[91] The Belgians, along with the Luxembourg government, sent a detachment of battalion strength to fight in Korea known as the Belgian United Nations Command. Successful films include Man Bites Dog and The Alzheimer Affair. In 870 in the Treaty of Meersen, modern Belgium lands all became part of the western kingdom, and in 880 in the Treaty of Ribemont, Lotharingia came under the lasting control of the Holy Roman Emperor, but the lordships and bishoprics along the "March" (frontier) between the two great kingdoms maintained important connections between each other. Its total surface, including water area, is 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi). The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy into a recession; it was particularly prolonged in Wallonia, where the steel industry had become less competitive and experienced a serious decline. In Belgium, the government is elected. The largest group of immigrants and their descendants in Belgium are Moroccans. After World War II, a general strike forced King Leopold III to abdicate in 1951, since many Belgians felt he had collaborated with Germany during the war. In the aftermath of the First World War, Belgium annexed the Prussian districts of Eupen and Malmedy in 1925, thereby causing the presence of a German-speaking minority. The composer César Franck was born in Liège in 1822. Extensions to personal matters less directly connected with language comprise health policy (curative and preventive medicine) and assistance to individuals (protection of youth, social welfare, aid to families, immigrant assistance services, and so on.). The main political parties of the 19th century were the Catholic Party and the Liberal Party, with the Belgian Labour Party emerging towards the end of the 19th century. On 22 April 2010, Leterme again offered the resignation of his cabinet to the king[70] after one of the coalition partners, the OpenVLD, withdrew from the government, and on 26 April 2010 King Albert officially accepted the resignation.[71]. 2.8 million new Belgians. Com. The sculptor Panamarenko is still a remarkable figure in contemporary art. [89] They are organized into one unified structure which consists of four main components: Land Component, or the Army; Air Component, or the Air Force; Marine Component, or the Navy; Medical Component. Belgium assumed control of the German colonies of Ruanda-Urundi (modern-day Rwanda and Burundi) during the war, and in 1924 the League of Nations mandated them to Belgium. Belgium hosted the 1972 European Football Championships. Adding to science and technology has happened throughout the country's history. 5% did not respond. Adding back the Low Countries formed the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since 1993, Belgium is a federal state, divided into three regions and three communities. The largest group of immigrants in Belgium are Moroccans, with 400,000 people. [149] However Belgium is largely a secular country as the constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. The Court of Cassation is the court of last resort, with the courts of appeal one level below. [114][115][116], Contributions to the development of science and technology have appeared throughout the country's history. [157] There are several Jewish newspapers and more than 45 active synagogues (30 of which are in Antwerp) in the country. [13] Two years later Ruanda-Urundi also became free. Belgium has had its own monarchy since 1831. Contrarily to what the text suggests, the season starts as early as July and lasts through April. [165] Among OECD countries in 2002, Belgium had the third highest proportion of 18- to 21-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education, at 42%. Health care service are payable by the patient and reimbursed later by health insurance institutions, but for ineligible categories (of patients and services) so-called 3rd party payment systems exist. [41], The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. [53], A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 was broken in 1999 after the first dioxin crisis, a major food contamination scandal. Réun. [121], Chemist Ernest Solvay[122] and engineer Zenobe Gramme (École industrielle de Liège)[123] gave their names to the Solvay process and the Gramme dynamo, respectively, in the 1860s. [13] From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, the area of Belgium was a prosperous and cosmopolitan center of commerce and culture. During the 8th century the kingdom of the Franks evolved and became the Carolingian Empire. [134][135], At the beginning of 2012, people of foreign background and their descendants were estimated to have formed around 25% of the total population i.e. In fact, there are only six such bodies because the Flemish Region merged into the Flemish Community. Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin both were Player of the Year in the Women's Tennis Association. Belgium is a constitutional, popular monarchy and a federal parliamentary democracy. [202], Since the 1970s, sports clubs and federations are organized separately within each language community. Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge (Bruges) share more than 80% of Belgian maritime traffic, Antwerp being the second European harbor with a gross weight of goods handled of 115 988 000 t in 2000 after a growth of 10.9% over the preceding five years. 1) b) Population by citizenship & c) Third country nationals, 1 January 2004", L'IMMIGRATION EN BELGIQUE. In the 13th and 14th the cloth industry and commerce boomed in the County of Flanders and it became one of the richest areas in Europe. This is because they thought he helped the Germans. Belgium shares borders with France (620 km), Germany (167 km), Luxembourg (148 km) and the Netherlands (450 km). In 2009 the yearly defence budget was $6 billion. [19], Chemist Ernest Solvay[20] and engineer Zenobe Gramme[21] gave their names to the Solvay process and the Gramme dynamo in the 1860s. Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region, as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita. [126] Two Belgian mathematicians have been awarded the Fields Medal: Pierre Deligne in 1978 and Jean Bourgain in 1994.

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