The Kingdom of Belgium
is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the
European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of
other major international organizations, including NATO.
Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometers (11,787 square
miles) and has a population of about 10.5 million.
Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe,
Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of
Flanders in the north, with 58% of the population, and the French-speaking
southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 32%. The Brussels-Capital
Region, although officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking
enclave within the Flemish and near the Walloon Region, and has
10% of the population. A small German-speaking Community exists
in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related
political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political
history and a complex system of government.
