Outline of Belgium

See also: Index of Belgium-related articles

The Kingdom of Belgium is a sovereign country located in northwest Europe.[1] It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometers (11,787 sq mi) and has a population of about 10.5 million.

Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, with 58% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 32%. The Brussels-Capital Region, although officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region and near Wallonia, and has 10% of the population.[2] A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia.[3] Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.[4][5]

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Belgium:

Contents

General reference

Geography of Belgium

Main article: Geography of Belgium
 France 620 km
 Netherlands 450 km
 Germany 167 km
 Luxembourg 148 km
  • Coastline: 66.5 km

Environment of Belgium

Main article: Environment of Belgium

Natural geographic features of Belgium

Regions of Belgium

Ecoregions of Belgium

Main article: Ecoregions in Belgium

Administrative divisions of Belgium

Main article: Administrative divisions of Belgium
Regions of Belgium
Main article: Regions of Belgium
Provinces of Belgium
Main article: Provinces of Belgium
Municipalities of Belgium
Main article: Municipalities of Belgium

Belgium comprises 589 municipalities grouped into five provinces in each of two regions and into a third region, the Brussels-Capital Region, comprising 19 municipalities that do not belong to a province.

Demography of Belgium

Main article: Demographics of Belgium

Government and politics of Belgium

Main article: Government of Belgium and Politics of Belgium

Branches of government

Main article: Government of Belgium

Executive branch of the government of Belgium

Legislative branch of the government of Belgium

Judicial branch of the government of Belgium

Main article: Politics of Belgium#Judiciary

Foreign relations of Belgium

Main article: Foreign relations of Belgium

International organization membership

The Kingdom of Belgium is a member of:[1]

Law and order in Belgium

Main article: Law of Belgium

Military of Belgium

Main article: Military of Belgium

Local government in Belgium

History of Belgium

Main article: History of Belgium, Timeline of the history of Belgium, and Current events of Belgium

Culture of Belgium

Main article: Culture of Belgium

Art in Belgium

Sports in Belgium

Main article: Sports in Belgium

Economy and infrastructure of Belgium

Main article: Economy of Belgium

Education in Belgium

Main article: Education in Belgium

See also

Belgium portal
European Union portal
Main article: Belgium

References

  1. ^ a b "Belgium". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 15, 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/be.html. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
  2. ^ Leclerc, Jacques , membre associé du TLFQ (2007-01-18). "Belgique • België • Belgien — Région de Bruxelles-Capitale • Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest" (in French). L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde. Host: Trésor de la langue française au Québec (TLFQ), Université Laval, Quebec. http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/EtatsNsouverains/bruxelles-capitale.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-18. "C'est une région officiellement bilingue formant au centre du pays une enclave dans la province du Brabant flamand (Vlaams Brabant)" 
    * "About Belgium". Belgian Federal Public Service (ministry) / Embassy of Belgium in the Republic of Korea. http://www.belgium.or.kr/page60.html. Retrieved 2007-06-21. "the Brussels-Capital Region is an enclave of 162 km2 within the Flemish region." 
    * "Flanders (administrative region)". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Microsoft. 2007. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1257012993822035. Retrieved 2007-06-21. "The capital of Belgium, Brussels, is an enclave within Flanders." 
    * McMillan, Eric (October 1999). "The FIT Invasions of Mons" (pdf). Capital translator, Newsletter of the NCATA, Vol. 21, No. 7, p. 1. National Capital Area Chapter of the American Translators Association (NCATA). http://www.ncata.org/doc/Oct99.pdf. Retrieved 2007-06-21. "The country is divided into three increasingly autonomous regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north; mostly French-speaking Brussels in the center as an enclave within Flanders, and French-speaking Wallonia in the south (plus the German-speaking Cantons de l'Est)." 
    * Van de Walle, Steven, lecturer at University of Birmingham Institute of Local Government Studies, School of Public Policy. "Language Facilities in the Brussels Periphery" (pdf). KULeuven — Leuvens Universitair Dienstencentrum voor Informatica en Telematica. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1257012993822035. Retrieved 2007-06-21. "Brussels is a kind of enclave within Flanders — it has no direct link with Wallonia." 
  3. ^ "The German-speaking Community". The German-speaking Community. http://www.dglive.be/EN/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1263/2264_read-27181/. Retrieved 2007-05-05.  The (original) version in German language (already) mentions 73,000 instead of 71,500 inhabitants.
  4. ^ Morris, Chris (2005-05-13). "Language dispute divides Belgium". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4545433.stm. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
  5. ^ Petermann, Simon, Professor at the University of Liège, Wallonia, Belgium — at colloquium IXe Sommet de la francophonie — Intitiatives 2001 — Ethique et nouvelles technologies, session 6 Cultures et langues, la place des minorités, Bayreuth (2001-09-25). "Langues majoritaires, langues minoritaires, dialectes et NTIC" (in French). http://www.initiatives.refer.org/Initiatives-2001/_notes/sess604.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-04. 

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Belgium

Outlines
  • General reference
  • Culture and the arts
  • Geography and places
  • Health and fitness
  • History and events
  • Mathematics and logic
  • Natural and physical sciences
  • People and self
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  • Religion and belief systems
  • Society and social sciences
  • Technology and applied sciences
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