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Belgium consists of 2 main parts: the northern part Flanders (Vlaanderen) and the southern part Wallonia. Although Belgium is a small country, 3 languages are spoken here. There is no such language as ‘Belgian’. The Flemish people in the north of Belgium speak Dutch, while the Walloons in the south speak French. In the eastern part of the country there is a small German-speaking population. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is officially bilingual (Dutch and French). It should be pointed out that the inhabitants of the Netherlands also speak Dutch. Surrounded by three numerically stronger languages, i.e. French, German and English, 21 million people who live in the Netherlands and Flanders share a common language - Dutch - which is the sixth most important language in the European Union.
Since 1989 several constitutional reforms have turned Belgium into a federal state consisting of 3 Communities (Dutch-speaking, French-speaking and German-speaking) and 3 regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels). Whereas the communities are responsible for person-related matters like culture and education, the regions take care of territory-related matters such as social and economic affairs. Despite the fact that the regions are continually gaining power, Belgium is still one country. The reigning monarch, Albert II, is the sixth king of Belgium since the declaration of independence from the Netherlands in 1830.
The central location of Belgium within the European Union and its economic importance have contributed to its international significance. Brussels hosts both the European Commission and the Council of Ministers.
http://www.belgium.be/en/
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