Belgium

BE / BEL 50.6°, 4.7°

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. Belgium covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.8 million; its population density of 383/km2 (990/sq mi) ranks 22nd in the world and sixth in Europe. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

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Capital

Brussels

Population

11,825,551

Area

30,688 km2

Climate

Temperate

Government

Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Languages

Dutch 60%, French 40%, German less than 1%

Sells

refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars

Sells to

France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%

Land borders

4: Germany, France, Luxembourg, Kingdom of the Netherlands

Drives on the

right

Calling code

+32

Founded

1830

Hemisphere

Northern

Where it is

Languages

Share of the population that speaks each. Click one to see every country that speaks it.

Dutchofficial

60.0%

Frenchofficial

40.0%

German less thanofficial

1.0%

What it sells, and to whom

Every line is a thread: click a commodity or a partner to see who else trades in it.

Farms and fisheries

sugar beets
milk
potatoes
wheat
pork
lettuce

Largest cities

Brussels capital	1,019,022
Antwerp	529,247
Gent	265,086
Charleroi	200,132
Liège	195,278

Wars and conflicts

Click one to see everyone else who fought in it.

World War II1939–1945 World War I1914–1918 Napoleonic Wars1803–1815 Hundred Years' War1337–1453 Korean War1950–1953 Kosovo War1998–1999 Shaba II Belgian–Dutch War1830–1833

Form of government

Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy.

federal parliamentary monarchy federation

Money, belief and alliances

Belongs to

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe European Air Transport Command Dutch Language Union European Southern Observatory Organisation internationale de la Francophonie United Nations World Meteorological Organization European Coal and Steel Community European Union International Energy Agency International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Antarctic Treaty System International Development Association Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons NATO International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

Climate and geography

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Climate zone

Temperate

Highest point

Signal de Botrange

Landmarks and landscapes

Grand-Place, Brussels Atomium Bruges

Northern hemisphere.

Land borders (4)

Germany

France

Luxembourg

Kingdom of the Netherlands

In charge right now

Philippe of Belgium Head of state

Bart De Wever Head of government

Figures from its history

Leopold II King whose Congo Free State killed millions Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Rene Magritte Surrealist painter René François Ghislain Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and boundaries of reality and representation.