Kingdom of Belgium
The Kingdom of Belgium is located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands. With an area of 11, 780 square miles (Kingdom of Belgium, 69) Belgium is barely larger than Maryland. The terrain is crossed by the Meuse and Scheldt rivers, also by a network of canals. Belgium is one of the most densely populated nations in Europe. The country is made up of two ethnic and cultural regions, called Flanders and Wallonia. Flanders takes up provinces such as East Flanders, West Flanders, Antwerpen, Limburg, and part of Brabant; Wallonia takes up the remainder of Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, and Namur.
In the coastal region, the climate is mild and humid. In the high southeastern districts, hot summers interchange with very cold winters. Although in the highlands, rainfall is scarce. The average temperature is 46°F in Brussels, 37°F in January to 64°F in July. Rainfall averages between 28 inches to 40 inches. (Belgium Climate, December 10).
Belgium’s population is about 10.39 million and grows at a 0.12% increase. The Walloons live mostly in the south and includes 31% of Belgium’s population. The Flemish lives in the northern half and takes up 58%. Close to 10% of the population are not Belgians (Kingdom of Belgium, 70). Most people consist of Spaniards, Italians, and North Africans, like Moroccans. The largest cities within Belgium are Antwerpen, Brussels, and Gent.
The languages spoken are mainly French and Dutch. The French language takes up the southern areas and the capital, while Dutch is more common in the north. Although French and Dutch have the same grammar, they are pronounced differently. About 1% of Belgium speaks English. Approximately 11% of the population is bilingual. (Belgium, December 10)
Religion is freewill, most religions are accepted. Seventy-five percent of the people are Catholic. Protestants and other groups take up the remaining 25% (Kingdom of Belgium, 70). With all the...