The term Walloons (French: Wallons, Walloon: Walons) refers, in daily speech, to Belgians from Wallonia, roughly the southern half of the country. Walloons are one of the three ethnological groups in Belgium, the others being the Dutch-speaking Flemish and the German-speaking inhabitants of the "eastern counties" ("Cantons de l'est"). Walloon (Walon) is a regional Romance language spoken as a second language by some in Wallonia (Belgium). ... Wallonia (French: Wallonie, German: Wallonien, Walloon: Walonreye, Dutch: Wallonië) or the Walloon Region (French: Région Wallonne, Dutch: Waals Gewest) is the predominantly French-speaking region that constitutes one of the three federal regions of Belgium, with its capital at Namur. ... Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people, mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname, but also by smaller groups of speakers in parts of France, Germany and several former Dutch colonies. ... The term Flemings (Dutch: ) denotes the majority population in Flanders (the northern half of Belgium). ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

Wallonia

As with any part of the world where languages are spoken that have no physical barrier between them, the extent of Wallonia has shifted through the ages; the more so in that through history the low-lying area of Flanders and the hilly region of the Ardennes have been under the control of many city-states and external powers; all of which have brought variations to the borders, culture, and language. The Walloon language itself, widespread up till the Second World War, has been dying out of common use owing to growing internationalisation, official education that does not include it as a language, and the efforts of the French government to support the use of French within the "Francophonie" commonwealth. This is made more complex by the federal structure of Belgium, that splits Belgium into three language groups - French community (though not Walloon), Flemish community and German community - with privileges to use their own tongues in official correspondence, but into two semi-autonomous regions, known as "Vlaanderen" (Flanders) and "la région wallonne" (Walloon region). French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people, mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname, but also by smaller groups of speakers in parts of France, Germany and several former Dutch colonies. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

Brussels - not Walloon but French-speaking

Many non-French-speaking observers (over)generalize Walloons as a term of convenience for all (even born and living in the Brussels Region) Belgian French-speakers. While the mixing of the population for economic and practical reasons over the centuries means that most families can trace ancestors on both sides of the linguistic divide, the fact that the Brussels region is around ¾ French-speaking as mother tongue but lying geographically in Flanders has led to friction between the regions and communities. The local dialect in Brussels, "Brusselaar", is a Brabantic dialect, reflecting the Flemish heritage of the city. 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. ... For other places with the same name, see Brussels (disambiguation). ...

In relatively modern history, Brussels has been the major town or the capital of the region. Under the long Spanish and French rule, it ended up that the sole official language was French; after independence in 1830 this was maintained, and the Walloon region, being a major coal and steel producing area, developed very quickly into the economic powerhouse of the country. Walloons were therefore politically dominant, and many Flemish immigrants came to work in Wallonia. Between the 1930's and the 1970's, the gradual decline of steel and more especially coal, coupled with the imbalance in investment in service industries and light industry which came to predominate in Flanders, started to tip the balance in the other direction and Flanders became gradually politically dominant, and in their turn Walloon families have moved to Flanders in search of jobs. Sadly, this evolution has not been without political repercussions. That is the cause of a flemish saying: "die vuile walen zijn profiteurs, stenig ze " what means: looking for something like a walloon searches a job. An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Surface coal mining in Wyoming. ...

Walloon identity

The heartland of Walloon culture is the Meuse Valley, Dinant, Namur (the regional capital), Huy and Liège. Its Walloon language could be considered as an element of Walloon identity. However, not the entire French-speaking population of Wallonia can be culturally considered as Walloons, since a significant portion in the west (around Tournai and Mons) and smaller portions in the extreme south (around Arlon) belong to other languages (namely Picard, Champenois, Luxembourgish, and Lorrain) as mother tongues. Furthermore, Walloon and those other languages are mostly spoken by elderly people nowadays, and all of them can speak French as well or better. The younger can usually understand only bits and pieces of their ancestors' language. On the other hand, Givet commune, several villages in Ardennes département in France and a few villages in Luxembourg are historically Walloon-speaking. The tower of Notre-Dame, seen from the citadel Dinant is a municipality located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur, Belgium. ... Namur (Nameûr in Walloon, Namen in Dutch) is a city and municipality, capital of the province of Namur and of the region of Wallonia in southern Belgium. ... Huy (Walloon: Hu; French: Huy, Dutch: Hoei) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. ... Geography Country Belgium Community French Community Region Walloon Region Province Liège Arrondissement Liège Coordinates , , Area 69. ... Walloon (Walon) is a regional Romance language spoken as a second language by some in Wallonia (Belgium). ... Tournai (in Dutch: Doornik in Latin: Tornacum) is a municipality located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt (in French: Escaut, in Dutch: Schelde), in the Belgian province of Hainaut. ... Mons Mons ---- (more info) Stage 1 : Request (How-to) Article EN is too short for the city where the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is located Sylfred1977 20:04, 13 October 2007 (UTC) Very good article (featured article in the french WIKIPEDIA) Join this translation   ---   Update this information (instructions)   This... St Martin church, Arlon Arlon (Dutch: Aarlen, German: Arel) is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Luxembourg, of which it is the capital. ... Picard is a language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. ... Champenois is a language spoken by a minority of people in France and in Belgium. ... Luxembourgish or Luxembourgian (in French, Luxembourgeois; in German, Luxemburgisch; in Luxembourgish Lëtzebuergesch) is a West Germanic language spoken in Luxembourg. ... Lorrain is a language spoken by a minority of people in Lorraine in France and in Gaume in Belgium. ... Givet is a town in the Ardennes (département) of France very close to the Belgian border. ... The Ardennes (IPA pronunciation: ) (Dutch: Ardennen) is a volcanic region of extensive forests and rolling hill country, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes département and the Champagne-Ardenne région). ...

The Walloon Region institutionally comprises also the German-speaking community of Belgium around Eupen, in the east of the region, next to Germany which ceded the area to Belgium after the First World War. Many of the about 60,000 inhabitants of this very small community fiercely reject being considered as Walloon and – with their community executive leader Karl-Heinz Lambertz – demand separation from Wallonia and recognition as a separate region in Belgium. Wallonia (French: Wallonie, German: Wallonien, Walloon: Walonreye, Dutch: Wallonië) or the Walloon Region (French: Région Wallonne, Dutch: Waals Gewest) is the predominantly French-speaking region that constitutes one of the three federal regions of Belgium, with its capital at Namur. ... The Executive (government) of the German-speaking Community meets in Eupen Flag of the German-speaking community in Belgium The German-speaking Community of Belgium (German: , short DGB) is one of the three federal communities in Belgium. ... St Nikolaus church in Eupen Eupen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, 15 km from the German border (Aachen), from the Dutch border (Maastricht) and from the nature reservation Hohes Venn (Ardennes). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Karl-Heinz Lambertz (born June 4, 1952 at Amel, Belgium), is a jurist and politician, currently the leader (Minister-President) of the community executive of the German-speaking community of Belgium. ...

Starting from 1620s, a considerable number of Walloon miners and their families had settled in Sweden. They were originally led by entrepreneur Louis de Geer who commissioned them to work in the iron mines of Uppland and Östergötland. The wave of migration continued substantially into 18th century. Walloons became gradually integrated into Swedish society. However, Walloon ancestry is still traceable through Walloon surnames and people of Walloon descent are organised in Sällskapet Vallonättlingar (Society of Walloon Descendants). Events and Trends Permanent Dutch settlement of New York Bay and the Hudson River. ... Louis De Geer, in an engraving by Fredrik Akrel dated 1790 but probably based on an older portrait. ... For other uses, see Iron (disambiguation). ... Uppland ( ) is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. ... (help· info) is a historical Province (landskap) in the south of Sweden. ...

Etymology

The name is derived from "walhaz", which was a term used by the ancient Germanic Tribes to refer to "Celtic" people. (Other modern derivatives of "walhaz" include "Welsh", "Wallis", and "Wallachia".) A more modern popular interpretation attributed to "Wallonia" is "the land of the valleys" (i.e., reading "wal-" as cognate with French "vallée", etc.), which has been used by the ministry of tourism in touristic road signs, typically in French as "pays des vallées". The part of Wallonia south and east of the Meuse is indeed remarkably hilly. brass replica of the Tjurkö Bracteate showing the attestation of the name Walha Walha () is an ancient Germanic word, meaning foreigner or stranger (welsh) or roman. It is attested in the Roman Iron Age Tjurkö Bracteate inscription as walhakurne, probably welsh crown for Roman coin, i. ... The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... Look up Celtic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... brass replica of the Tjurkö Bracteate showing the attestation of the name Walha Walha () is an ancient Germanic word, meaning foreigner or stranger (welsh) or roman. It is attested in the Roman Iron Age Tjurkö Bracteate inscription as walhakurne, probably welsh crown for Roman coin, i. ... The Valais (German:  ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the south-western part of the country, in the Pennine Alps around the valley of the Rhone River from its springs to Lake Geneva. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Wallonia (French: Wallonie, German: Wallonien, Walloon: Walonreye, Dutch: Wallonië) or the Walloon Region (French: Région Wallonne, Dutch: Waals Gewest) is the predominantly French-speaking region that constitutes one of the three federal regions of Belgium, with its capital at Namur. ... The Meuse (Maas) at Maastricht Meuse near Grave The Meuse (Dutch & German Maas) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea. ...

Recent genetic studies in Wallonia have shown in Y-chromosomes that most Walloons share their genes with the Celts.^{[citation needed]} Celts, normally pronounced //, is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic language. ...

Famous Walloons

• Baldwin I of Constantinople, Count of Flanders and Hainaut, first emperor of the Latin Empire
• Godfroid de Bouillon, leader of the First Crusade and first European King of Jerusalem.
• Jesse deForest, Walloon settler, first colonizer of New Netherland and what would become New York City. Monument dedicated and located in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan.
• Pierre Minuit, who purchased the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans and founded what would become New York City.
• Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.
• Ernest Solvay, inventor of the Solvay process and founder of the Solvay Business School.
• Zénobe Gramme, inventor of the Gramme machine.
• Georges Simenon, author of Maigret and other novels.
• Jean-Michel Saive, table tennis champion.
• Justine Henin, tennis champion.
• Hercule Poirot, fictional detective of many of Agatha Christie's famous novels.
• Louis De Geer, merchant and industrialist.
• Georges Lemaître, founder of the "big bang" theory of the Universe
• Rene Magritte the surrealist artist

Baldwin I (July 1172 – 1205, Bulgaria), the first emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, as Baldwin IX Count of Flanders and as Baldwin VI Count of Hainaut, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Fourth Crusade, which resulted in the capture of Constantinople, the conquest of the... For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ... The virtually independent county of Hainaut emerged from chaotic conditions at the end of the 9th century as a semi-independent state, at first a vassal of the crown of Lotharingia. ... The Latin Empire, Empire of Nicaea, Empire of Trebizond and the Despotate of Epirus. ... Godfrey of Bouillon, from a tapestry painted in 1420 Godfrey of Bouillon (c. ... Combatants Christendom, Catholicism West European Christians, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Seljuks, Arabs and other Muslims The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of liberating the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims and freeing the Eastern Christians from Muslim... The kingdom of Jerusalem and the other Crusader states (in shades of green) in the context of the Near East in 1135. ... States which were part of New Netherlands Map based on Adriaen Blocks 1614 expedition to New Netherland, featuring the first use of the name. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Peter Minuit Peter Minuit == Life and work == Minuits Walloon family, originally from the city of Tournai, was one of many Protestant families that fled persecution from the Roman Catholic government of the Spanish Netherlands (present-day Belgium), and found refuge in the Dutch Republic and Protestant parts of the... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Life-size statue of Adolphe Sax outside his birthplace in Dinant, Belgium. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Ernest Solvay (c1900) Ernest Solvay (April 16, 1838 - May 26, 1922) was an Belgian chemist, industrialist and philanthropist. ... The Solvay Business Schools logo The Solvay Business School is a management school accredited by the European Quality Improvement System and Association of MBAs, and is part of the Brussels University. ... Zénobe Gramme, by Mathurin Moreau Zénobe Théophile Gramme (April 4, 1826 - January 20, 1901) was a Belgian electrical engineer. ... A Gramme machine or Gramme dynamo is kind of electric dynamo named for its Belgian/French inventor, Zénobe Gramme. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Maigret featured on a postage stamp Jules Maigret, known as (Commissaire) Maigret to most people, including his wife, is a fictional police detective, created by writer Georges Simenon. ... Jean-Michel Saive (born November 17, 1969, in Liège, Belgium) is a Belgian professional table tennis player. ... Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ... David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in The Dream Hercule Poirot (pronounced in english ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. ... Louis De Geer. ... Monsignor Georges Lemaître, priest and scientist. ... René François Ghislain Magritte (November 21, 1898 - August 15, 1967) was a Surrealist artist, born in Lessines, Belgium. ... Surrealism is an artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious. ...

See also

• Walloon Region
• French Community of Belgium
• Francophonie
• Flemish people

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 French Community area of Belgium The French Community of Belgium (French: , Dutch: , German: ) is one of the three official communities in Belgium along with the Flemish Community and the German speaking Community. ... Motto Égalité, Complémentarité, Solidarité Members and participants of La Francophonie. ... The term Flemings (Dutch: ) denotes the majority population in Flanders (the northern half of Belgium). ...

External links