Portal:Belgium

The Belgium Portal

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. The country also shares a maritime boundary with the United Kingdom to the northwest. Belgium covers an area of 30,689 km² (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.8 million; its population density of 383/km² (990/sq mi) ranks 22nd in the world and sixth in Europe. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

Belgium is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a complex federal system structured on regional and linguistic grounds. The country is divided into three highly autonomous regions: the Flemish Region (Flanders) in the north, the Walloon Region (Wallonia) in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle. Belgium is also home to two main linguistic communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, which constitutes about 60 percent of the population, and the French-speaking French Community, which constitutes about 40 percent of the population; a small German-speaking Community, comprising around one percent of the population, exists in the East Cantons. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Belgium is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy. It is one of the six founding members of the European Union, with its capital of Brussels serving as the de facto capital of the EU, hosting the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, and one of two seats of the European Parliament (the other being Strasbourg). Brussels also hosts the headquarters of many major international organizations, such as NATO.

In antiquity, present-day Belgium was dominated by the Belgae before being annexed into the Roman Empire in the mid first century BC. During the Middle Ages, Belgium's central location kept it relatively prosperous and connected both commercially and politically to its larger neighbours; it was part of the Carolingian Empire, the succeeding Holy Roman Empire, and subsequently the Burgundian Netherlands. Following rule by Habsburg Spain (1556–1714), the Austrian Habsburgs (1714–1794), and Revolutionary France (1794–1815), most of modern-day Belgium was incorporated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Centuries of being contested and controlled by various European powers earned Belgium the moniker "the Battlefield of Europe", a reputation reinforced in the 20th century by both world wars. (Full article...)

Recognized content -

Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

The involvement of the Belgian Congo (the modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) in World War II began with the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940. Despite Belgium's surrender, the Congo remained in the conflict on the Allied side, administered by the Belgian government in exile.

Economically, the Congo provided much-needed raw materials such as copper and rubber to the United Kingdom and the United States. Uranium from the colony was used to produce the first atomic bombs. At the same time, a large supply of the territory's industrial diamonds were smuggled to Nazi Germany with the complicity of Belgian business executives. The Congo also financially supported the Belgian government in exile. Militarily, Congolese troops of the Force Publique fought alongside British forces in the East African campaign, and a Congolese medical unit served in Madagascar and in the Burma campaign. Congolese formations also acted as garrisons in Egypt, Nigeria and Palestine. (Full article...)

List of recognized articles

More Did you know

...that paling in 't groen (pictured) is a Flemish dish of eel in a green herb sauce?
...that Leopold II's mistress Caroline Lacroix was so loathed by the Belgian public that on one occasion, her carriage was stoned in Brussels?
...that a Bruges building dating to 1399 now houses a museum dedicated to fries?

Belgium Topics

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Featured pictures -

Featured pictures are displayed here, which represent the finest images on English Wikipedia.

Image 1
Flat-four engine
Photograph: ULPower Aero Engines
The ULPower UL260i, a flat-four engine produced by ULPower Aero Engines of Belgium. Flat-four engines are flat engines with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase; they can be used in cars, motorcycles, or aircraft. This type of engine tends to be well-balanced and have efficient cooling, but is expensive to manufacture and considerably wider than other engines.
Image 2
Portrait of Henriette Mayer van den Bergh
Painting: Jozef Van Lerius
Portrait of Henriette Mayer van den Bergh, an oil painting on canvas completed by the Belgian painter Jozef Van Lerius (1823–1876) in 1857. Van Lerius, a student of Gustaf Wappers, was a teacher at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp from age 31. He was known primarily for his mythological and biblical scenes, as well as his portraits and genre pictures. The subject, Henriette Mayer van den Bergh, was the mother of the art collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh; after his death, she founded the Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp to house his collection.
Image 3
SNCB Class 77
Photograph: Marc Ryckaert
The SNCB Class 77 is a class of 4-axle B'B' diesel-hydraulic locomotive designed for shunting and freight work. It was manufactured at the beginning of the 2000s by Siemens Schienenfahrzeugtechnik, and later by Vossloh at the Maschinenbau Kiel plant in Kiel, Germany, for the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS).
Image 4
Belgian franc
Coin design credit: Kingdom of Belgium; photographed by the National Numismatic Collection
The Belgian franc was the currency of the Kingdom of Belgium from 1832 until 2002, when the euro was introduced. The Belgian mint was innovative, and in 1860, the country became the first to introduce coins made of cupronickel. A few years later, in 1865, Belgium formed the Latin Monetary Union with France, Switzerland and Italy (Greece joined the system later), which facilitated trade between the countries by setting standards by which gold and silver currency could be minted and exchanged.

This 40-franc gold coin was minted in 1835, and depicts Leopold I, the first king of the Belgians following the country's independence in 1830, on the obverse. The coin is now part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.
Image 5
Stained glass windows by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier
Windows: Jean-Baptiste Capronnier; photograph: Joaquim Alves Gaspar
Three scenes of the legend of the Miraculous Sacrament in stained glass windows in the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule of Brussels by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier (c. 1870). The contributions of Capronnier (1814–1891) helped lead to a revival in glass painting.
Image 6
Land sailing
Photo credit: Bain News Service
An early 20th-century sail wagon, used in the sport of land sailing, in Brooklyn, New York. Land sailing is the act of moving across land in a wheeled vehicle powered by wind through the use of a sail. Although land yachts have existed since Ancient Egypt, the modern sport was born in Belgium in 1898.
Image 7
Hélène Dutrieu
Photo credit: Bain News Service
Hélène Dutrieu, shown here in her aeroplane ca. 1911, was the fourth woman in the world (the first from Belgium) to earn a pilot's license and reputedly the first woman to carry passengers and to fly a seaplane. Besides being a pilot, she was a cycling world champion, stunt cyclist, stunt motorcyclist, automobile racer, wartime ambulance driver, and director of a military hospital.
Image 8
Thorntonbank Wind Farm
Photo credit: Hans Hillewaert
Wind turbines belonging to the Thorntonbank Wind Farm located in the North Sea, 28 km (17 mi) off the coast of Belgium. Electricity generation started in early 2009, with an initial capacity of 30 MW, and that number is expected to rise to 300 MW by 2015. A 37 km (23 mi) 150 kV undersea cable connects the wind farm to the shore.
Image 9
Sunrise, Inverness Copse
Drawing credit: Paul Nash
Sunrise, Inverness Copse, is a 1918 artwork by the British war artist Paul Nash. It shows a desolate Western Front landscape at Inverness Copse, near Ypres in Belgium; the sun is rising over the hills to reveal shattered trees standing among mounds of earth and an expanse of mud, pock-marked by shell-holes and devoid of vegetation. The pen-and-ink drawing, with watercolour and chalk, is held by the Imperial War Museum in London.

After a period serving in the Artists Rifles following the outbreak of the First World War, Nash was commissioned as an officer in the Hampshire Regiment. He was sent to Flanders in February 1917, but was invalided back to London in May 1917, a few days before his unit was nearly obliterated at the Battle of Messines. Nash became an official war artist and returned to the Ypres Salient, where he was shocked by the devastation caused by war. In six weeks on the Western Front, he completed what he called "fifty drawings of muddy places". He later used this drawing as the basis for his 1918 oil painting We Are Making a New World.
Image 10
Ghent
Photograph: Joaquim Alves Gaspar
The Graslei harbour is a popular destination in the Belgian city of Ghent. It is found in the city centre.
Image 11
Dogcart
Image credit: Detroit Publishing Co.
A photochrom from the late 19th century showing two peddlers selling milk from a dogcart near Brussels, Belgium. Dog-drawn carts were prohibited in Great Britain in the early 1900s on animal welfare grounds, but some still exist in France and Belgium. The modern-day sport of carting involves large dogs pulling carts.
Image 12
Limburger cheese
Photo credit: Jon Sullivan/Pharaoh Hound
A plate of Limburger cheese and pumpernickel bread. Limburger originated from Limburg, Belgium, and is known for its strong odor, which is due in part to being fermented with the same bacteria partially responsible for human body odor.
Image 13
Poeke Castle
Photo: Marc Ryckaert
Poeke Castle is a castle near Poeke, Belgium. Standing on 56 hectares of park, the castle is surrounded by water and is accessible through bridges at the front and rear of the building.
Image 14
Stunt performer
Photo credit: Luc Viatour
Pyrotechnics stunt exhibition by "Giant Auto Rodéo", a Belgian stunt performer group. Stunt performers typically perform stunts for films or television programs. Stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be.
Image 15
Averbode Abbey
Photograph: JH-man
Averbode Abbey, founded about 1134–35 by Count Arnold II of Loon, is a Premonstratensian monastery situated in the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels in Belgium. The abbey reached its peak in the 16th and 17th centuries, though over the past hundred years it has been in a state of decline.

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the electoral victory of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress in 2018 led to DR Congo's first peaceful transition of power since its independence from Belgium in 1960?
... that François Glorieux was a Belgian pianist and improvisor, conductor of the BBC Radio Orchestra and Stan Kenton's band, and arranger for Michael Jackson?
... that the Belgian far-right activist Robert Steuckers is critical of the French New Right for their lack of proficiency in German?
... that an exhibition hall for the 1939 New York World's Fair later hosted athletic events at a historically Black university in Virginia?
... that French cellist Nicolas-Joseph Platel is considered to be the founder of the Belgian school of cello playing?
... that Jopie and Teun Roosenburg led an art colony at Oost Castle that helped Jewish refugees escape the Nazi-occupied Netherlands to Belgium?

Anniversaries for March 23

1606: death of Justus Lipsius, philologist and humanist (pictured)
1865: birth of Paul Hymans, politician, first president of the League of Nations
1959: birth of Philippe Volter, actor in Three Colors and The Double Life of Veronique
1972: birth of Erwin Vervecken, cyclo-cross racer, World Champion in 2001 and 2006
1995: the Belgian Holocaust denial law is passed.
2002: death of Marcel Kint, cyclist, winner of Paris–Roubaix and the 1938 World Cycling Championship

More March anniversaries

General images -

The following are images from various Belgium-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The well-known Ghent Altarpiece, a 15th-century painting by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck in St. Bavo's Cathedral. (from Ghent)
Image 2Hollandse Synagoge (from Antwerp)
Image 3Bruges on the Ferraris map, c. 1775 (from Bruges)
Image 4The Ardennes in Belgium (from Ardennes)
Image 5Ruins of St. Bavo's Abbey (from Ghent)
Image 6Bayard Rock, Dinant, on the right bank of the Meuse. According to a legend, a magic horse jumped from the top of this rock to the left bank of the river, carrying the Four Sons of Aymon fleeing Charlemagne. (from Ardennes)
Image 7St. Bavo's Cathedral (from Ghent)
Image 8Buildings along the river Leie in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 9Flag of Borsbeek (from Antwerp)
Image 10R.S.C. Anderlecht fans at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (from Brussels)
Image 11The City Hall (from Bruges)
Image 12Liège, the Sunday "Batte" market (from Liège)
Image 13A 1906 British Punch cartoon depicting Leopold II as a rubber vine entangling a Congolese man (from History of Belgium)
Image 14Map of Antwerp (1624) (from Antwerp)
Image 15A bowl of grey shrimp as a snack (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 16The Battle of Beverhoutsveld (1382) in Froissart's Chronicles, with Bruges as setting (from Bruges)
Image 17Emperor Charles V was born in Ghent in 1500 (from Ghent)
Image 18The Sambre (from Namur)
Image 19Jenever bottles for sale in Hasselt, including two in traditional clay bottles (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 20Ganshoren (from Brussels)
Image 21A Richly Laid Table with Parrots, Jan Davidsz de Heem, c. 1650. On the table one can see ham, seafood, bread, wine, and various kinds of fruit. (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 22The Belfry of Namur (from Namur)
Image 23Communities of Belgium:
  Flemish Community / Dutch language area
  Flemish & French Community / bilingual language area
  French Community / French language area
  German-speaking Community / German language area
(from Brussels)
Image 24Flag of Antwerp (district) (from Antwerp)
Image 25Chicons au gratin/Gegratineerd witloof (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 26Vooruit Arts Center (from Ghent)
Image 27A HermeLijn low-floor tram in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 28Statue Lieven Bauwens (from Ghent)
Image 29Main Hall of the Oldmasters Museum, part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels (from Art of Belgium)
Image 30Frites wrapped in a traditional paper cone (cornet) served with mayonnaise and curry ketchup, with a small plastic fork on top and a meat frikandel on the side (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 3114th-century illustration of the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 where forces from the County of Flanders defeated their nominal overlords of the Kingdom of France. (from History of Belgium)
Image 32Scaldis ("the Scheldt") and Antverpia ("Antwerp"), Abraham Janssens, 1609, oil on panel, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 33The Gravensteen (from Ghent)
Image 34Jambon d'Ardenne/Ardeense ham hanging from a rack (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 35Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe) (from Brussels)
Image 36Flag of Deurne (from Antwerp)
Image 37Evere (from Brussels)
Image 38Korenlei (from Ghent)
Image 39The Ghent Altarpiece: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (interior view), painted 1432 by van Eyck (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 40A historic street in Belgium (from History of Belgium)
Image 41European route E40 (from Bruges)
Image 42De Kouter in Ghent in 1763 by Engelbert van Siclers (from Ghent)
Image 43Sirop de Liège/Luikse siroop on a slice of bread (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 44Boerentoren (from Antwerp)
Image 45Koekelberg (from Brussels)
Image 46The "Fusilade of Mons" during the 1893 strike as the Borains are fired on by the Garde Civique during the protests for universal suffrage. (from History of Belgium)
Image 47Stade Maurice Dufrasne, home to football club Standard Liège. (from Liège)
Image 48European route E40 (from Bruges)
Image 49Population density of Europe. Brussels is located between the largest urban centres. (from Brussels)
Image 50Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek) (from Brussels)
Image 51Jain temple in Wilrijk (from Antwerp)
Image 52Blason ville be Borgerhout (from Antwerp)
Image 53Flint knives discovered in Belgian caves (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 54The Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark memorial arcade, built in 1905 (from History of Belgium)
Image 55Saint Servatius, bishop of Tongeren and one of the first known Christian figures in the region. 16th century reliquary. (from History of Belgium)
Image 56The Belfry of Ghent, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Ghent)
Image 57Charles of Lorraine, traditionally considered the founder of what would become Brussels, c. 979 (from Brussels)
Image 58The Grand-Place after the 1695 bombardment by the French army (from Brussels)
Image 59Southern part of the Low Countries with bishopry towns and abbeys c. 7th century. Abbeys were the onset to larger villages and even some towns to reshape the landscape. (from History of Belgium)
Image 60The Elly Mærsk, one of the world's largest container ships, at Zeebrugge (from Bruges)
Image 61Equestrian Statue of Leopold II, Place du Trône/Troonplein, Brussels (from History of Belgium)
Image 62Municipalities (from Ghent)
Image 63The Royal Dutch Theatre (from Ghent)
Image 64Liège in 1650 (from Liège)
Image 65Self Portrait (1623) by Peter Paul Rubens (from Art of Belgium)
Image 66Portrait of Leopold I who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831 (from History of Belgium)
Image 67St Aubin's Cathedral is the only academic Late Baroque cathedral in Belgium. (from Namur)
Image 68The R4 ringroad (from Ghent)
Image 69Paul-Henri Spaak, three-times Prime Minister and author of the Spaak Report, was a staunch believer in international bodies, including the ECSC and EEC (from History of Belgium)
Image 70Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Sint-Jans-Molenbeek) (from Brussels)
Image 71View of Antwerp painted c.1540. (from History of Belgium)
Image 72Grote Markt (main square) (from Antwerp)
Image 73Ixelles (Elsene) (from Brussels)
Image 74The citadel and the Meuse (from Namur)
Image 75Two Force Publique soldiers in 1943 (from History of Belgium)
Image 76Liège in 1627 (from Liège)
Image 77Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 78Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (Sint-Agatha-Berchem) (from Brussels)
Image 79Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Gustaf Wappers, 1834 (from Brussels)
Image 80GDP per capita development of Belgium (from Economy of Belgium)
Image 81Chimay Brewery's Grand Cru cheese (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 82The Gravensteen in Ghent, whose current buildings date to 1180, was the castle of the Counts of Flanders. (from History of Belgium)
Image 83The Atomium (from Brussels)
Image 84Flint knives discovered in Belgian caves (from History of Belgium)
Image 85Antwerp City Hall at the Grote Markt (from Antwerp)
Image 86Fowl roasting on a spit. A shallow basin collects the drippings to use in sauces or for basting; The Decameron, Flanders, 1432 (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 87Hotel d'Hane-Steenhuyse (from Ghent)
Image 88Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée d'Art Ancien, Brussels (from History of Belgium)
Image 89Uccle (Ukkel) (from Brussels)
Image 90Jette (from Brussels)
Image 91The natural regions of Belgium. (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 92Map of Belgian regions and provinces. (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 93Graslei (from Ghent)
Image 94Planetarium of the Royal Observatory of Belgium (from Brussels)
Image 95An altarpiece by the Brabantian painter Rogier van der Weyden (1399-1464) who was at the forefront of the Northern Renaissance (from History of Belgium)
Image 96The Brussels Parliament building, housing the Brussels Regional Parliament (from Brussels)
Image 97A10 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 98Curtius Museum, museum of archaeology and decorative arts, located on the bank of the Meuse (from Liège)
Image 99Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 100View of Antwerp with the frozen Scheldt (1590) by Lucas van Valckenborch (from Antwerp)
Image 101Population timeline of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 102A10 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 103't Zand bus station (from Bruges)
Image 104The Bourse Palace, the former Brussels Stock Exchange (BSE) building (from Brussels)
Image 105Brussels Airlines Airbus A319 landing at Brussels Airport in Zaventem (from Brussels)
Image 106Ghent in 1775 on the Ferraris map (from Ghent)
Image 107Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk (from Mechelen)
Image 108View on the city of Ghent in 1540 by Lucas de Heere (from Ghent)
Image 109De Singel (from Antwerp)
Image 110Belgian folk dance group at the International Folklore Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 111Varieties of coiled boudin/pens (blood sausage) for sale at a Belgian Christmas market (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 112The horse Bayard carrying The Four Sons of Aymon, created by Olivier Strebelle for Expo 58 (from Namur)
Image 113Belfry (from Ghent)
Image 114Artist Félicien Rops (from Namur)
Image 115De Lingtworm en Krocht (from Ghent)
Image 116Forest (Vorst) (from Brussels)
Image 117The first Belgian-produced steam locomotive, "The Belgian" ("Le Belge") built in 1835 (from History of Belgium)
Image 118The German bombardment of Antwerp, October 1914, by Willy Stöwer (from Antwerp)
Image 11916th-century guildhalls at the Grote Markt (from Antwerp)
Image 120Old Post Office on the Korenmarkt (from Ghent)
Image 121St. Nicholas Church (from Ghent)
Image 122Carbonade flamande/Stoofvlees, another of Belgium's national dishes (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 123View of Antwerp by Jan Wildens (from Antwerp)
Image 124The Belfry of Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Bruges)
Image 125Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) (from Brussels)
Image 126The 1927 Solvay Conference in Brussels was the fifth world physics conference. (from Brussels)
Image 127A typical friterie or fritkot in Belgium (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 128The flag of the francophone pro-Nazi Rexist party (from History of Belgium)
Image 129Watermael-Boitsfort (Watermaal-Bosvoorde) (from Brussels)
Image 130Statue of Jacob van Artevelde on the Vrijdagmarkt (from Ghent)
Image 131The Kruispoort (from Bruges)
Image 132A Belgian machine gunner at the front lines in 1918, firing a Chauchat machine gun. (from History of Belgium)
Image 133Mechelen on the Ferraris map (around 1775) (from Mechelen)
Image 134A 2020 satellite image of the Greater Brussels area (from Brussels)
Image 135The Gilles of Binche, in costume, wearing wax masks (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 136Taking of Mechelen by the Geuzen under the command of Olivier van Tympele and John Norreys on 9 April 1580 by Nicolaas van Eyck (from Mechelen)
Image 137Elio Di Rupo, the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2011 until 2014 (from History of Belgium)
Image 138Gaufres/Wafels (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 139Pont de Fragnée (from Liège)
Image 140Palace of Justice (from Antwerp)
Image 141Hoboken vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 142The Art Deco Memorial tower of the Interallied Memorial of Cointe complex (from Liège)
Image 143Saint Bavo, patron saint of Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 144Languages spoken at home in the Brussels-Capital Region (2013)
  French
  French and Dutch
  Dutch
  French and other language
  Neither French nor Dutch
(from Brussels)
Image 145An Art Nouveau doorway in Ixelles, designed by Ernest Delune and built in 1902. (from Art of Belgium)
Image 146Flag of Merksem (district) (from Antwerp)
Image 147Site of the massacre of Belgian UN personnel in Kigali, Rwanda. (from History of Belgium)
Image 148Passenger terminal of Liège Airport (from Liège)
Image 149European route E34 (from Bruges)
Image 150The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg (from Brussels)
Image 151Jan Breydel Stadium (from Bruges)
Image 152't Groen Waterke (from Mechelen)
Image 153Herve cheese (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 154Flagey Building in Ixelles (from Brussels)
Image 155N31 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 156Vlaamse Opera (from Antwerp)
Image 157The flag of Flanders incorporating the Flemish lion, also used by the Flemish Movement. (from History of Belgium)
Image 158The Provinciaal Hof (from Bruges)
Image 159The Markt (market square) (from Bruges)
Image 160Gruuthusemuseum (from Bruges)
Image 161Postcard showing the Cranenburg House (from Bruges)
Image 162Regions of Belgium:
  Flemish Region
  Brussels-Capital Region
  Walloon Region
(from Brussels)
Image 163Brussels is known for its local waffles. (from Brussels)
Image 164Cartoon of "The Rape of Belgium" showing giant hairy fist with Prussian eagle grasping maiden in flowing robes. (from History of Belgium)
Image 165A typical scene of peasant life, Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap (1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (from Art of Belgium)
Image 166Part of the Markt (market square) (from Bruges)
Image 167Dried Ardenne sausage (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 168Namur in 1838 (from Namur)
Image 169Tintin and Snowy (Hergé), on the roof of the former headquarters of Le Lombard near Brussels-South railway station (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 170The stairway of the Montagne de Bueren (from Liège)
Image 171Auderghem (Oudergem) (from Brussels)
Image 172Policeman in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 173Network map of the Brussels Metro (from Brussels)
Image 174Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (from Brussels)
Image 175Cuberdon: A popular local delicacy (from Ghent)
Image 176German soldiers examine an abandoned Belgian T13 Tank, 1940 (from History of Belgium)
Image 177Port Authority Building (from Antwerp)
Image 178Het Steen (literally: 'The Stone') (from Antwerp)
Image 179Municipality of Bruges (from Bruges)
Image 180Joust on stilts in Namur. The stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411. (from Namur)
Image 181Arduenna silva between Maas und Rhein (from Ardennes)
Image 182Antwerp International Airport (from Antwerp)
Image 183The Great Mosque of Brussels, former seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium (from Brussels)
Image 184Entrance gate of Oude Vismijn ("Old Fish Market") (from Ghent)
Image 185View along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal in Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 186Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis) (from Brussels)
Image 187Charles Michel, the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2014 until 2019 (from History of Belgium)
Image 188The Grand-Place of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Brussels)
Image 189Chimay Tripel, a Trappist beer with its own glass (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 190Panorama of the city of Liège. Photo taken from the heights of the Citadel (left bank of the Meuse). (from Liège)
Image 191Morphologically connected mountains of Ardennes and Eifel, framed by the rivers Semois, Meuse, Moselle and Rhine. The highest elevation is the Hohe Acht at 746.9 m above sea level. NHN (from Ardennes)
Image 192Belgian soldier taking cover by the corpses of dead hostages, November 1964 in Stanleyville during Operation Dragon Rouge (from History of Belgium)
Image 193Map showing the area of West Germany occupied by Belgian forces after the Second World War, known as FBA-BSD (from History of Belgium)
Image 194Antwerp from the left bank of the Scheldt, c. 1890–1900 (from Antwerp)
Image 195Map showing the division of Brabant into Flemish Brabant (yellow), Walloon Brabant (red) and the Brussels-Capital Region (orange) in 1995 (from History of Belgium)
Image 196Poster for the 1920 Summer Olympics, held at Antwerp (from History of Belgium)
Image 197The Graslei, in the old city centre (from Ghent)
Image 198Historical centre of Ghent – from left to right: Old post office, St. Nicholas' Church, Belfry, and St. Bavo's Cathedral (from Ghent)
Image 199Making Waffles, Basile De Loose, 1853 (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 200Antwerp population pyramid in 2022 (from Antwerp)
Image 201Etterbeek (from Brussels)
Image 202Sunset over the river Leie in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 203Liège at night, photography taken from the ISS in December 2012 (from Liège)
Image 204Saint Michael' bridge over the Lys (Leie) river and Saint Michael' church (from Ghent)
Image 205Anderlecht (from Brussels)
Image 206Brussels Metro carriage at Erasme/Erasmus metro station (from Brussels)
Image 207Wilrijk vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 208St. Rumbold's Cathedral on the Grote Markt (from Mechelen)
Image 209Vrijdagmarkt with statue of Jacob van Artevelde (from Ghent)
Image 210The Place Royale/Koningsplein in the late 19th century (from Brussels)
Image 211The Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat is one of the city's main streets. (from Brussels)
Image 212Bilingual French and Dutch street signs in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 213Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which about 7,000 people died (from Antwerp)
Image 214Brugge railway station (from Bruges)
Image 215Manneken Pis, a well-known public sculpture (from Brussels)
Image 216Solbosch/Solbos campus of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) (from Brussels)
Image 217Merchants in Bruges, first half of the 16th century (from Bruges)
Image 218Statue of Charlemagne in the centre of Liège (from Liège)
Image 219The Iron Worker (1890 by Constantin Meunier) (from Art of Belgium)
Image 220Villo! shared bicycles in Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 221Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (Sint-Joost-ten-Node) (from Brussels)
Image 222The Palace of Justice in Ghent, c. 1895 (from Ghent)
Image 223Meyboom giants in Brussels, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (from Brussels)
Image 224Walloon workers demonstration in Brussels in the winter of 1960 (from History of Belgium)
Image 225The municipalities with language facilities (in red) near Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 226Painting of steel production in Ougrée by Constantin Meunier (1885) (from History of Belgium)
Image 227A Van Hool articulated bus in Ghent (from Ghent)
Image 228British tanks arrive in Brussels on 4 September 1944, ending the German occupation (from Brussels)
Image 229Belgian F-16 conducts a combat patrol over Afghanistan, 2008 (from History of Belgium)
Image 230Bevrijdingsdok terminal at the Port of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 231Chocolate pralines (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 232Main hall of Brussels-South railway station, home to the Eurostar train service to London (from Brussels)
Image 233The Sack of Antwerp in 1576, in which 17,000 people died. (from History of Belgium)
Image 234Jacques Brel (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 235French soldiers fight at Fleurus in Belgium during the Revolutionary Wars, 1794 (from History of Belgium)
Image 236European route E403 (from Bruges)
Image 237European route E403 (from Bruges)
Image 238Geeraard de Duivelsteen (from Ghent)
Image 239Flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle/Vossenplein (from Brussels)
Image 240Rabot Gate (from Ghent)
Image 241Moules-frites or mosselen met friet is a representative dish of Belgium. (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 242Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark memorial arcade and museums (from Brussels)
Image 243Namur, the Meuse, the Walloon Parliament and the citadel (from Namur)
Image 244Surviving Roman city walls in Tongeren, the former city of Atuatuca Tongrorum (from History of Belgium)
Image 245Pêches au thon/Perziken met tonijn (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 246Planet Group Arena (from Ghent)
Image 247University of Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 248Brussels' Northern Quarter business district (from Brussels)
Image 249Prince-Bishops' Palace, residence of former Prince-Bishops of Liège (from Liège)
Image 2501944: Soldiers of the US Army 4185th Quartermaster Service Company loading a Red Ball Express truck at Liège. (from Liège)
Image 251Dulle Griet, a notable medieval bombard (from Ghent)
Image 252An assortment of sauces (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 253Moules-frites/Mosselen met friet, one of Belgium's national dishes (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 254Flag of Berchem, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 255Extreme points of Belgium (from Geography of Belgium)
Image 25620 km of Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 257Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe) (from Brussels)
Image 258Provincial Government Building (from Antwerp)
Image 259The KHBO campus in Sint-Michiels (from Bruges)
Image 260The Fish Market (from Bruges)
Image 261Concertgebouw ("Concert Building") (from Bruges)
Image 262A18 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 263Liège-Guillemins railway station (from Liège)
Image 264A re-creation of Mixtura cum Caseo (soft cheese with a herb purée) and Hapalos Artos (soft bread), served with olives, grapes and wine (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 265A17 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 266The Roman province of Gallia Belgica in around 120 AD (from History of Belgium)
Image 267Official poster of the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 268Old town (from Namur)
Image 269Flags of NATO member states wave at the entrance of NATO's headquarters in Haren (from Brussels)
Image 270The gallows at Breendonk Concentration Camp, near Mechelen (from History of Belgium)
Image 271Belgian endives in a market (from Belgian cuisine)
Image 272Flag of Berchem, Antwerp (from Antwerp)
Image 273Ekeren vlag (from Antwerp)
Image 274John of Gaunt, born in Ghent in 1340 (from Ghent)
Image 275Interior of the Hôtel Tassel in Brussels, by Victor Horta (1892–93) (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 276Inauguration of the statue of Charlemagne, 26 July 1868 (from Liège)
Image 277N49 road (Belgium) (from Bruges)
Image 278Brussels Summer Festival (BSF) (from Brussels)
Image 279View of Brussels, c. 1610 (from Brussels)
Image 280Traditional Liègian puppets (from Liège)
Image 281A statue of Our Lady of Hanswijk is carried through the city during the procession in 2013 (from Mechelen)
Image 282City of Brussels (from Brussels)
Image 28315th-century Ghent miniature of Joseph, showing daily life there (from Ghent)
Image 284The Place du Luxembourg/Luxemburgplein with the European Parliament in the background (from Brussels)
Image 285The Royal Palace of Brussels, the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians (from Brussels)
Image 286Heathland at the Hoge Kempen National Park (from List of protected areas of Belgium)
Image 287Aerial view of Brussels' European Quarter, hosting most of the European Union (EU)'s institutions (from Brussels)
Image 288The brewery Het Anker, home of the Gouden Carolus beer (from Mechelen)
Image 289Stations of the Cross within the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp (from Culture of Belgium)
Image 290Aerial view of the Boudewijnkanaal canal linking Zeebrugge (top) with Bruges (middle) (from Bruges)
Image 291Jacques Rogge, 2014 (from Ghent)

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