Belgium is a small country in Europe, situated between France and the Netherlands, independent since 1830. It suffered greatly from the two World Wars.
Belgium covers an area of 30,528 km2 (11,787 square miles) and has a population of about 10.5 million. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home for two main linguistic groups, the Flemings and the French speakers, mostly Walloons, plus a small group of German speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, with 59% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 31%.
The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region and near the Walloon Region, and has 10% of the population. A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
The name 'Belgium' is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, which used to cover a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the 16th century until the Belgian revolution in 1830, many battles between European powers were fought in the area of Belgium, causing it to be dubbed "the battlefield of Europe" and "the cockpit of Europe"—a reputation strengthened by both World Wars. Upon its independence, Belgium eagerly participated in the Industrial Revolution, and, at the end of the nineteenth century, possessed several colonies in Africa. The second half of the 20th century was marked by the rise of communal conflicts between the Flemings and the Francophones fuelled by cultural differences on the one hand and an asymmetrical economic evolution of Flanders and Wallonia on the other hand. These still-active conflicts have caused far-reaching reforms of the unitary Belgian state into a federal state. There is constant speculation by observers that this process of devolution might lead to the partition of the country.
Notable Belgians[]
Appearances[]
- Mexico, March 1916 comic (Mentioned only)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Ireland, April 1916" → Love's Sweet Song (Mentioned only)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Verdun, September 1916" → Demons of Deception (Mentioned only)
- Verdun, September 1916 comic (Mentioned only)
- Field of Death (On map)
- The Day of Destiny (Mentioned only)
- The Mata Hari Affair (Mentioned only)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles game
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Special Delivery (Mentioned only)
- Instruments of Chaos starring Young Indiana Jones (Mentioned only)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Ahlhorn, Late February 1917" (Cancelled)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen" → Attack of the Hawkmen (Mentioned only)
- The Secret Treaty (Mentioned only)
- Vienna, November 1908 / March 1917 (Mentioned only)
- Vienna, March 1917 (Mentioned only)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Young Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Peacock's Eye" → Treasure of the Peacock's Eye (On map)
- Indiana Jones Adventures: Volume 1 (On map)
- Indiana Jones and the Mask of the Elephant
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure (On map)
- Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings novel (Cancelled) (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones und das Erbe von Avalon
Sources[]
- The War to End All Wars (Non-fiction source)
- The World of Indiana Jones
- Indiana Jones and the Lands of Adventure
- Indiana Jones' Marshall College entry on IndianaJones.com (backup link on Archive.org)
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
- Interactive Timeline
- Reading the Enemy's Mind - Espionage in World War I (Non-fiction source)
- Congo - A Curse of Riches (Non-fiction source)
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide