![]() ![]() There is a great diversity of Flemish dialects which differ in vocabulary and pronunciation. The Taalunie,an official institution, guarantees the international unity of the Dutch language. The language spoken in Flanders is Dutch, which is commonly called Flemish. Brussels was originally a Flemish city, but the influence of French has always been strongest here, and only a tenth of the population speak Dutch. In Wallonia, a series of Romance dialects rather than a single language were widely spoken but never had official status. Through education and social promotion, French replaced the local dialects in Wallonia and Brussels, but it was not as widely adopted in Flanders. In the eighteenth century, French was widely adopted by the bourgeoisie, and in 1830, it was adopted as the official language. French was introduced as the language of the political elite by feudal lords of French origin, particularly the dukes of Burgundy, who choose Brussels as their main city of residence. Although German is also recognized as the third national language, it is not used frequently in the national administration. Linguistic Affiliation.The main languages are Dutch and French they are also the joint official languages. The percentage of noncitizens in the population is high at 15 percent nationally and 28 percent in Brussels. There are many recent immigrants from other countries in the European Union as well as many expatriates working in or around European Union institutions and NATO headquarters. In the last hundred years the most important immigrant groups were Jews who form a sizable community in Antwerp Poles, who came in the early 1930s and after the fall of communism Italians (in the 1930s and 1950s) and North Africans and Turks, who arrived in the 1960s. The high numbers of Flemish names in the south and Walloon names in the north indicate long time internal mobility. The nation’s cultural diversity has been enriched by international and local immigration. Around 55 percent of the population lives in Flanders, 35 percent in Wallonia, and 10 percent in Brussels. The central and northern parts of the country are covered by a dense network of medium-size and small cities, and people may live in one city and work in another. Brussels, the capital, has approximately 1 million residents, and the second city, Antwerp, has half a million. Discoveries of coal in the hills of northern Wallonia led to the early industrialisation of the area.ĭemography.Belgium is one of the most urbanised and densely inhabited countries in the world with about 97 percent of the 10 million inhabitants living in cities in 2000. The German-speaking population lives at the borders with Germany and Luxembourg. Flanders (northern part of the country) is less hilly than Wallonia (southern part). The land rises progressively toward the south. The two main rivers are the Schelde and the Meuse, both of which begin in France and flow toward the Netherlands. Location and Geography.The country is located at the western end of the northern European plain, covering an area of 11,780 square miles (30,510 square kilometres) the neighbouring states are France, Luxembourg, Germany, and the Netherlands. After the 1830 revolution and the establishment of an independent kingdom, Belgium became the official name of the country. ![]() In early modern times, the name was used as an erudite synonym for the Low Countries. Gallia Belgica was the Romans’ name for the northern part of Gaul, the northern limit of their empire.
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