歐盟創始國之一,無論是地理位置還是歷史人文,都處於歐洲的十字路口。北半部大多說荷蘭語,南半部講法語,加上有一小塊德語族群,所以比利時有三種官方語言。二戰後放棄中立原則,現在是北約和歐盟成員,比利時首都布魯塞爾也是這兩個組織的總部。非常現代化,發展程度名列前茅。近幾年受到南北分裂問題所苦,各政黨理念差距過大,曾多次處於無法組閣的狀態。最長高達652天沒有正式的中央政府領導。
Year Founded: 1830
Belgium is one of the founding members of the European Union. It sits at the crossroads of Europe, both from a geographical perspective and historical or cultural perspective. Dutch, usually referred to as Flemish, is predominantly spoken in the north and French in the south, in addition to a small German-speaking community. The three together are the official languages of Belgium. The state dropped neutrality after WWII and is now a member of NATO and the European Union. Its capital city, Brussels, is also home to the headquarters of these two organizations. Its level of modernization puts the country among the ranks of most developed countries in the world. The country has been in deep water in recent years due to its North-South divide. Insurmountable differences between political parties have prevented the formation of a coalition government multiple times. This currently ongoing situation has set a record at over 650 days, Belgium’s longest period without a formal central government.