A rich and bubbling vat of beer, chocolate, oil paint and bureaucrats,
Belgium gives off the heady pong of the bourgeoisie. But stir
the pot a little and you'll find an 'artificial state' roughly
made up of two parts Germanic Flemings to one part Celtic-Latin
Walloons. Divided by pride first and language second, the country's
binding agents are a pervasive sense of family and an indomitable
entrepreneurial spirit. And if Belgium's spotlight on the European
stage is a little dim, it's only because its people are rarely
boastful. This country has more history, art, food and architecture
per square centimetre than many of its bigger, louder neighbours.
Full country name: Kingdom of Belgium
Area: 30,518 sq km
Population: 10.2 million
Capital city: Brussels (pop: 980,000)
People: 55% Flemish (of Teutonic origin), 33% Walloons (French
Latin) and about 10% foreigners.
Language: Flemish, French and German. Most Belgians also speak
English.
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic
When to Go
You're unlikely to encounter extremes in weather during an average
Belgian year. April to September is the warmest time, but be prepared
for grey skies and soggy streets no matter what time of year you
go. Visitors may be forgiven for assuming umbrellas and raincoats
are part of the Belgian national dress.
Events
Traditional Catholic celebrations aside, Brussels' most festive
months are July and August. On the first Thursday in July there's
the Ommegang pageant, a huge parade of nobles dressed in historic
costumes. Belgium's colourful National Day is July 21, which also
marks the start of the month-long Brussels Fair. |
