Belgium

Belgium is a country situated in West Europe, It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north,  Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast,  France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It is a member of the European Union.

Male
They're usually wearing a train hat (Reference to Belgium being Europe's first country to establish a rail network and was the first country to have a country-specific rail system in 1835.) and some vintage style clothing or in a yellow raincoat with an umbrella in hand (Reference to the weather being very rainy in the Autumn and Winter.)

Female
She can be seen wearing a brown-grey turtle-neck with a brown trench coat, holding a cup of coffee (Reference to Belgium being at the top 10 of The World's Top Coffee Consuming Nations.)

Personality
Belgium have somewhat of a self-Hatred personality ("It's not really Belgian to be proud of being a Belgian." -A Belgian.) an identity crisis that was brought about by the divided regions and separatist movements. Apart from that, they could be the cheerful little country who would greet you with some waffles. Belgium considers themselves the king of the chips/fries and would get mad if you call it French fries instead of Belgian fries.

Interests
Belgium likes cooking mussels, waffles and French Belgian fries. They're also fond of chocolate and beer. Belgium loves drawing comics in their free time. (Belgium is proud of its comics which passed the frontiers to mark the childhood of many children and are still very popular such as Tintin/Kuifje, Asterix and Smurfs) They also like travelling to countries like Switzerland (Probably for the chocolate.) and their brother country, The Netherlands.

Etymology
The name Belgium is derived from Gallia Belgica, which is a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul. Before the Roman invasion in 100 BC, it was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic people.

Languages
Dutch (Flemish) is the most spoken primary language of Belgium and the official language of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region (merged to Flanders). Along with French, an official language of the French community in Belgium. German is spoken in East Cantons, the German community. Lastly in Brussels, Brussels is a bilingual region of Belgium. That means they speak Dutch along with French there.

Dialects
We have many different dialects in Belgium, just like in other countries. Here are the dialects that are spoken in Belgium:


 * West-Flemish (Umbrella term for other versions of it.), this dialect is widely known as the impossible Belgian dialect to understand as a Dutch person. Originated in West Flanders, it had even spread to Hainaut in the Walloon Region and in the north of France. This language is also spoken in a small part of the Netherlands, next to the Belgian border.
 * Antwerp, an urban dialect of Antwerp.
 * Walloon, spoken in the French region of Belgium. This dialect is influenced by German, it is also practised in the USA (the Northeast part of Wisconsin), some parts of Canada and Northern France. Nowadays is Walloon almost a dead language.
 * Picard (ch’ti), spoken in Mons, Ath, and Tournai. Picard is closely related to the French.
 * Lorrain (Gaumois), a French dialect from the Lorraine region, South of the Belgian province of Luxembourg.
 * Champenois, also related to French. Practised in Bohan and Vresse-sur-Semois (In the region of Champagne.)
 * Luxembourgish, spoken Arlon and Martelange (In the Luxembourg province) It's a Germanic dialect that has been replaced by French.
 * East Flanders, Spoken in Antwerp and Ghent. (Small minority.)
 * Brussels, like its name this language is spoken in Brussels. This is a Flemish dialect that is most likely to disappear.
 * Limburg, Strongly influenced by German, It is spoken in Limburg.
 * Flemish Brabant, a mix of standard Dutch (Netherlands) and Flemish. It's spoken in The Flemish Brabant.

Flag Meaning
The flag of Belgium is a tricolour of three bands of black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France. Here are what the colours represent:
 * Black represents the black lion of Namur and Flanders.
 * Yellow represents the yellow lion of Brabant.
 * Red represents the red lion of Hainaut, Belgian Limburg and Belgian Luxembourg.

Other Symbols
Coat of Arms: Belgium's coat of arms is composed of a golden lion against a black shield, with the royal crown resting on top and the motto L'Union Fait La Force (Unity Makes Strength) on a ribbon below. Directly behind the shield are crossed sceptres.

The Iris flower; a symbol of Brussels, is also depicted on the emblem of Brussels. This flower grows mainly in the region of Brussels. We also have a festival 'Iris festival' which is the annual and official celebration of the Brussels Capital. Takes place on May 8 (The flowering period of the Iris.)

La gaillarde (Blanket flower); the floral emblem of Wallonia, the flower's colours are the same as the flag of Wallonia. (Yellow and red)

The rooster of Wallonia (le coq hardi); was a symbol of France since the renaissance. The rooster symbolizes bravery, boldness and virility. The rooster is depicted on the official flag of Wallonia and the coat of arms.

The Flemish lion; came from the Middle Ages and is based on the Brabantian lion (12th century) The meaning of the lion is majesty, strength, courage, justice, and military might. The Flemish lion is depicted on the official flag of Flanders and the coat of arms.

The Coat of arms of the German-speaking Community of Belgium; depicts a red heraldic lion, which symbolizes the duchies of Limburg and Luxembourg and the nine flowers are nine gentiana-flowers, which grow in the High Fens. (Hohes Venn) The crown on top of the shield symbolizes belonging to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Nicknames

 * Bell (Female)
 * Belge (Gender-Neutral)

Roman Period
In the Roman period was Belgium the Northern province of Gallia, also called 'Gallia Belgica'. Julius Caesar determines that the borders of Gallia (Belgium) are the North Sea, the Lower Rhine, the Ardennes and the Seine. In 57 BC., when Julius Caesar conquered Gaul (Which is now Belgium, modern-day Northern France, Luxembourg, part of the present-day Netherlands below the Rhine River; and the north-western portion of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.) he had divided it into the 3 Gauls and later in 22 BC. Emperor Augustus named one of these provinces (Belgium) 'Belgae'. In this region were tribal confederations such as the Treveri, Mediomatrici, Leuci, Sequani, Helvetii and many more; These were presumably the Belgians. Even back then Belgium was divided into 2; Belgica Prima, which is divided in the eastern area of the Treveri, Mediomatrici and Leuci, around Luxembourg and the Ardennes and Belgica Secunda between the English Channel and the upper River Meuse. The capital of Belgica Prima (Trier) was one of the important western Roman capital. When Julius Caesar conquered their lands, he observed that their language and traditions were quite different from those of the other tribes in Gaul.

The resistance against Caesar Ambiorix is considered the national hero of Belgians in the Roman period because of his resistance against Julius Caesar. He was the leader of a Belgic Tribe in Northeastern Gaul (Nowaday Tongeren) along with Catuvolcus and Prince of Eburones. Julius Caesar was forced to spend the winter with his legions among the rebellious Belgian tribes because of draught. While the Roman troops, the ones led by Q. Titurius Sabinus and L. Aurunculeius Cotta was wintering with the Eburones, They were attacked by them. This was led by Ambiorix and Catuvolcus. Ambiorix lied to the Romans, telling them the attack was made by accident. He advised them to flee as a large Germanic force was preparing to cross the Rhine. The troops left the next morning and not far from the camp they were massacred by the Eburones. Next Ambiorix surrounded another Roman troop's (Q. Tullius Cicero's) camp that was wintering with the Nervii tribe. A Roman messenger was able to slip thru the Belgic Lines and informed Caesar about the tribes. He immediately marched to Cicero's camp with his own troop. When they approached the besieged Roman camp, the Belgae turned towards them and his troop were vastly outnumbered. Caesar ordered his troop to appear frightened or scared to the Belgae and eventually they were lured. Caesar's forces launched a counterattack and soon the Belgae were forced to flee the spot. After a few years, Julius Caesar was able to take revenge on the Belgae, he committed genocide on the tribes and eventually, the Eburones disappeared from history. Ambiorix and his men are believed to escape across the Rhine. Today, in the city of Tongeren there is a memorial dedicated to Ambiorix.

Independence (1830 onward)
In 1566 Willem "De Zwijger" of the House of Orange liberated the United Kingdom of The Netherlands. The states that were soon to be the modern-day Netherlands were liberated by the Spanish; they signed the Treaty of Utrecht. (= Treaty that they'll help each other against the Spanish.) However, they didn't manage to liberate all of the states that signed the Treaty because in resistance there is the Treaty of Artech, which is the Flemish/French-speaking part. (=Soon to be Belgium.) In the year 1815, after Napoleon's defeat in Waterloo, the victorious power came together in Vienna to discuss. They had the idea of creating a buffer state against any future French intervention and this led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Netherlands.

After being a part of the United Kingdom of The Netherlands the Belgians started to get the motivation to leave it. The main reasons were:


 * The Noorden part (=The Netherlands) relies on trading and the Southern part(=Belgium) relies more on the industry.
 * The Noord were Protestants, and the South were Catholic.

In 1830 the Belgian Revolution happened and their monarchy. Instead of choosing a local Catholic as their king, they chose the Protestant, German-speaking Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha or short; Leopold I. they conquered almost the whole south except for five cities and 2 communes: Antwerp, Brussel, Luxemburg, Maastricht and Venlo. Mook and Middelaar. France Had a plan to divide Belgium into 4 more pieces but of course, it was rejected by the British. William I, King of the Netherlands and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg didn't accept the independence of Belgium and he attacked them in Nieuwkerk (1831). Eventually, the Dutch were stopped by the French which resulted in the Dutch fleeing Belgium, but the sum troops stayed in Luxemburg (City), Antwerp and Maastricht. A year later Belgium took over Antwerp. Finally, in 1839 William I accepted their independence, and they swore never to try reclaiming the south. (Treaty of London) Belgium became an independent kingdom and also acquired its own colony, Congo. They also received Luxembourg as a result of this treaty.
 * The Southern part felt more aligned with the French (Those who felt this were mostly the Walloons, not necessarily the Flemish.)

In 1843, Belgium and The Netherlands signed the Treaty of Maastricht. The Netherlands was granted Luxembourg (The country was then later liberated by them in 1890.) and a part of Limburg, these are now the official borders between The Belgians and the Dutch.

WW1
The German Empire had the idea to cross over Belgium to surround the French troops. Belgium denied the passage, and this led to a horrible German invasion on the 4th of August 1914. (They violated Belgium's neutrality). After Belgium surrendered, they managed to occupy most of Belgium, except the Yser front or the West Flemish Front in British writing. The User Front wasn't captured by The German troops because, During the Battle of the Yser, the 'Gansevoort' (A sluice in Nieuwpoort) was set open to flood the Yser plains and to stop the advancing Germans. The Belgian soldiers that were trapped in this area, could not leave to go home. 26.700 Belgians in total died during this occupation as a result of the expulsion, deportation, imprisonment, or death sentence, the other part got slaughtered and a fraction died at the electric fences that prevent them from getting out of the country. When the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was signed, Belgium was finally freed from the German Occupation.

WW2
At first, Belgium was neutral during the start of WW2, Belgium and its colonial possessions found themselves at war after the country was invaded by German forces on 10 May 1940. After 18 days of fighting in which Belgian forces were pushed back into a small pocket in the northeast of the country, the Belgian military surrendered to the Germans, beginning an occupation that would endure until 1944. The Belgians then surrendered on the 28th of May 1940. The order for the Belgians to surrender was executed by King Leopold III. However, some Belgians managed to escape to the UK and other countries. During their exile, they formed a new government and an army to support the Allied countries. The Belgian Congo remained loyal to the Belgian government in London and contributed significant material and human resources to the Allied cause. Many Belgians were involved in both armed and passive resistance to German forces, although some chose to collaborate with the German forces. Support from far-right political factions and sections of the Belgian population allowed the German army to recruit two divisions of the Waffen-SS from Belgium and also facilitated the Nazi persecution of Belgian Jews in which nearly 25,000 were killed.

Today
The country prospered in the past half-century as a modern, technologically-advanced European country and a member of NATO and the EU. Differences between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to tension between the two regions. The Flemish tends to get independence while the Walloons know more difficulty and want the country to stay united.

Geography
There are three main geographical regions in Belgium: the coastal plains, the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands.

The coastal area is a series of sandy beaches and polders backed by dunes.

Inland the land is generally flat, with numerous canals and dikes protecting the land from the sea. Valleys, caves and small gorges can be found in this area.

In the East Of Belgium are flat-topped mountains in the Ardennes Region. The highest point is the Botrange, at 2,276 ft. (694m) and the lowest point at the Moran at -9,84 ft. (-3m).

The total area of Belgium is 30 688 km².

Family
Germany - Parent

France - Parent Netherlands - Step-Parent Liechtenstein — Cousin Luxembourg — Sibling Switzerland — Sibling

! Warning - These countries can be considered offensive and is OPTIONAL.

Burundi — Step-child DR Congo — Step-child Rwanda — Step-child

Friends
Luxembourg Liechtenstein United States of America The Netherlands

Neutral
Germany Russia

Enemies
The Third Reich — invaded them and their family during WW2.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo - Because of what happened with one of their kings committing genocide against the Congolese people

Opinions
Netherlands "I am better."

Germany "Your dad was an asshole, but you look nice. Look, we're flag buddies!"

Luxembourg "Li'l bro, duh." '

France "You didn't create French Fries. I did."

France supported Belgium in 1830 when he wanted independence from the Netherlands, but before that, they fought a lot when and Belgium was invaded and was a part of France from 1795 to 1814. Nowadays the two are fighting about who created chips (let's just call it that way to avoid more conflict) and are pretty much rivals even if it stays a friendly rivalry.

DRC

"Sorry for invading your country and killing your people..."

The two never really talk much due to Belgium invading Congo. Belgium did, however, attempt to help with the Ebola virus that was going around.

Canada "Canada? He's nice... but we don't talk much... I don't have many opinions on the kid."

United States of America "America... um... he's got a few quirks..." United Kingdom "I have tea! You want it?"

Trivia
Coming Soon