belgium is one of Europe's more densely populated countries. Statbel reported a national density of 387 inhabitants per square kilometre on 1 January 2026. Density ranged from 506 per square kilometre in the Flemish Region and 220 in the Walloon Region to 7,732 in the Brussels-Capital Region.[27]

Government and politics

Belgium is a hereditary parliamentary constitutional monarchy and a federal state. The Constitution identifies Belgium as a federal state composed of Communities and Regions.[3] The monarch serves as head of state, while executive government is headed by the prime minister and federal ministers.

King Philippe became the seventh King of the Belgians on 21 July 2013 after the abdication of his father, Albert II.[4] Bart De Wever became prime minister on 3 February 2025.[5]

The federal legislature is bicameral. The Chamber of Representatives has 150 members elected directly by universal suffrage. The Senate has 60 members and is primarily composed of members designated by Community and Regional parliaments, together with co-opted senators.[28]

Federal responsibilities include major areas such as defence, justice, social security, federal finance and significant parts of health and internal affairs. Regions and Communities exercise their own powers in fields assigned to them under the constitutional system.[3]

Regions and Communities

Belgium has three Regions:

The Regions developed mainly around demands for territorial and economic autonomy. They have responsibilities in fields that include economic policy, employment, transport, environment, housing and spatial planning, subject to the constitutional division of powers.[3]

The three Communities are the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community. They are organised mainly around language and personal matters, and are responsible for areas including culture and education.[29]

Below the regional level, Belgium has ten provinces and 565 municipal councils.[3][30]

Foreign relations

Belgian foreign policy has long placed emphasis on multilateral cooperation. Belgium is a member of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and other international organisations.[31]

Belgium has participated in European integration since the creation of the European Economic Community. It has been an EU member since 1 January 1958, joined the Schengen Area in 1995 and has used the euro since its introduction as an accounting currency in 1999.[6]

Brussels has an important international role. The European Commission is headquartered principally in Brussels, while the European Council and Council of the European Union have their headquarters in the city's European Quarter.[10][32] NATO's political and administrative headquarters has been in Brussels since 1967.[11]

Belgium was one of the 12 countries that signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.[7] NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is also located near Mons, Belgium.[33]

Economy

Belgium has a high-income, open and highly industrialised economy that is closely integrated with the economies of neighbouring European countries. Services account for a major part of economic activity, while manufacturing remains an important source of output and exports.[34]

The World Bank recorded Belgium's 2025 nominal GDP at approximately US$725.47 billion, with GDP per capita of about US$60,750. Real GDP grew by about 1.0% during that year according to the same dataset.[9]

Important manufacturing industries include pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, chemicals, metal products, rubber and plastics, machinery and equipment. The pharmaceutical industry is particularly important to industrial value added and exports.[34] Belgium's location between several of Europe's largest economies, combined with its ports, roads, waterways and railway system, has made logistics and international trade major parts of the economy.

European markets dominate Belgian trade. The Belgian federal economic authorities reported that 63.2% of Belgian exports in 2024 went to intra-European markets, with Germany, France and the Netherlands among the country's principal trading partners. Major export categories included chemicals, mineral products, transport equipment, machinery, food products and base metals.[35]

The economy also faces longer-term challenges related to public finances, employment, ageing, energy costs and productivity. In its June 2026 outlook, the OECD projected Belgian economic growth of 0.7% for 2026 and 1.1% for 2027, while identifying public debt, energy dependence and labour-market participation as important policy issues.[36]

Transport and infrastructure

Belgium developed one of Europe's earliest extensive railway systems. Its first railway line, between Brussels and Mechelen, opened in 1835. The national passenger operator is SNCB/NMBS, while rail infrastructure is managed separately by Infrabel.[19]

The country's location and dense settlement have produced an extensive road, rail and inland-waterway network. Major seaports and maritime facilities include those around Antwerp, Bruges-Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend. Belgium is also linked to neighbouring countries by international high-speed rail services.

Brussels Airport at Zaventem is the principal airport serving the capital, while Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Liège Airport, Antwerp International Airport and Ostend-Bruges International Airport also handle passenger or freight traffic.[37]

Demographics

Belgium had 11,867,634 inhabitants on 1 January 2026.[1] The population is unevenly distributed, with particularly high densities in Brussels and in many parts of Flanders, while parts of southern Wallonia and the Ardennes are much less densely populated.[27]

The population is ageing. Statbel reported that 20.67% of residents were aged 65 or older at the beginning of 2026, compared with 16.03% in 1996.[1] Life expectancy at birth reached 82.5 years in 2025, including 84.4 years for women and 80.5 years for men.[38]

Belgium has also become increasingly diverse through immigration and naturalisation. On 1 January 2026, Statbel classified 63.4% of the population as Belgian with a Belgian background, 22.8% as Belgian with a foreign background and 13.8% as non-Belgian.[39]

There were 108,033 births in 2025. The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.43 children per woman.[40]

Languages

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German.[3] The country is divided into four language areas: the Dutch-language area, French-language area, German-language area and bilingual Brussels-Capital area.[41]

Dutch is predominant in Flanders, French in most of Wallonia, and German is used officially in a smaller area in eastern Belgium. Brussels is officially bilingual in Dutch and French and has a highly multilingual population.

Belgian language arrangements have strongly influenced the country's political structure. The Flemish, French and German-speaking Communities exercise powers in language-linked fields such as education and culture.[29]

Education

Responsibility for education belongs mainly to Belgium's three language Communities rather than to the federal government. The Flemish, French and German-speaking Communities maintain their own education systems and institutions.[42]

Belgium has a long university tradition. Major universities include KU Leuven, Ghent University, the Université catholique de Louvain, the Université libre de Bruxelles, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the University of Liège and the University of Antwerp. Higher education also includes university colleges, art schools and other specialised institutions.

Health

Belgium operates a compulsory health and indemnity insurance system. Residents covered by the system generally obtain insurance through a recognised health-insurance fund or a public alternative. The system reimburses eligible medical expenses, including doctor consultations and parts of hospital costs.[43]

Health policy responsibilities are divided among the federal state and federated entities. Belgium's 2025 life expectancy of 82.5 years was the highest recorded in the Statbel series to that point, although regional differences remained.[38]

Culture

Belgian culture reflects the country's position between Germanic and Romance Europe and the traditions of its Dutch-, French- and German-speaking communities. Its cultural history includes major contributions to painting, architecture, literature, music, design and the comic-book tradition.

Artists associated with territories that now form Belgium include Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. Later Belgian artists included symbolist James Ensor and surrealist René Magritte. Victor Horta became one of the important architects of the Art Nouveau movement, and several of his Brussels town houses are recognised by UNESCO.

Belgium had 16 properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List by 2026. They include the Grand-Place, Brussels, the historic centre of Bruges, Flemish béguinages, the major town houses of Victor Horta, the Plantin-Moretus complex in Antwerp, the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia and parts of several transnational heritage sites.[44]

Belgium also has a large body of recognised intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO-listed traditions include the Carnival of Binche, the Procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges, shrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke, the Ommegang of Brussels, Namur stilt jousting and Brussels' rod-marionette tradition.[45]

Belgian beer culture was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. Brewing traditions range from long-established abbey and Trappist production to modern independent breweries and specialised fermentation methods.[46]

Belgium is also internationally associated with comics. Belgian creators and publishers played a major role in the development of European comic art, particularly through French- and Dutch-language publishing traditions. Well-known series created by Belgian artists and writers include The Adventures of Tintin, The Smurfs and Lucky Luke.

Belgian food culture varies by region. Foods strongly associated with the country include waffles, fries, chocolate, mussels and a wide range of beers. Local dishes often combine French-influenced cooking techniques with regional ingredients and traditions.

Sport

Association football and cycling are among Belgium's most widely followed sports. The men's national football team is known as the Red Devils, while professional clubs compete through the Belgian league system.

Belgium has a particularly strong road-cycling tradition. Major races held in the country include the Tour of Flanders, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and La Flèche Wallonne, and Belgian riders have played a significant role in the history of professional cycling.

Other established sports include field hockey, tennis, athletics and motorsport. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Wallonia is one of Europe's historic motor-racing circuits and hosts the Belgian Grand Prix.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Structure of the population on 1 January 2026. Statbel. 10 June 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 With 265 km², Bastogne is the largest municipality in Belgium. Statbel. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Belgium, a federal state. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The King. The Belgian Monarchy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Biography. Prime Minister of Belgium. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Belgium – EU country. European Union. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 NATO member countries. NATO. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 United Nations (UN). FPS Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Belgium. World Bank Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 European Commission. European Union. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 NATO Headquarters. NATO. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 The Belgian Monarchy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Anthems. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  14. ↑ Symbols. The Belgian Monarchy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 History. The Belgian Monarchy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Belgium's independence (1830 – present time). Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  17. ↑ The first, unitary constitution. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  18. ↑ Belgium – Countries. Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Belgium's long railway history. SNCB-NMBS. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  20. ↑ The viewpoints of the museum. Royal Museum for Central Africa. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Democratic Republic of Congo – Independence. Royal Museum for Central Africa. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Belgium. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Historical outline of the federalisation of Belgium. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  24. ↑ Geographical description of Belgium. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Filing card Belgium. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  26. ↑ Normales climatiques à Uccle. Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Population density of 387 inhabitants per km² in Belgium. Statbel. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  28. ↑ The federal parliament. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 The Communities. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  30. ↑ The provinces. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  31. ↑ International institutions. FPS Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  32. ↑ Address. Council of the European Union and European Council. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  33. ↑ Allied Command Operations (ACO). NATO. 14 July 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Belgian economy at a glance. FPS Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  35. ↑ Aperçu de l'activité économique en Belgique. FPS Economy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  36. ↑ Belgium: OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2026 Issue 1. OECD. June 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  37. ↑ Country facts. FPS Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Life expectancy in Belgium is 82.5 years in 2025. Statbel. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  39. ↑ Diversity according to origin in Belgium. Statbel. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  40. ↑ Natality and fertility. Statbel. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  41. ↑ Taalgebruik. FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  42. ↑ Coming to study in Belgium. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  43. ↑ Healthcare costs. Belgium.be. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  44. ↑ Belgium. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  45. ↑ Belgium – Elements on the Lists. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  46. ↑ Beer culture in Belgium. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
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