Belgium’s Religion, Government and Characteristics

• Belgium map- Belgium is a country in Western Europe that borders the North Sea, and the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Luxembourg are all near neighbours.

•  The northwest is dominated by flat coastal plains, whereas the Ardennes Forest’s rocky mountains dominate the southeast.

• Caves in Belgium have been unearthed with flint knives. 

• The ‘LBK culture’, the oldest Neolithic farming technique of northern Europe, reached the east of Belgium, the most northwesterly advance from its roots in southeast Europe. Around 5000 BC, it came to a halt in the Hesbaye area of eastern Belgium. 

• Limburg pottery & La Hoguette pottery are types that extend into northern Spain and France. However, it has been suggested that these innovations result from pottery technology expanding beyond the initial LBK agricultural population of eastern Belgium & northeastern France and being manufactured by hunter-gatherers. 

• Belgium’s government has a constitutional monarchy form.

• Belgium’s government provides freedom of religion, and all of Belgium’s religions are allowed to exist prosperously.

History of Belgium

Belgium’s history predates the establishment of the current state in 1830, intertwined with the histories of its fellow citizens: Dutch, Germans, France, and Luxembourg. What became Belgium was just a part of a broader area, as the Spanish Empire, or separated into several smaller states, the most important of which were the Duchy of Liège, County of Flanders, King of Liège, and the contemporary state of Luxembourg.

Belgium has been dubbed the “crossroads of Europe” because of its strategic position and history as a crossroads of cultures. It has also been dubbed the “battlefield of Europe” as many armies have had to fight on the land.

The Southern Netherlands fought even during the Belgian Revolt of 1830, founding the modern Belgian state, which was initially accepted at the Congress Session of 1830. Belgium’s first king, Leopold I, gained the throne in 1831. Leopold became known in Belgium for promptly bringing the 1848 revolutions to an end worldwide as a pacifying role in European politics, resolving tensions between key countries while retaining Belgian neutrality.

Belgium saw significantly greater turbulence in the early twentieth century. Germany took advantage of Belgium’s relatively open geography during the Great Wars to get beyond French fortifications, breaking the country’s historical neutrality.

After the kingdom was seized in 1940, King Leopold III of Belgium promptly surrendered to German invaders, striking a breach between him and the people and ruining his reputation for all time. He remained in exile after the war. In 1950, his attempt to return to the country and reclaim personal power over it led to a military coup, forcing him to surrender.

Flag of Belgium

Belgium’s national flag is a multicoloured one composed of three equal vertical bars depicting the country’s national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were drawn from the Duchy of Brabant’s coat of arms, while the vertical pattern might be based on the French flag. The black band is closest to the pole when flown and has a 13:15 ratio, which is unique compared to other national flags.

Belgium’s Map

As per Belgium’s map, the nation shares land borders with the Netherlands towards the north, Germany towards the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, and France towards the south. Belgium also has a 40-mile-long coastline on the North Sea.

Population Of Belgium

Belgium’s population is split into three languages. Flemish, which is equal to Dutch, is spoken in the north by the Flemish, who make up more than half of Belgium’s population. The European Walloons make up around a third of the people, and only a tenth of the population is fully multilingual.

Contemporary Belgium

Contemporary Belgium’s roots can be traced back to the southern part of the mediaeval Burgundian Netherlands. 

These kingdoms straddled the old Scheldt River divide that divided mediaeval European countries. In 1549, Charles V reunited them under the House of King Louis xv and amalgamated them into one autonomous entity. 

The Netherlands was divided into southern and northern republics during the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648), from which Belgium and Luxembourg arose.

Belgium’s Religion-

Belgium has a diverse religious landscape, with Christianity, particularly the Catholic Church, constituting the biggest group, despite a major loss in popularity since the 1960s (when it was the nominal Belgian religion of over 80 % of the population). 

According to a Eurobarometer study conducted by the European Commission in Dec 2018, the percentage of Christians in Belgium’s religion grew by 10%, from 52.5 % in 2009 to 62.8 % in nine years, with Catholicism accounting for 57.1 % of the total. 

Protestants comprise about 2.3 % of Belgium’s religious population, while Orthodox Christians comprise 0.6 %. Non-religious persons included 29.3% of the population, with the majority identifying as atheists (9.1%) or agnostics (2.9%).

Conclusion

Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands in 1831. After World Wars I and II, it was conquered by Germany. As a modern, technologically advanced European state Belgium’s government has strategic ties with NATO and is a part of the EU. Belgium’s government has benefitted from the deals it made over the years and appeared to be a progressive European state.