Belgium lies in northwest Europe and is bordered by the Netherlands, France, Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Its capital city, Brussels, is recognised, too, as the de facto Capital of Europe and the cities of Paris, London and Amsterdam are just two hours or so away by train. Belgium itself is strategically located between Europe's economic and urban 'backbone' to the south and the world's primary seaboard, the North Sea, to the north. As such, it lies not only within one of the most populous and trade-intensive regions on the planet but also along a key economic and urban axis.
Belgium, A Wealth Of Traditions
Creative Belgians have often met with great success. John Cockerill supplied customers all over the world with steam locomotives, steamboats, trams, blast furnaces and other heavy industrial equipment. The dynamo, soda and Bakelite, among others, were all invented by Belgians or people of Belgian origin, and today’s rapidly evolving industry is continuing this tradition.
Such well-known artists as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Jan Van Eyck, Rogier Van der Weyden and Antoon Van Dyck – to mention just a few of the Flemish masters – rose to promi-nence in the land that would one day become Belgium. Today, their paintings are to be found all over the world but some of their finest works are on display in a number of Belgium's museums. James Ensor, Félicien Rops, Théo Van Rysselberghe, Paul Delvaux, René Magritte and Constant Permeke were also Belgian.
Cartoon strips are considered an art in their own right in Belgium and the latter boasts the greatest number of cartoonists of any country in the world, talented artists following in the footsteps of revered predecessors such as Hergé (Tintin), Peyo (the Smurfs), Edgar P. Jacobs and Bob De Moor (Blake and Mortimer), Morris (Lucky Luke) and many others!
During the Middle Ages, cathedrals and belfries sprung up all over Belgium and can still be ad-mired today in many art cities across the country. Countless castles are to be found dotted all over the Belgian countryside and come the 20th century, the city of Brussels became synonymous with the Art Nouveau movement.
So Belgium has a rich architectural history too. Today, reflecting the past and setting tomorrow’s trends, Belgian talent is finding an outlet in the fine arts, traditional folklore, fashion, design and many more domains besides.
And of course Belgians really appreciate top cuisine, relishing the country's mouth-watering and long-standing culinary traditions.
 |
 |
 |
Belgium, A Dynamic Economy
With its distinctive way of life, natural resources and numerous growth sectors, Belgium is one of the most dynamic economies both in Europe and worldwide. The country boasts considerable expertise in a wide range of fields – expertise which has largely been the driving force behind its success. Industrial activity in Belgium originally centred around heavy industry associated with the mining and processing of its underground resources. However, the country has come a long way since those early days and is now active in some of the key industries (metals, glass and textiles) to have shaped economic growth in Europe and made the latter more attractive in economic terms.
New sectors continued to spring up throughout the 20th century following the arrival in Belgium of leading groups in a variety of sectors including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nanoelectronics, automobile manufacturing and household goods among others. Activity in these new sectors has long ensured considerable socio-economic diversity in Belgium and in so doing has promoted the growth of subcontracting and an efficient service sector offering substantial added value.
Following in its own footsteps as the first country in Continental Europe to embrace the industrial revolution, Belgium has made the most of its geographical location as a gateway to its key neighbours and at the very heart of all Europe's markets.
Belgium, A Land of Constrasts
The main features of Flanders with its flat landscape are its cities and ports. Wallonia, meanwhile, is a region of hills and valleys, the most famous area being the Ardennes to the south with its outstanding natural beauty and considerable appeal as a tourist destination. Most towns in Belgium are extremely old, with some such as Tongeren and Arlon dating back over 2,000 years to Roman times. Cities such as Bruges and Tournai were some of Europe's largest settlements during the Middle Ages and Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp and Liège are also renowned artistic centres.
Federal BelgiumBelgium is a federal state made up of regions and communities. To find out more about each of these entities, click on the appropriate link.