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Belgian

Kingdom of Belgium
  • Koninkrijk België  (Dutch)
  • Royaume de Belgique  (French)
  • Königreich Belgien  (German)
Flag of Belgium
Coat of arms of Belgium
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Eendracht maakt macht" (Dutch)
"L'union fait la force" (French)
"Einigkeit macht stark" (German)
"Unity makes Strength"
Anthem: "La Brabançonne"
(instrumental version)
Location of  Belgium  (dark green)– in Europe  (green & dark grey)– in the European Union  (green)
Location of  Belgium  (dark green)

– in Europe  (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union  (green)

Location of Belgium
Capital Brussels
50°51′N 4°21′E / 50.850°N 4.350°E / 50.850; 4.350
Largest city Brussels
Official languages Dutch
French
German
Ethnic groups see Demographics
Demonym Belgian
Government Federal parliamentary
constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Philippe
Charles Michel
Legislature Federal Parliament
Senate
Chamber of Representatives
Independence from the Netherlands
• Declared
4 October 1830
19 April 1839
• Founded the EEC (now the EU)
1 January 1958
Area
• Total
30,528 km2 (11,787 sq mi) (140th)
• Water (%)
6.4
Population
• 1 January 2016 census
11,250,585 (75th)
• Density
363.6/km2 (941.7/sq mi) (23rd)
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
• Total
$508.598 billion (38th)
• Per capita
$44,881 (20th)
GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate
• Total
$470.179 billion (23rd)
• Per capita
$41,491 (17th)
Gini (2011) 26.3
low
HDI (2014) Increase 0.890
very high · 21st
Currency Euro () (EUR)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)
CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the right
Calling code +32
ISO 3166 code BE
Internet TLD .be
  1. The flag's official proportions of 13:15 are rarely seen; proportions of 2:3 or similar are more common.
  2. The Brussels region is the de facto capital, but the City of Brussels municipality is the de jure capital
  3. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Coordinates: 50°50′N 4°00′E / 50.833°N 4.000°E / 50.833; 4.000

– in Europe  (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union  (green)

Belgium (Listeni/ˈbɛləm/; Dutch: België [ˈbɛlɣijə]; French: Belgique [bɛlʒik]; German: Belgien [ˈbɛlɡiən̩]), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and the North Sea. It is a small, densely populated country which covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi) and has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish community, which constitutes about 59% of the population, and the French-speaking, mostly Walloon population, which comprises 41% of all Belgians. Additionally, there is a small group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area, and bordering Germany.


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