Belgium is a Western European country of 10m inhabitants, neighboring The Netherlands, Germany , Luxembourg and France . Belgium is a founding member of the European Union and NATO both of which are Headquartered in Brussels , the capital of the country. There are three national languages Dutch, French and German. However, English is widely spoken. Major cities are Brussels, Antwerp, Brugge, Liege and Charleroi.

Belgium is a small country with a population of 10 million. It has been a constitutional monarchy since 1830.. The three regions ( Flanders , Wallonia and Brussels ) have self-government in many spheres. Belgium has retained its old-world charm in the preservation of its ancient buildings and historical traditions.

Belgium 's history has always been linked to both commercial and cultural exchange, and much of its character is due to its role as the great meeting place of western Europe. Traces of the Austrians, Spanish, French and Dutch can still be seen in its architecture and in the lifestyle of its people. Today, its capital city of Brussels is one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

Somehow, Belgium has maintained a low-key approach to all of this international sophistication. It is a country for connoisseurs, but connoisseurs who do not take themselves too seriously. Because the Belgians certainly do not.

Belgium derives its name from the Belgae, a Celtic tribe. The Belgae were forced to yield to Roman legions during the first century B.C

The population density in Belgium is among the highest in the world, but the country does include wild, forested hills in the Ardennes .

Other environments within the country include heathlands along the border with Holland , a high moorland plateau with peat bogs in the Northern Ardennes on the German border and reclaimed land along the North Sea coasts.

Like most countries with coal and steel industries, Belgium has suffered from environmental pollution. However, there is now a network of national parks and protected landscapes, including parts of the Ardennes ; coastal areas important to birdlife and the high peat bogs of the Hautes Fagnes reserve. EU finance has assisted some of these initiatives.

Belgium is seventy-five percent Roman Catholic and twenty-five percent Protestant.

Religion has been another source of division in Belgium 's history, with the people in the north of the country inclining towards Protestantism and the teachings of Luther. The Inquisition and the suppression of dissent in the sixteenth century was one of the reasons why the Northern Low Countries fought for their independence as Holland . The Catholic areas which became Belgium did not have the same incentive for revolt.

Belgium is particularly famous for waffles and chips. Belgian chips are often eaten with mayonnaise or served with mussels. Endive is a popular vegetable, as are, of course, brussel sprouts. Seafood is plentiful and trout is fished in the rivers. Soups include waterzooi which is more like a stew. Beer features in a number of recipes. There are over four hundred types of beer brewed including Chimay.

Belgium is well known for its luxury chocolates which are sold widely and in the specialist chocolate shops.