Belgium lies between Germany, France and the Netherlands. Despite its small size, it is divided into several regions. Each has its own traditions and an established culture. For this reason, it is essential to explore each major city before a tourist trip or immigration. This will help you learn more about the country and determine the best place for a holiday or permanent residence.
The administrative division system in Belgium
The state is made up of 10 provinces made up of 589 communes. But this division was not enough for the Belgians and they made more linguistic communities – German-speaking, Flemish and French-speaking. Each has its own national language – Dutch, German or French. The cities of Belgium retain their linguistic traditions, but most of the population speaks English. For convenience, let’s look at the 3 official regions.
Flemish
It is made up of 5 provinces in the north of the country. The language spoken in Belgian cities in the region is Dutch. The total area is 13,500 km². The region is populated by Dutch and Germans. But in order to protect French-speakers, there are language concessions at the legislative level.
Features of the Flemish region:
- The local parliament. It is a legislative body elected for a term of five years. The executive body is the government.
- Belgium has a city population of 6.5 million.
- An own budget is being drawn up.
A special feature of the Year of Belgium in this region is the language policy. Language privileges have been introduced, which affect the comfort of French-speaking citizens. There are even language police in several border areas.
Walloon
It is made up of the five southern provinces of the state. French is spoken in the capital Namur and other Belgian cities. The area is 16,800 km². It is the largest region in the country. However, due to the terrain, mountains, the population density here is much lower than in the flat part of Belgium.
Interesting facts about the Walloon Region:
- The local parliament has 75 members elected for 5 years. There are provincial councils that deal with issues at local level.
- The total population is 3.5 million.
- Here is the highest point in the country, Mount Bonrange.
The province of Liège is densely populated by German-speaking Belgian nationals. However, the use of the Dutch language for office work is permitted here. The Walloon language is a special dialect of French. The provinces use Luxembourgian in some Belgian cities. This linguistic peculiarity causes difficulties during the adaptation of migrants and can be a problem for tourists.
Brussels
It is the largest urban conglomeration, comprising 19 municipalities. Brussels is officially the capital of Belgium. The seat of government is located here. The region is bilingual, and German and Dutch are used to disseminate official information. The majority of the population has a good knowledge of both languages.
About the Brussels region:
- NATO and EU headquarters are located in Brussels.
- There is plenty of public transport – trams, buses and the metro. But there are few taxis in this Belgian city. There are three international train stations.
- Attractions – Erasmus’ House, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Les Suns Orthodox Church.
Brussels is easy to emigrate to, you can always find a job here. However, the authorities have strict requirements for new potential citizens of the country. The city has a strong tourism industry. One of the advantages of the capital is its location on the map of Europe. From here it is convenient to travel to the south or north of the European Union.