The People

In 2001 the population of Belgium was 10,263,414. The population density was 871 persons per square mile (336 per km2). Of major countries in Europe, only the Netherlands is more densely settled. The Flemish section, in the north, is the most populous and densely settled part. About 90 per cent of the Belgians live in cities and other urbanized areas.

Belgium has one of the highest standards of living in Europe. Its people are sports-minded and excel in water sports such as sailing. Soccer and bicycling are popular. The Belgians have many traditional festivals and carnivals based on folklore, history, and religion.

There are three official languages—Dutch, French, and German. (Until 1973, Belgian Dutch was called Flemish, referring to Flanders; the term Flemish is now used only in a cultural sense or, linguistically, to refer to dialects.) Dutch is the first language in the north, where nearly 60 per cent of the people live, French in the south. (Belgians who speak French as their first language are called Walloons, from the collective name for three French dialects spoken in the south.) German is spoken by several thousand people in the east.

Disputes between the two predominant language groups, who also have different traditions and customs, sometimes cause social and political tension. The country is divided from east to west into two major linguistic regions: Flanders, where Dutch is the first language; and Wallonia, where French is the first language. About 20 per cent of the people speak both languages. Brussels, although located in the Flemish region, is officially bilingual; but French, long the traditional language of government and commerce, is predominantly spoken.

Belgium has no state religion, but Catholicism is by far the largest faith. The national government pays part of the salary of all ministers and priests, regardless of denomination.

There is almost no illiteracy in Belgium. School attendance is required between the ages of 6 and 14. Most private schools are operated by the Catholic Church and are partly subsidized by the government. There are both public and private universities. The oldest (founded 1425, at Louvain) has been separated into independent French and Flemish universities.

Belgium has been known for its art since the Middle Ages. Flemish painting of the Renaissance period ranks with that of Italy. The Flemish masters include the Van Eyck brothers (14th and 15th centuries); the Brueghel (Breughel) family (16th and 17th centuries); Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640); and Sir Anthony Vandyke (1599–1641).

Two of Europe's greatest early composers—Guillaume Dufay (1400?–1474) and Orlando di Lasso (1532–1594), both Walloons—lived in what is now Belgium. Belgians are also noted for tapestry weaving, sculpture, and woodcuts. The art and architecture of the country attract many tourists.