NEDERLANDS
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One country, three communities

Belgium

The kingdom of Belgium is located in the heart of Northern Europe and is bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, with a short coastline along the North Sea. Don’t just say Belgian to a Belgian. Every Belgian is in many cases first a Fleming, Walloon, citizen of Brussels, German-speaking Belgian or as a result of recent naturalization a ‘new Belgian'. Nowadays, Belgium is a true federal state. It has a complex political structure with division on different levels (federal level, community level and regional level).

The federal government (based in Brussels)
The three language communities:
  • the Flemish community (Dutch-speaking)
  • the French community (French-speaking)
  • the German-speaking community
The three regions:
  • the Flemish Region (subdivided in 5 provinces), known as Flanders
  • the Walloon Region (subdivided in 5 provinces), known as Wallonia
  • the Brussels Capital Region, known as Brussels

European Union

Belgium was also one of the founding members of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as other international organisations, such as NATO. Many international companies set up their offices here, attracted by the central location of the country, its multilingual nature and its openness to the world. For more information on the Belgian government, history, traditions check the Belgian Federal Government’s website .

If you want to learn more about Belgium, you can watch the movies below. The first movie is about Belgium in General. The second one has a more economical approach. 

Belgium - Beyond... Expectations (General public film)

 

Belgium - Beyond... Expectations (Business film)