Belgium

Belgium is a country in Western Europe. Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, which constitutes about 59 percent of the population, and the French-speaking Community, which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians. Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and its capital, Brussels, hosts the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council, as well as one of two seats of the European Parliament (the other being Strasbourg). Belgium is also a founding member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD, and WTO, and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union and the Schengen Area. Brussels hosts several of the EU's official seats as well as the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy. It has very high standards of living, quality of life, healthcare, education, and is categorized as "very high" in the Human Development Index. It also ranks as one of the safest or most peaceful countries in the world.

Fun Facts

1. Belgium can function without a government for 589 days and people find it acceptable. Some things just take time, they say. Others argue that it is actually even better this way because we didn’t have any tax increases during that period.

2. Belgium has three official languages and none of them is called Belgian. People speak Dutch, French, and German in different parts of the country.

3. Belgium’s football team – the Red Devils – is number 1 in the world on the FIFA ranking. Football (soccer) is the only thing that can unite all Belgians and make them forget all the differences and disagreements, even if for a short while.

4. You can find more than 30 types of different waffles and 10 types of potatoes in an average Belgian supermarket. In fact, most Belgian waffles in Belgium don’t taste anything like Belgian waffles in the U.S.

5. Belgium has world’s best chocolate. Giving foreign chocolate as a present might be taken as an insult by Belgians. After all, they are the ones who have the very best chocolate in the world. The truth is that Belgian chocolate is very good; much too good actually, and they are absolutely right to be proud of it.

6. The Belgian national symbol is a peeing boy, Manneken Pis of Brussels. The little guy has hundreds of different costumes for all kinds of occasions and somebody takes the trouble of changing his clothes two to three times a week.