The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Belgium:
Background Information for
Belgium
By Joshua Skov
The most obvious difference between Belgium's two very distinct population groups--the Flemish in the north and the Walloons in the south--is language: Northerners speak Flemish, a Dutch dialect, and southerners speak French. But you'll notice further differences in everything from architecture to politics. The two regions don't even share a common history: Each has been controlled by different ruling families (from Burgundy, Spain, Vienna, and elsewhere) at various periods. A mild war of independence with the Netherlands in 1830 established the new country, but Belgium hasn't developed a national identity that supersedes regional loyalties. In fact, the country recently transformed itself into a federation composed of Flanders, Wallonie, and Brussels, and a number of Flemish and Walloons want two completely separate countries. Luckily, Belgium's political problems haven't led to any kind of violence, and the chances of this country becoming the next Yugoslavia, torn apart by civil war, are slim.
It's ironic that a country with such internal conflicts should be at the center of the effort to unify all Europe, but Belgium is home to the European Commission, where most decisions affecting the European Union are made. Most Belgians would honestly like to see their EU neighbors come together. Their all-too-vivid memories of World Wars I and II, in which Belgium was ravaged, have left them believing that the only secure future lies in a unified Europe.
Belgium's most appealing city and the darling of the tourist industry is the old-fashioned Brugge in the west. In the center of Belgium, the nation's capital, Brussels, is home to the most powerful EU institutions, while Antwerp, the heart of Flanders, is alive with music and the legacy of Peter Paul Rubens. And the southeast corner of Belgium, though thick with memories of World War II, is graced with the beautiful hills and forests of the Ardennes, where nature still reigns supreme.
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