Belgium
Belgium
- Capital
- Brussels
- Population
- 11,555,997
- Region
- Europe
- Languages
- Dutch, French, German
Belgium possesses a unique legal jurisdiction over the world's diamond trade, as approximately 84% of all rough diamonds pass through the city of Antwerp. The country is also home to the world's first beer pipeline, which runs underneath the streets of Bruges to transport beverage stock from a historic brewery to a bottling plant. Furthermore, Belgium holds the world record for the longest period a democratic nation has functioned without an official elected government.
Currency
The official currency of Belgium is the Euro, identified by the ISO code EUR. Before adopting the Euro in 2002, the nation used the Belgian Franc, which was once linked in a 1:1 monetary union with the Luxembourgish Franc. This historical arrangement allowed the currencies of both countries to circulate legally across each other's borders for decades.
Flag symbolism
The vertical tricolor of black, yellow, and red is derived from the colors of the Duchy of Brabant, a historic province that led the resistance against Austrian rule. Black represents the shield of the lion of Brabant, while yellow signifies the lion itself and the wealth of the nation's heritage. The red stripe symbolizes the blood shed during the 1830 revolution and the courage of the Belgian people. Originally, the stripes were horizontal, but they were rotated to follow the French revolutionary model and distinguish the banner from the Dutch flag.
Emblem history
The national coat of arms, known as the Great Seal, features a golden lion rampant on a black field, an emblem that dates back to the 12th century. Two lions hold the central shield, which is draped in a mantle of purple and ermine, topped by a royal crown representing the constitutional monarchy. Below the shield, a red ribbon displays the national motto, 'L'union fait la force,' which translates to 'Unity makes strength.' This heraldic composition was finalized shortly after independence in 1831 to bridge the gap between the various feudal provinces under a single national identity.