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Cheap Hotels in Belgium
Hotels in Belgium
Belgium is situated in the north west of Europe. It is bordered to the east by Holland and Germany and to the South by Luxembourg. On its west border is the country of France, to the North is the North Sea. The country is approximately 30 thousand square kilometres in area and has a population of about 10 million people. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters in its capital city – Belgium.
Belgium is also known for its many uniquely brewed beers and having a reputation for its chocolate being the finest in the world.
The countryside of Belgium is relatively flat. In the north there are substantial areas of land, called polders, which has been reclaimed from the sea. They lay the same as or just below sea level and therefore have to be protected from the sea and its tides with a series of dykes and canals. The middle of Belgium is quite flat and good agricultural and fertile land because of its excellent natural irrigation systems. In the lower southern region, the country is more rugged and is known as the Ardennes region. Covered in thick forest, this region has rocky outcrops and this plateau extends into Northern France. The climate is moderate all year with mild sometimes cold winters and warm summers.
Belgium is a diverse country, mainly because of the strong countries which border it. The country has three main languages all of which are spoken with passion by the areas adjoining the various countries, e.g. German to the south east, Dutch (Flemish) to the north east and French to the west. French and Dutch are the more predominant, and the capital Brussels has a both languages spoken.
The name Belgium originated from the word Belgae, which was the name of the Celtic tribesmen who were among the first to live in the region.
Once belonging to the Low Countries, which included the Netherlands and Luxembourg, this region was called the Southern Netherlands and was a thriving centre of commerce up until the middle of the 17th century.
The civil war known as the Eighty Years War started in 1568. This war divided the area into 17 provinces and different provinces were ruled by various rulers, conquerors and kings until 1830 when the Belgian Revolution led to the independence of Belgium under its own government. Belgium is a monarchy under King Albert II and the government is led by the Prime Minister Yves Leterme.
Once World War II had finished and Europe slowly tried to rebuild itself, a union was formed which included Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This was called the Benelux group. Belgium also became a member of NATO and was instrumental in creating the European Economic Community (EEC). The country is used as a headquarters for many of the large European bodies, with Heads of States from Europe and many world leading countries, attending meetings for NATO, the European Commission and European Council, to name just a few.
Belgium Embassy
For your convenience we have listed Belgian embassys below. Embassys can provide you with information regarding visas and other important travel information.
