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Belgium

✨ The land of chocolate and comic strips

Belgium is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France and the North Sea. It covers about 30,700 square kilometres and has a population of more than 11 million people. The landscape ranges from the flat coastal plain in the northwest to the rolling central plateau and the forested hills of the Ardennes in the southeast.

The highest point is Signal de Botrange, at 694 metres. Brussels is the capital and largest metropolitan area, while Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and Bruges are among the country’s other major cities. Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German, with their use concentrated in different parts of the country.

Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy divided into three regions and three language communities, reflecting its linguistic and cultural diversity. The country became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. Its central location has helped make it an important centre for European trade, transport and international cooperation.

Brussels hosts the main institutions of the European Union and is also home to the headquarters of NATO. Belgium has a highly developed economy based on services, industry and international trade. It is known for products such as chocolate, waffles and beer, as well as for its artistic and architectural heritage. Belgium has been a member of the European Union since its beginnings as a founding member of the European Economic Community in 1957 and uses the euro as its currency.

💡 Did you know?

Do you know the Manneken-Pis? It is a tiny bronze statue of a little boy urinating into a fountain in Brussels. Although it is only 61 centimeters tall, it is one of Belgium's most beloved symbols! Residents love him so much that they often give him costumes: he has a wardrobe of over 1,000 different outfits, from a Santa Claus costume to a cosmonaut's!

Belgium is considered the world capital of comic strips. To thank the artists who created Tintin, Lucky Luke, or the Smurfs, the city of Brussels created a 'Comic Strip Route': more than 50 walls in the city are painted with giant murals depicting scenes from your favorite comics! It's like walking through a giant open-air book where every street corner holds an illustrated surprise.

If you go to Brussels, you can't miss the Atomium. It is a very strange silver building composed of 9 giant balls connected by tubes. It represents an iron crystal molecule, but magnified 165 billion times! You can go inside the balls to see exhibitions or eat in a restaurant with an incredible view of the whole city. It is one of the most bizarre and brilliant buildings in the world.