The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: België, French: Belgique, German: Belgien), abbreviated as "Belgium", is located on the western coast of Europe, bordering Germany to the east, the Netherlands to the north, France to the south, Luxembourg to the southeast, and the North Sea to the west across the sea from the United Kingdom.
Belgium has an area of about 30,000 square kilometers and a population of 11.59 million (2021)
Before independence, Belgium was occupied by Rome, ruled by Spain, ceded to France, and incorporated into the Netherlands; it was not until 1839 that the Netherlands recognized Belgium as an independent state.
Soon after independence, belgium invaded and carved up Africa, and Belgium invaded two African colonies: "Belgian Congo" and "Rwanda-Burundi", both obtained from German colonists.
Belgium is a hereditary constitutional monarchy.
Belgium was the first country on the European continent to carry out the industrial revolution and complete full industrialization.
Belgium is a developed industrial country, a founding member of the European Union and NATO, the economic volume ranks eighth in the European Union, and the diamond and chemical plastics industries rank first in the world and second in Europe, respectively.
The economy is highly dependent on foreign countries, with 80% of raw materials imported and exports accounting for 90% of GDP. The main trading partners are, in order, the European Union, the United States, Japan and India.
Belgium has the world's largest diamond chain, where about 80% of the world's uncut diamonds are processed, with an annual turnover of 45 billion euros, and a number of diamond banks have been established.
Brussels is home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, as well as 2,500 other international organizations and 288 diplomatic missions, making it the second most international city (after New York).
Belgium does not have a "Belgian language", the official languages are Dutch, French and German, English penetration is also high, and many Belgians have mastered 3-4 languages.
Belgium is overwhelmingly Flemish and Walloon, accounting for 58% and 41% of the total population, respectively, while the rest are a small number of ethnic minorities such as Germans and Italians.
Although Belgium has only 65 kilometers of coastline, it has the second largest port in Europe, with more than 20,000 ships calling in each year.
Belgium has 3,000 flavors of chocolate and is known as the "Kingdom of Chocolate". Godiva, Pierre Marcolini, Neuhaus and other brands are well-known in the world.
Belgium is rich in beer, but the small land is crowded with nearly two hundred distilleries, most of which are small workshops, and brands such as Westmalle, De ranke, and Duvel are widely spread. It is said that 80% of the world's beer is controlled by Belgians behind the scenes.
Belgian office workers have 150 days of holidays combined each year, which equates to 40% of the time in a year.
The statue of the Kid is the city icon of Brussels; in 1747, Louis XV of France clothed him for elegance.
Every year on World Milk Day, pee children urinate on milk.
The world-famous ancient battlefield of Waterloo in Belgium. It was here that the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian armies under the command of the Duke of Wellington besieged and eventually defeated Napoleon.
Belgium's football strength is not bad, known as the "European Red Devils", the best result of the World Cup is the third place in 2018.