Culture Geography History Belgium The Kingdom of Belgium

Culture, Geography, History Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. This country has a population of more than 11 million. Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish community, which constitutes about 59 percent of the population, and the French-speaking, mostly Walloon population, which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians. Additionally, there is a small ~1 percent group of German speakers who live in the East Cantons.

The capital of The Kingdom of Belgium is Brussels, where the commander-in-chief resides. Now the King is Philippe of Belgium, while the prime minister is Charles Michel. Here there are no active political formations on a national scale; the parties are instead an expression of the linguistic and cultural communities of the country: Flemish, Walloon and Germanic.

In 1830, the Belgian Revolution led to the separation of the Southern Provinces from the Netherlands and to the establishment of a Catholic and bourgeois, officially French-speaking and neutral, independent Belgium under a provisional government and a national congress. Since the installation of Leopold I as king on 21 July 1831, now celebrated as Belgium's National Day, Belgium has been a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with a laicist constitution based on the Napoleonic code. Although the franchise was initially restricted, universal suffrage for men was introduced after the general strike of 1893 (with plural voting until 1919) and for women in 1949.

An important holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) takes place each year on December 6. This is Sinterklaas in Dutch or la Saint-Nicolas in French. This is sort of an early Christmas. On December 5 evening before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or donkey. According to tradition, St. Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus. 5

• Liège-Guillemins Railway Station by Santiago Calatrava: Calatrava Santiago Spanish • Palace of Justice Richard Rogers • Royal Palace of Broussels Brussels Park Leopold II 6

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