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The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe that is bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. Belgium has a population of over ten million people in only thirty thousand square kilometres, making it the 17th most densely populated country in the world. It ranked sixth on the 2004 UN Human Development Index. Image File history File links General info: Large flag of Belgium Dimensions: 348x302 pixels Source: Image originally derived from the public domain flags of the CIA World Factbook License: originally public domain, modifications under GFDL Most of the flags have had their colours improved and many have been resized to...
Image File history File links Coat of arms for Belgium. ...
State and war flag ratio: 13:15 Civil flag and ensign ratio: 2:3 The national flag of Belgium contains three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France, whereas the colours were taken from the colours of...
Belgiums coat of arms The Coat of Arms of Belgium contains a pair of lions (called the Belgian Lion, or Leo Belgicus), that are the national symbols of the nation. ...
Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
File links The following pages link to this file: Belgium User:DanielZm/test Template:Belgium infobox ...
An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ...
In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ...
Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the headquarters of the European Union, as two of its four main institutions have their headquarters in the...
Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the headquarters of the European Union, as two of its four main institutions have their headquarters in the...
The royal palace in Brussels Successive Belgian kings are Leopold I (1831-1865) Leopold II (1865-1909) Albert I (1909-1934) Leopold III (1934-1951) abdicated Prince Charles of Belgium (1944-1950) Prince Regent Baudouin I (1951-1993) Albert II (1993- ) None of these were King of Belgium: their title...
Became King: August 9, 1993 Predecessor: Baudouin Date of Birth: June 6, 1934 Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium Heir-Apparent: The Duke of Brabant His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie Wettin, born Laeken, Belgium, June 6, 1934...
This is a list of Prime Ministers of Belgium, known regionally as: Premier Ministre in French, Eerste Minister in Dutch, and Premierminister in German. ...
Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Pronunciation (born April 11, 1953) is the current Prime Minister of Belgium. ...
This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ...
This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ...
To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...
Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ...
This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, estimated for the year 2005. ...
1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
You may be looking for: list of countries by GDP (nominal) - list based on current currency market exchange rates list of countries by GDP (PPP) - list based on purchasing power parity This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The euro (€; ISO 4217 code EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. ...
Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ...
European Summer Time is the daylight saving time practised in Europe, the period during which clocks are advanced by one hour in relation to the official time observed during the rest of the year. ...
Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of UTC+1 time zone, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ...
Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time(UT) or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ...
Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ...
Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time(UT) or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ...
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ...
The Brabançonne is the national anthem of Belgium. ...
A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of an Internet domain name. ...
.be is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Belgium. ...
// At a glance In depth Zone 1 – North American Numbering Plan Area nanpa. ...
1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably for the former French francs. ...
Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ...
The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ...
List of countries/dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The figures in the following table are based on areas including inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). ...
2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The UN Human Development Index (HDI) measures poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, and other factors. ...
Belgium straddles the cultural boundary between Germanic and Romance Europe. As a result, the country is linguistically and culturally split. It has two main languages: Dutch in Flanders (often unofficially called Flemish) to the north and French in the Wallonia to the south. To the east is an officially recognised minority of German speakers; the capital of Belgium, the Brussels-Capital Region, is legally bilingual. This linguistic diversity, which often leads to political conflict, is reflected in Belgium's complex institutions and political history. Belgium is the host of three prominent international organisations: NATO, the European Union and EUROCONTROL. The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ...
Flanders (Flemish, Fleming) (Dutch: Vlaanderen (Vlaams, Vlaming), French: Flandre(s), (flamand, flamand), German: Flandern, (flämisch, Flame) has two main designations: a constituent region of the federal Belgian state trough its social and political organisations, and trough the institutions of the Flemish Community (with its own Flemish government...
Contrary to popular belief, a Flemish language as such does not exist: there are however variants of the Dutch language spoken in Belgium; and these are, mainly for political reasons, sometimes referred to as Flemish. The Flemish people themselves, however, often note the difference between Dutch, as spoken in the...
National motto: Walon todi ! (Walloon forever!) Official languages French, German Capital Namur Minister-President Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe Area - Total 16,844 km² Population - Total (2002) - Density 3,358,560 inhabitants 199. ...
The Brussels-Capital Region (French: R gion de Bruxelles-Capitale, Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, German: Region Br ssel-Hauptstadt) or Brussels Region (French: R gion Bruxelloise, Dutch: Brusselse Gewest) is one of the three regions of Belgium. ...
Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ...
The History of Belgium before the last 175 years is entwined into that of other European countries, notably that of the Netherlands and of Luxembourg. ...
The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April...
EUROCONTROL members EUROCONTROL is the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, an international organisation whose primary objective is the development of a seamless, pan-European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. ...
History - Main article: History of Belgium
Belgium is at the crossroads of Europe, both geographically and culturally; for 2,000 years it has been a pathway for the vast cultural shifts that have moved across the continent. Consequently, Belgium is one of Europe's true melting pots. Politically, during its history, Belgium has been part of the Low Countries, which also comprises the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The History of Belgium before the last 175 years is entwined into that of other European countries, notably that of the Netherlands and of Luxembourg. ...
Alternate meaning: crucible (science) The melting pot is a metaphor for the way in which heterogenous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot (iron, tin; people of different backgrounds and religions, etc. ...
The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ...
Image File history File links Map of the Roman province Gallia Belgica. ...
Image File history File links Map of the Roman province Gallia Belgica. ...
Map of the Roman Empire, with the provinces, after 120 AD. In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin, provincia, pl. ...
Gallia Belgica was a Roman province located in what is now the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium and northeastern France. ...
For other uses, see number 120. ...
Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55...
Map of Gaul circa 58 BC The Gallic Wars were a series of wars fought between the Romans and the people of Gaul during the mid-first century BC, culminating in the Battle of Alesia in 52 BC which resulted in the expansion of the Roman Republic across Gaul. ...
Before Independence Though Belgium takes its name from the first named inhabitants of the Low Countries, the Belgae, a group of mostly Celtic tribes, and of the Gallia Belgica, the Roman province in northern Gaul created at their approximative territories, the history of Belgium began to be distinct of the history of the Low Countries (and of the Burgundian Netherlands) much later, during the 16th century.link title The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ...
The Belgae were a group of nations or tribes living in north-eastern Gaul, on the west bank of the Rhine, in the 1st century BC, and later also attested in Britain. ...
The word Celtic can refer to: the European Celtic people, ancient or modern the Celtic languages, spoken by these people and their modern descendents the Celtic (Lusitania), Celts from the Alentejo. ...
Gallia Belgica was a Roman province located in what is now the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium and northeastern France. ...
Map of the Roman Empire, with the provinces, after 120 AD. In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin, provincia, pl. ...
Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (from Latin Gallia, c. ...
In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to the period when the dukes of Burgundy ruled the area, as well as Luxembourg and northern France from 1384 to 1477. ...
(15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...
At this time, the prosperous Seventeen Provinces, a confederation of cities and provinces unified by the Burgundians at the end of the Middle Ages and more or less independent of the Habsburgian dynasty, had claimed for their independence from their Spanish heirs. The subsequent civil war, called the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648), split the Low Countries along the current borderline between Belgium and the Netherlands. Many emigrated to the northern independent United Provinces of the Netherlands. During the war and after the Peace of Utrecht, the Belgian territories, excluding the Bishopric of Liège, were named Southern Netherlands and were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs. Till independence, the Southern Netherlands were constantly the aim of the French conquests to the north and were the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and Franco-Austrian wars during the 17th and 18th centuries. The current Belgian southern border is due to these many wars. Interesting enough are the civil uprising in the Brabant and in Liège which lead in 1789 to the short-lived United States of Belgium reconquered by the Austrians some months later. Download high resolution version (591x657, 174 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Download high resolution version (591x657, 174 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France (Artois, Nord) and a small part of Germany. ...
The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Belgium. ...
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France (Artois, Nord) and a small part of Germany. ...
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France (Artois, Nord) and a small part of Germany. ...
Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of JOSH GARLAND Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic tribes, most importantly the Burgundians and...
The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...
Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ...
The Eighty Years War, or Dutch Revolt from 1568 to 1648 was the secession war in which the proto-Netherlands first became an independent country and in which the region now known as Belgium became established. ...
Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ...
// Events Peace treaty signed at Westphalia ends the Thirty Years War. ...
This article is about the Dutch United Provinces. ...
The Treaties of Utrecht (April 11, 1713) were signed in Utrecht, a city of the United Provinces. ...
The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Belgium. ...
The Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1579-1713), Austria (Austrian Netherlands, 1713-1794) and France (1794-1815). ...
(16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...
(17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...
Brabant is a former duchy in the Low Countries, and a former province of Belgium. ...
The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Belgium. ...
1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
Following the Campaigns of 1794 of the French Revolutionary Wars, the entire region (including territories that were never under Habsburg rule, like the Bishopric of Liège) was overrun by France, ending the existence of this territory as the Spanish/Austrian Netherlands. The civil uprising called the Flemish peasants war (boerenkrijg) against the French conquerors is seen by many as the birth of the Flemish movement. The reunification of the Low Countries, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, was decided during the Congress of Vienna in 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. However, after the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the southern provinces separated and became the independent state of Belgium. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1793 with few immediate changes in the diplomatic situation as France fought the First coalition. ...
The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Belgium. ...
The Flemish movement (Dutch: Vlaamse Beweging) is a popular term used to describe the political movement for greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language in Flanders, and for protection of the Flemish culture. ...
United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815 - 1830) (1839) (Dutch: Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, French: Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas). ...
The Congress of Vienna was a conference between ambassadors from the major powers in Europe that was chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich and held in Vienna, Austria, from October 1, 1814, to June 9, 1815. ...
The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ...
Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo, fought on June 18, 1815, was Napoleon Bonapartes last battle. ...
Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée dArt Ancien, Brussels The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the establishment of...
Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée dArt Ancien, Brussels File links The following pages link to this file: Belgian Revolution Egide Charles Gustave Wappers Categories: Public domain art ...
Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée dArt Ancien, Brussels File links The following pages link to this file: Belgian Revolution Egide Charles Gustave Wappers Categories: Public domain art ...
1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 (1834), Wappers most famous painting, now in the Musée dArt Ancien, Brussels Egide Charles Gustave, Baron Wappers (August 23, 1803 - December 6, 1874), Belgian painter, was born at Antwerp. ...
1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the headquarters of the European Union, as two of its four main institutions have their headquarters in the...
From Independence to World War II The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the establishment of an independent, Catholic and neutral Belgium. Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée dArt Ancien, Brussels The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the establishment of...
United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815 - 1830) (1839) (Dutch: Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, French: Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas). ...
Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the headquarters of the European Union, as two of its four main institutions have their headquarters in the...
1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
Since 1831, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy. From the revolution to World War II, the democratic system evolved from an oligarchy characterised by two main parties, the Catholics and the Liberals, to a universal parliamentary democracy which has included a further party, the Belgian Labour Party, and a strong role for the trade unions. 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchical government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ...
World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in...
Oligarchy is a Political regime where most political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). ...
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
The country experienced a fast expanding industrialisation, particularly in the French-speaking regions of Liège and Charleroi, with the development of steel and mining industries. By the 1840s, however, the textile industry of Flanders was in severe crisis. Famine in Flanders (1846-1850) forced many Flemings to emigrate, mostly to Wallonia. Liege or Liège has several meanings: A liege is the person or entity to which one has pledged allegiance. ...
Charleroi (Walloon: Tchålerwè) is a city and a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. ...
Events and Trends Technology First use of anaesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi New Zealand. ...
1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
National motto: Walon todi ! (Walloon forever!) Official languages French, German Capital Namur Minister-President Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe Area - Total 16,844 km² Population - Total (2002) - Density 3,358,560 inhabitants 199. ...
Originally, Belgium had only one official language, French, which was the adopted language of the nobility and the bourgeoisie. The country has since evolved a bilingual system and Dutch now enjoys official status in addition to French. The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ...
Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century Bourgeoisie (boorzhwäz-ee´) in modern use refers to the wealthy or propertied classes in a capitalist society. ...
Belgium possessed one primary foreign colony, the Congo Free State, later called the Belgian Congo, which was given to King Léopold II in 1885. The local population was brutalised in the quest for rubber, which had a growing market with the development of rubber tyres. Leopold's ruthless exploitation represents one of the worst legacies of European colonialism [1]. The Congo Free State was a kingdom privately and controversially owned by King Leopold II of Belgium that included the entire area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...
On November 15, 1908, King Leopold II of Belgium formally relinquished personal control of the Congo Free State and the renamed Belgian Congo came under the administration of the Belgian parliament, a system which lasted until independence was granted in 1960. ...
King Léopold II His Majesty King Léopold II of the Belgians (Louis Philippe Marie Victor) (April 9, 1835–December 17, 1909), succeeded his father, Léopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ...
1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...
Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky emulsion (known as latex) in the sap of a number of plants but can also be produced synthetically. ...
Belgium's neutrality was violated in 1914, when Germany invaded Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan. The former German colonies, Ruanda-Urundi (now Rwanda and Burundi), were occupied by the Belgian Congo in 1916. They were mandated in 1924 to Belgium by the League of Nations. Belgium tried to return to neutrality in the 1930s, but was once again invaded by Germany in 1940. Belgium did not put up much resistance to the German blitzkrieg offensive. 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
This is a list of former German colonies, or Schutzgebiete (protectorates) as they were called in official German. ...
Ruanda-Urundi was a Belgian League of Nations Mandate and then UN trust territory from 1924 to 1962 when it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. ...
On November 15, 1908, King Leopold II of Belgium formally relinquished personal control of the Congo Free State and the renamed Belgian Congo came under the administration of the Belgian parliament, a system which lasted until independence was granted in 1960. ...
1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...
1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ...
// Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ...
1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Blitzkrieg relied on close co-operation between infantry and panzers (tanks). ...
During the war and the early Cold War, Belgium became an important partner of the United States on account of the huge reserves of uranium in Katanga, (a province of the Belgian Congo). These reserves were of huge importance to the Manhattan Project. For the generic term for a high-tension rivalry between countries, see cold war (war). ...
General Name, Symbol, Number uranium, U, 92 Chemical series actinides Group, Period, Block ?, 7, f Appearance silvery gray metallic Atomic mass 238. ...
Capital Lubumbashi Created June 1960 Dissolved January 1963 Demonym Katangan Katanga is the southern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional capital Lubumbashi (formerly Elizabethville). ...
On November 15, 1908, King Leopold II of Belgium formally relinquished personal control of the Congo Free State and the renamed Belgian Congo came under the administration of the Belgian parliament, a system which lasted until independence was granted in 1960. ...
Control panels and operators for calutrons at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ...
From World War II After World War II, the policy of neutrality was abandoned, and Belgium joined NATO and Benelux. It was also one of the founding members of the European Economic Community. Belgium hosts the headquarters of NATO and a major part of the European Union's institutions and administrations, including the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and most of the sessions of the European Parliament. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in...
The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April...
Benelux Benelux Benelux is the region of Europe comprising Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. ...
The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...
The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ...
The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ...
The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...
After World War II, Belgium, and in particular Flanders, benefited massively from American support through the Marshall Plan and subsequent massive American investment. The Belgian Congo gained its independence in 1960 during the Congo Crisis, while Ruanda-Urundi became independent in 1962. Till the 1970s, the Belgian economy was prosperous. The Belgian steel industry has since undergone a prolonged and serious crisis. This has been responsible for limiting the economic development of Wallonia [2]. Flanders (Flemish, Fleming) (Dutch: Vlaanderen (Vlaams, Vlaming), French: Flandre(s), (flamand, flamand), German: Flandern, (flämisch, Flame) has two main designations: a constituent region of the federal Belgian state trough its social and political organisations, and trough the institutions of the Flemish Community (with its own Flemish government...
U.S. postage stamp issued 1997 honoring the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Plan. ...
On November 15, 1908, King Leopold II of Belgium formally relinquished personal control of the Congo Free State and the renamed Belgian Congo came under the administration of the Belgian parliament, a system which lasted until independence was granted in 1960. ...
1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...
(You may be looking for the First Congo War, 1996-7, or the Second Congo War, 1998-2002) The Congo Crisis (1960-1965) was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by...
Ruanda-Urundi was a Belgian League of Nations Mandate and then UN trust territory from 1924 to 1962 when it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi. ...
1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ...
National motto: Walon todi ! (Walloon forever!) Official languages French, German Capital Namur Minister-President Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe Area - Total 16,844 km² Population - Total (2002) - Density 3,358,560 inhabitants 199. ...
During the 20th century, and in particular since World War II, the history of Belgium became more and more dominated by the increasing autonomy of its two main communities, the Dutch- and the French-speaking segments of the population. Since around 1970, there are no longer significant national Belgian political parties, but only Dutch- or French-speaking parties (and one German-speaking party). As such, the political landscape shows a near-perfect dual political system, reflecting the two underlying dominant communities. The period has also seen a rise in intercommunal tensions and the continual unity of the Belgian state has come under scrutiny as a result [3]. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...
Politics - Main article: Politics of Belgium
Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy which evolved after World War II from a unitary state to a federal state. The bicameral Parliament (see: Belgian federal parliament) is composed of the Senate (see: Belgian senate) and the Chamber of Representatives (see: Belgian Chamber of Representatives). The former corresponds to a mix of directly-elected senior politicians and representatives of the communities and regions, while the latter proportionally represents all Belgians older than 18. Voting is compulsory. The Kingdom of Belgium is a sovereign, independent state. ...
Image File history File links Government portrait of Guy Verhofstadt File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Government portrait of Guy Verhofstadt File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Pronunciation (born April 11, 1953) is the current Prime Minister of Belgium. ...
A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchical government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ...
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ...
World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in...
A unitary state is a state or country that is governed constitutionally as one single unit, with one constitutionally created legislature. ...
A federal state is one that brings together a number of different political communities with a common government for common purposes, and separate state or provincial or cantonal governments for the particular purposes of each community. ...
In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ...
The debating chamber or hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels. ...
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament, it consists of two chambers. ...
A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ...
The Belgian senate (Dutch: de Senaat, French: le Sénat) is one of the two chambers of the Belgian Federal Parliament. ...
There are at least four political assemblies known as the Chamber of Representatives. ...
Proportional representation (PR) is any election system which ensures a proportionally representative result of a democratic election, x% of votes should be represented by x% in the democratic institutions, parliament or congress. ...
The federal government (see: Belgian federal government), formally nominated by the king (see: list of Belgian monarchs), must have the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives. It is chaired by the Prime Minister (see: list of Belgian Prime Ministers). The numbers of Dutch- and French-speaking ministers are equal. The judicial system is a civil law system, originally based on the Napoleonic Code. The Court of Appeals is one level under the Court of Cassation, based on the model of the French Court of Cassation which is similar to a supreme court. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The executive branch of the Belgian federal government consists of ministers and secretaries of state (junior ministers or smaller departments) drawn from the political parties which form the government coalition. ...
A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state, whose titles and ascent are often inherited, not earned, and who represents a larger monarchical system which has established rules and customs regarding succession, duties, and powers. ...
The royal palace in Brussels Successive Belgian kings are 1831-1865: Leopold I 1865-1909: Leopold II 1909-1934: Albert I 1934-1951: Leopold III 1944-1950: Charles, reigned as Prince Regent 1951-1993: Baudouin I Since 1993: Albert II None of these were King of Belgium: their title is...
In political science confidence refers to a governments support in the legislature. ...
A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives...
This is a list of Prime Ministers of Belgium, known regionally as: Premier Ministre in French, Eerste Minister in Dutch, and Premierminister in German. ...
This article is about law in society. ...
Civil law is a legal system derived from Roman law and commonly used in Europe. ...
The original Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des francais, or civil code of the French), was the French civil code, established at the behest of Napoléon. ...
Court of Appeals is the title of certain appellate courts in various jurisdictions. ...
The Cour de cassation is the main court of last resort in France. ...
The supreme court in some countries, provinces, and states, is the highest court in that jurisdiction and functions as a court of last resort whose rulings cannot be appealed. ...
Belgium's political institutions are complex, but the majority of political power is organised with the two main communities: the Flemings and their political parties; and the French speakers and their parties. Nearly all political parties in Belgium belong to one of these two communities. The political landscape within each community is basically shared among three political families: the Liberals (right wing), the Christian Democrats (centrists) and the Social Democrats (left wing). Other important younger parties are the Green parties and, especially in Flanders, the nationalist and far right parties. Politics is strongly influenced by many powerful lobbies, like the trade unions, the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, and numerous other associations. Flemings (Dutch: Vlamingen) are inhabitants of Flanders, the northern half of Belgium. ...
Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism, an adherent of the ideology espousing individual liberty and private property, meaning varies country to country American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Modern liberalism, in the USA, describes a political ideology that favors government intervention to promote equality Political progressivism, a political...
In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ...
Christian Democracy is a political ideology, born at the end of the 19th century, largely as a result of the papal encyclical Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII, in which the Vatican recognizes workers misery and agrees that something should be done about it, in reaction to the rise of...
In politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes. ...
Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ...
In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms that refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially but not exclusively in the American sense of the word...
This article is about the green parties around the world. ...
Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ...
The term far-right refers to the relative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
The current king, Albert II, succeeded King Baudouin in 1993. Guy Verhofstadt (VLD) has been Prime Minister since 1999. From the 1999 election to the 2003 election, Verhofstadt chaired a Liberal-Social Democrat-Greens six-party coalition called the rainbow government. This has been the first government without the Christian Democrats since 1958 [4]. Since 2003, he has been leading a Liberal-Social Democrat coalition of four parties. [5] In the last years, concern has been raised by the rise of the Flemish far right nationalist separatist party Vlaams Belang, heir of the Vlaams Blok. The Vlaams Blok has been qualified as racists in 2004 by the Ghent court of appeal [6] [7], which was partly uphold by the Court of Cassation, though some saw it as a political-inspired trial. Though in the opposition, the Vlaams Belang has a strong influence on the Belgian politics. Became King: August 9, 1993 Predecessor: Baudouin Date of Birth: June 6, 1934 Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium Heir-Apparent: The Duke of Brabant His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie Wettin, born Laeken, Belgium, June 6, 1934...
Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) born Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ...
1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...
Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Pronunciation (born April 11, 1953) is the current Prime Minister of Belgium. ...
The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or VLD (Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 from the former PVV and a few other politicians from other parties. ...
1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
The May 18, 2003 Belgian general elections were the first Belgian elections to be held under a new electoral code. ...
A coalition is an alliance between entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ...
1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Political separatism is a movement to obtain sovereignty and split a territory or group of people (usually a people with a distinctive national consciousness) from one another (or one nation from another; a colony from the metropolis). ...
Vlaams Belang (English: Flemish Interest) is a right-wing Belgian political party. ...
Note that Flemish Block turned themselves into Flemish Interest (Vlaams Belang) since their condamnation in 2004 The Flemish Block (Dutch: Vlaams Blok) was a Flemish far-right nationalist political party which rejects the state of Belgium, calling for political independence for the Flemish half of the country. ...
An African-American drinks out of a water fountain marked for colored in 1939 at a street car terminal in Oklahoma City. ...
2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
This page is about the Belgian city. ...
Court of Appeals is the title of certain appellate courts in various jurisdictions. ...
The Cour de cassation is the main court of last resort in France. ...
Maybe the most representative achievement of the two successive Verhofstadt governments is the maintaining of a balanced budget, which policy has been enabled by the successive goverments during the 1990s under the pressure of the European Council. The fall of the preceeding government was mainly due to the dioxin crisis,[8] a major intoxication food scandal in 1999 which lead to the establishment of he Belgian Food Agency [9]. This event lead to a unusual high representation of the Greens at the parliament and to a particular emphasis of environmental politics during the first Verhofstadt legislature (see for example the nuclear phase-out legislation - which is currently under revision). On the other hand, the Verhofstadt governments made huge efforts to improve the confidence of the populace in the police and the justice which had been inefficient in catching the serial killer and sociopath Marc Dutroux. The absence of Christian Democrats within the goverment enabled Verhofstadt to tackle ethic problems from a more liberal point of view and to develop new legislations on the use of soft drugs, same-sex marriages and euthanasia. During both last legislatures, the government has promoted an active diplomacy in Africa [10] and during the Iraq disarmament crisis and a new legislation with respect to war crimes. Both legislatures are also marked by disputes between both Belgian communities. The major ones are the disagreements concerning nocturnal air traffic routes at the Brussels Airport and the status of the contentious electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ...
The European Council, sometimes informally called the European Summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission (not to be confused with the Council of the European Union, or the Council of Europe). ...
Dioxins form a family of toxic chlorinated organic compounds that bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife due to their fat solubility. ...
1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
A nuclear power plant at Grafenrheinfeld, Germany. ...
Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ...
Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is a personality disorder which is often characterised by antisocial and impulsive behaviour. ...
Marc Dutroux (born 6 November 1956 in Brussels) is one of the most notorious criminals in Belgian history. ...
Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ...
Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism, an adherent of the ideology espousing individual liberty and private property, meaning varies country to country American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Modern liberalism, in the USA, describes a political ideology that favors government intervention to promote equality Political progressivism, a political...
The term soft drug is given sometimes to a range of drugs that are supposed to be less harmful than other drugs, called hard drugs. ...
On January 30, 2003, Belgium became the second country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriage. ...
Euthanasia (Greek, good death) is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. ...
The issue of Iraqs disarmament reached a crisis in 2002-2003, when George W. Bush demanded a complete end to alleged Iraqi production and use of weapons of mass destruction and that Iraq comply with UN Resolutions requiring UN inspectors unfettered access to areas those inspectors thought might have...
Belgiums War Crimes Law, extended the concept of universal jurisdiction to allow anyone to bring war crime charges in Belgian courts, regardless of where the alleged crimes have taken place. ...
Brussels Airport (French: lAéroport de Bruxelles, Dutch: Luchthaven Brussel), also called Brussels National Airport or Zaventem Airport, is an international airport located in Zaventem, near Brussels, Belgium. ...
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (often abbreviated as BHV) is a contentious Belgian electoral district in the center of the country that encompasses both the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital region as well as an officially unilingual Dutch-speaking area, Halle-Vilvoorde, around it. ...
Communities, Regions and provinces of Belgium - Main article: Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium
The constitution was revised on 14 July 1993 to create a federal state and several governmental entities have been created. Apart from the Belgian federal government, there are subdivisions into Communities according to language: Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ...
July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ...
1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The executive branch of the Belgian federal government consists of ministers and secretaries of state (junior ministers or smaller departments) drawn from the political parties which form the government coalition. ...
Another subdivisions, based on regions, are: The French Community of Belgium (French: Communauté française de Belgique, Dutch: Franse Gemeenschap van België) is one of the three official communities in Belgium along with the Flemish Community and the German speaking Community. ...
This article is in need of attention. ...
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