The French Revolutionary wars led to Belgium becoming part of France in 1795, bringing the end of the semi-independence of areas which had belonged to the Catholic church.
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Why is Belgium not part of France?
The main reason for Brussels being mainly French-speaking was the low social prestige of the Dutch language in Belgium during the 19th century and the severe discrimination of both Dutch as a language and of the Flemings.One problem is that the regions do not border each other, as Brussels is an enclave in Flanders.
Is Belgium and French the same?
There are other ways that the dialects differ as well. Just as Canadian French is different from Standard French, Belgian French is also different. There are actually three official languages in Belgium – Dutch, French, and German.Even though both countries speak French, the French is not always the same.
When did Belgium leave France?
1830
William I sent in his troops, but they were expelled on September 27th, 1830. The rebels received support from volunteers outside the city. Following this rising Belgium separated from the Northern Netherlands. A provisional government declared independence on October 4th, 1830.
Are Belgians ethnically French?
Belgians are made up of two main linguistic and ethnic groups; the Dutch-speakers (called the Flemish) and the French-speakers (mostly Walloons), as well as a third tiny but constitutionally recognized group from two small German-speaking areas.
What is a French Walloon?
a French-speaking people, collectively called Walloons (approximately one-third of the total population), who are concentrated in the five southern provinces (Hainaut, Namur, Liège, Walloon Brabant, and Luxembourg), and Flemings. In Belgium: Belgium after World War II.
Who is Belgian but speaks French?
Belgium is divided into three regions: Flanders in the north, the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle, and Wallonia in the south. To make matters a little more confusing, the Flemish speak Dutch but do not consider themselves Dutch, and the Walloons speak French but do not consider themselves French.
What is the French part of Belgium called?
Wallonia
Wallonia, French Wallonie, formally Walloon Region, French Région Wallonne, region that constitutes the southern half of Belgium. The self-governing Walloon Region was created during the federalization of Belgium, largely along ethnolinguistic lines, in the 1980s and ’90s.
Do Belgium speak French?
In Belgium you can speak any language you want. For contacts with the authorities three official languages can be used: Dutch, French and German. These languages are not spoken everywhere, because Belgium is subdivided into federated states. Each federated state has its own official language.
Is Belgium French or German?
Use
| Distribution of languages of Belgium | |
|---|---|
| Dutch (Flemish) | 59.6% |
| French | 40% |
| German | 0.4% |
Is Holland part of Belgium?
The Belgium–Netherlands border separates Belgium and the Netherlands and is 450 km (280 mi) long. Belgium and the Netherlands are part of the Schengen Area.
Why is Belgium one country?
Belgium is a sovereign state and a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system.The country as it exists today was established following the 1830 Belgian Revolution, when it seceded from the Netherlands, which had itself only existed since 1815.
Is Belgium a Germanic country?
Countries. Independent European countries whose population are predominantly native speakers of a Germanic language: Austria. Belgium (slightly more than 60% majority concentrated in Flanders and the German-speaking Community of Belgium)
Is there a Belgian language?
DutchFrenchGermanBelgiumOfficial languages
Where do the Flemish come from?
BBC – Languages. Flemish is a West Germanic language most closely related to Dutch and generally regarded as the Belgian variant of Dutch. Flemish is spoken by approximately 5.5 million people in Belgium and by a few thousand people in France. Flemish is spoken by about 55% of the population of Belgium.
Why are people from Belgium called Walloons?
The term Walloon is derived from *walha, a Proto-Germanic term used to refer to Celtic and Latin speakers.Its meaning narrowed yet again during the French and Dutch periods and, at Belgian independence, the term designated only Belgians speaking a Romance language (French, Walloon, Picard, etc.)
Why do Belgians sound French?
For some reason the French love to laugh at Belgians.But there is at least one legitimate reason why some French confuse Belgians and Quebeckers: Both produce diphthongs (combinations of two vowel sounds) for certain vowels and drag other vowels out in a way that Parisian French no longer does.
Why does Belgium speak 3 languages?
Historically speaking, the country has had quite a wide variety of rulers, influencing how multilingual and multicultural Belgians are today. Due to their close proximity to these three countries, they have three official languages that divide Belgium into three main regions.
Is Eden Hazard Flemish?
Eden Michael Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Belgium national team.
How do you say hello in Belgium?
Most people in Belgium speak French, with a small portion of the Belgian population speaking Dutch (Flemish).
Belgian Phrases.
| Hello: Salut | Pronounced: Sal oo |
|---|---|
| Good Evening: Bonsoir | Pronounced: Bon swar |
| Good Morning/Afternoon: Bonjor | Pronounced: Bon jor |
| Thank You: Merci | Pronounced: Mer see |
Why does Belgium speak two languages?
Why do Belgium have two languages? DESPITE being a relatively small country, two major languages are spoken around Belgium.The diversity is due to the countries chequered history, with it constantly changing hands between various nations until independence from the Dutch in 1830.
