The most popular attractions in Western Europe

Introduction to Belgium

Country name: The Kingdom of Belgium (Le Royaume de Belgique)

Independence Day: October 4 (1830)

National Day: July 21 (the day King Leopold I ascended the throne in 1831)

Flag: rectangular in shape, with a length-to-width ratio of 15:13. The flag consists of three parallel and equal vertical rectangles of black, yellow and red connected from left to right. Black is a solemn and commemorative color, expressing mourning for the heroes who died in the War of Independence in 1830; yellow symbolizes the country's wealth and the harvest of livestock and agriculture; red symbolizes the life and blood of patriots, and also symbolizes the achievements of the War of Independence. Great victory. Belgium is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The car the king rides flies the royal flag. The royal flag is different from the national flag in that it is square in shape. The ground of the flag is almost brown. There is the national emblem of Belgium in the center of the flag. There is a crown and the first letter of the name of the reigning king at each corner of the flag.

National emblem: It is in the form of a cloak. In the center of the entire pattern is an upright lion on the shield, followed by the crossed king's staff, symbolizing royal power. The shield-shaped pattern is surrounded by a ribbon of the Order of Leopold, with a lion holding a national flag on each side, a crown at the top, and a medal of the Order of Leopold (the first monarch of Belgium) hanging under the band. The ribbon at the bottom reads "United We Are Strength." The top of the cloak is decorated with a crown and nine flags representing the nine provinces of Belgium.

National anthem: "Song of the Leaders"

National flower: Poppy.

National bird: Kestrel

Population: 10.356 million (2003), of which 5.996 million are in the Flemish-speaking Flemish region, and 5.996 million are in the French-speaking region. The Walloon Region has a population of 3.368 million (including about 71,000 German speakers), and the Brussels-Capital Region has a population of 992,000 in both French and French. The official languages ??are French and Flemish. 80% of the residents believe in Catholicism.

Capital: Brussels (Bruxelles), with a population of 992,000 (2003). Known as the "European Capital", it is the headquarters of many international organizations such as the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Many international conferences are held here every year, and there are more than 200 international administrative centers and more than

Belgium is the perfect microcosm of the European continent: the magic of the Old World, excellent cooking skills, golden seaside and forest beauty... It is especially famous around the world for the ancient battlefield of Waterloo.

In the Middle Ages, Belgium was a necessary place for trade from north to south. It gradually became the most important and prosperous place in Europe and was known as the "crossroads of Western Europe." At the same time, because it is located at the intersection of three strong cultures: Germany, the Netherlands and France, the German perseverance, the Netherlands' calmness and the French enthusiasm have transformed into Belgium's unique optimism and independence.

At the same time, it also has a famous cultural and artistic city. Antwerp is the hometown of the painter Rubens, whose works are displayed in churches and museums. Bruges is known as the "Venice of the North" due to its canals and unique architecture. In addition, Belgium is also a paradise for music, comics, and movie lovers. There are music festivals, comics festivals, and film festivals here every year.

At present, many international organizations, such as the European Union, NATO Headquarters, etc., have added color to this country, especially Brussels. The capital Brussels (Bruxe Iles) not only has the world-famous ancient battlefield of Waterloo; it is also the residence of many international institutions; the northern port city of Antwerp (Antwerpen) is the hometown of the famous painter Rubens, and many art museums around the world currently display his works. A masterpiece; Bruges is known as "the most beautiful scenic city in Europe". Its exquisite architecture and canals throughout the city attract more than 2 million tourists from Europe and all over the world every year; the southern mountain city of Namu There are many unique castles in Namur. Belgium has a 65-kilometer coastline, with wide beaches covered with fine sand; the hills and forests of the famous Ardenne Highlands are a resort for enjoying nature and a good place for skiing in winter; Spa is Famous mineral water production area and hot spring resort.

Physical geography: Covering an area of ??30,500 square kilometers, it is located in northwest Europe, bordering Germany to the east, the Netherlands to the north, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. The coastline is 66.5 kilometers long. Two-thirds of the country's area is composed of hills and flat lowlands, with the lowest point slightly below sea level. The whole territory is divided into three parts: the coastal Flanders Plain in the northwest, the hills in the middle, and the Ardennes Plateau in the southeast. The highest point is 694 meters above sea level. The main rivers are the Maas River and the Escaut River. It has a maritime temperate broad-leaved forest climate.

Brief history: The Celtic people lived here in BC. Since 57 BC, it has been divided and ruled by the Romans, Gauls and Germans for a long time. From the 9th to the 14th century, it was divided by various vassal states. The Burgundian dynasty was established in the 14th and 15th centuries. Later it was ruled by Spain, Austria and France. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 annexed Belgium to the Netherlands.

It became independent on October 4, 1830, and was designated as a hereditary constitutional monarchy. A German, Prince Leopold of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was chosen as the first king of Belgium. The following year, the London Conference confirmed its neutral status. It was occupied by Germany in both world wars. Joined NATO after World War II. In 1958, it joined the European Union and formed an economic union with the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 1993, the national structural reform was completed and federalism was officially implemented. Belgium is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a member of the European Union.

Economy: A developed capitalist industrial country, the economy is highly dependent on foreign countries, 80% of raw materials are imported, and more than 50% of industrial products are exported. It is estimated that coal reserves are 3.7 billion tons, of which 1.8 billion tons are valuable for mining. The coal seams in the Walloon region have been exhausted. In addition, there are small amounts of iron, zinc, lead, copper, etc. There are 7 nuclear power plants, accounting for 65% of the total power generation. The forest and green space area is 6070 square kilometers (2002). The main industrial sectors include steel, machinery, non-ferrous metals, chemicals, textiles, glass, coal and other industries.

Natural geographical advantages make Belgium the "crossroads" of Western Europe. Successive governments have vigorously developed transportation and shipping in accordance with local conditions, and in doing so have promoted the prosperity of commerce and foreign trade, laying a solid foundation for the development of the national economy. Belgium is the first country in the world to install street lights on all highways. Belgium’s railway network is one of the densest in the world and was fully electrified more than a decade ago.

Belgium is one of the world's top ten commodity importers and exporters, ranking first in the world in terms of per capita export volume. More than 50% of Belgium's industrial products are exported, among which the export volume of metal wire, flat glass, carding wool, diamonds, etc. are among the best in the world.

On September 28, 2003, real and fake scarecrows were paraded through the streets at the Brabant Folk Art Festival in Gredoiseau, Belgium. The Brabant people in Belgium have held their own folk art festival at the end of September every year since the 14th century

The policy of vigorously attracting foreign capital has brought vitality to the Belgian economy, as well as new technologies and Emerging industries. In May 1998, the EU summit determined that Belgium would be the first batch of countries to join the Eurozone. In 2002, Belgium's GDP was 263.65 billion euros, and its per capita national income was 26,300 euros.

Belgium region overview

Best time to travel to Belgium:

Belgium has a maritime temperate broad-leaved forest climate with four distinct seasons. Spring is from March 21st to June 21st, the temperature is between 7℃ and 20℃; summer is from June 21st to September 21st, the temperature is between 15℃ and 35℃; autumn is from September 21st Until December 21st, the temperature ranges from 0℃ to 20℃; in winter from December 21st to March 21st, the temperature ranges from -15℃ to 10℃.

The best time to travel is spring and autumn. If you go to Belgium for business or tourism in winter, be sure to wear a coat; it is best to bring a sweater in spring and autumn, because it sometimes gets cooler at night. Please note that if you travel to Belgium around January, please bring a raincoat or umbrella as this is the rainy season.

Belgian folk festivals:

Belgium has many markets and local festivals. There must be a market, a festival or a carnival every three days across the country.

The Carnival is held every year in Banche, Belgium. At that time, tourists from other places flock to watch. This local festival is famous in Europe for its unique clown costumes. The Spring Carnival in Banche The most lively part of the festival is the costume parade.

Belgium also has some unique festivals, such as the Cat Throwing Festival: every year on the second Sunday of May, the Belgian town of Ybor holds a Cat Festival celebration. People put on festive costumes and come to the square from all directions. There is a tall tower in the square, and a colorful cat is thrown from the top of the tower. Whoever catches this tabby cat will have good luck. There had been a plague in this town before, and the people hated rats very much, so they generally raised cats and established a Cat Festival to thank cats for their contribution to eliminating rat pests.