Belgian people

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This article is about the Belgian people. For demographic information, please see Demographics of Belgium.

The Belgian people are divided into three linguistic and cultural groups: the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north, the French-speaking Walloons (French Latins) of the south, and the German-speakers of the east.

[edit] Origins

The people of Belgium originate from a Celtic tribe known as the Belgae, from which the country derives its name. The Celts ultimately came under Roman subjugation and Belgium became a province of Rome for three hundred years, and the Belgae became heavily Latinized. When Attila the Hun invaded the Germanic territories to the east, Germanic tribes settled the northern half of Belgium, with the Germanic Franks later conquering the entire region. While northern Belgium became a Germanic stronghold, the southerners remained Roman Latin-speakers.