Course Title: International Bussiness

Course ID: BUS-302

ASSIGNMENT ON:
Belgium
SUBMITTED TO:
AKM Aminul Islam
Lecturer
SUBMITTED BY
Group Name:Seekers

Name ID Batch
Galib Talukdar 141351120 35th
Atikur Rahman 152391355 39th
Anarul Hauq 151381374 38th
Ashiqur Rahman 152391309 39th
Sonet Ghosh 152391310 39th

PROGRAM: BBA
SUBMITION DATE: 08/03/2018
Executive Summary:
Belgium, located at the heart of northwestern Europe, is a small, densely populated country of 11.4
million inhabitants. Its economy is generally healthy despite strong and enduring regional
disparities. In comparative terms, Belgium has been one of the euro zone’s most stable performers
in recent years. At the time of writing, the country’s 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) was
projected to reach €436 billion (at current prices, equivalent to $492 billion). In real terms, this
represents a 8.5% increase over 2008. As contrast, France and the Netherlands each registered
cumulative GDP growth rates of 6.7% over the same period, while Germany’s economy grew by
10.9%.

Belgium has an extremely open economy, with imports and exports totaling 170% of GDP. This
renders the country very vulnerable to international trade fluctuations. This openness has also led
to employment losses as a result of the country’s tendency toward inflation rates higher than those
of its neighbors. In part due to a vigorous tightening of unemployment-benefit conditions imposed
by the government, official unemployment rates have remained consistently below the euro area
average. However, employment rates have also fallen consistently below targets, and have shown
little growth.

The country boasts a well-educated population, attracts substantial foreign direct investment,
maintains high-quality hospitals and R&D facilities, and hosts the seats of multiple supranational
institutions (prominently including the European Union) as well as the European headquarters of
numerous multinational companies. Global macroeconomic conditions affecting the country are
generally favorable and should keep improving given accelerating growth across the EU. With its
comprehensive road, rail, water and information-technology networks, as well as its world-class
harbors, Belgium provides direct access between Europe and the rest of the world. Its openness in
terms of trade and high reliance on exports forces Belgian companies to maintain competitiveness
or lose their market position.

Yet despite its economic strength, Belgium has recently found it difficult to maintain its
international standing. This is in part due to a succession of external shocks. Like all euro area
nations, the country suffered from the global financial and economic crisis and was forced to bail
out some of its banks. In combination with these economic shocks, a series of terror attacks on
the country had a non-negligible impact on the economy. This reinforced the country’s
preexisting public-debt problem and required significant budgetary adjustment, with the result
that public investments in infrastructure and in education have declined below a healthy level,
with the consequences already visible. From a structural perspective, Belgium is also home to
one of the most significant separatist movements in Europe, a fact that has produced public
institutions that are both complex and fragile, undermining efficiency.
Acknowledgements:
In performing our assignment, we had to take the help and guideline of some respected persons,
who deserve our greatest gratitude. The completion of this assignment gives us much Pleasure.
We would like to show our gratitude AKM Aminul Islam, Course Instructor, University
Name for giving us a good guideline for assignment. We would also like to expand our deepest
gratitude to all those who have directly and indirectly guided us in writing this assignment.
Many people, especially our classmates and team members itself, have made valuable comment
suggestions on this proposal which gave us an inspiration to improve our assignment. We thank
all the people for their help directly and indirectly to complete our assignment.
1. Introduction of The Country:
Belgium officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe bordered by France,
the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. It covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres
(11,787 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11 million. The capital and largest city
is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège.

The sovereign state of Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary

system of governance. Its institutional organisation is complex and is structured on both regional
and linguistic grounds. It is divided into three highly autonomous regions:Flanders in the
north, Wallonia in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels is both the smallest and
richest region in terms of GDP per capita. It is also the most densely populated area in Belgium.
Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or Communities: the Dutch-speaking,
mostly Flemish Community, which constitutes about 59 percent of the population, and the French-
speaking Community, which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians. Additionally, a
small German-speaking Community, numbering around one percent, exists in the East Cantons.
The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), although French is the
dominant language of the population. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts
are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance, made up of six different
governments.
Historically, Belgium was part of an area known as the Low Countries, a somewhat larger region
than the current Beneluxgroup of states that also included parts of northern France and western
Germany. Its name is derived from the Latin word Belgica, after the Roman province of Gallia
Belgica. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, the area of Belgium was a
prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture. Between the 16th and early 19th
centuries, Belgium served as the battleground between many European powers, earning the
moniker the "Battlefield of Europe",a reputation strengthened by both world wars. The country
emerged in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution when it seceded from the Netherlands.
Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution and, during the course of the 20th century,
possessed a number of colonies in Africa.The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising
tensions between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking citizens fueled by differences in
language and culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia. This
continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms, resulting in a transition from
a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993. Despite the reforms,
tensions between the groups have remained, if not increased; there is significant separatism
particularly among the Flemish; controversial language laws exist such as the municipalities with
language facilities; and the formation of a coalition government took 18 months following the June
2010 federal election, a world record. Unemployment in Wallonia is more than double that of
Flanders, which boomed after the war.
Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and hosts the official seats of
the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council, as well
as a seat of the European Parliamentin the country's capital, Brussels. Belgium is also a founding
member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD, and WTO, and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union and
the Schengen Area. Brussels hosts several of the EU's official seats as well as the headquarters of
many major international organizations such as NATO.
Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy. The country achieves
very high standards of living, life quality, healthcare, education, and is categorized as "very high"
in the Human Development Index.It also ranks as one of the safest or most peaceful countries in
the world.

2. Current Political Situation:

Belgium's political institutions are complex; most political power is organized around the need to
represent the main cultural communities. Since about 1970, the significant national Belgian
political parties have split into distinct components that mainly represent the political and linguistic
interests of these communities. The major parties in each community, though close to the political
centre, belong to three main groups: Christian Democrats, Liberals, and Social Democrats. Further
notable parties came into being well after the middle of last century, mainly around linguistic,
nationalist, or environmental themes and recently smaller ones of some specific liberal nature.

The Belgian Federal Parliament in Brussels, one of six different governments of the country
A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 was broken in 1999 after the
first dioxin crisis, a major food contamination scandal. A "rainbow coalition" emerged from six
parties: the Flemish and the French-speaking Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens. Later, a
"purple coalition" of Liberals and Social Democrats formed after the Greens lost most of their
seats in the 2003 election. The government led by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from 1999 to
2007 achieved a balanced budget, some tax reforms, a labour-market reform, scheduled nuclear
phase-out and instigated legislation allowing more stringent war crime and more lenient soft drug
usage prosecution. Restrictions on withholding euthanasia were reduced and same-sex
marriage legalized. The government promoted active diplomacy in Africa and opposed the
invasion of Iraq. It is the only country that does not have age restrictions on euthanasia.

Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the June 2007 elections. For more than a year, the country
experienced a political crisis. This crisis was such that many observers speculated on a
possible partition of Belgium. From 21 December2007 until 20 March 2008 the
temporary Verhofstadt III Government was in office. This coalition of
the Flemish and Francophone Christian Democrats, the Flemish and Francophone
Liberals together with the Francophone Social Democrats was an interim government until 20
March2008.

On that day a new government, led by Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme, the actual
winner of the federal elections of June 2007, was sworn in by the king. On 15 July 2008 Leterme
announced the resignation of the cabinet to the king, as no progress in constitutional reforms had
been made. In December 2008 he once more offered his resignation to the king after
a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas. At this juncture, his resignation was
accepted and Christian Democratic and Flemish Herman Van Rompuy was sworn in as Prime
Minister on 30 December 2008.

After Herman Van Rompuy was designated the first permanent President of the European
Council on 19 November 2009, he offered the resignation of his government to King Albert II
on 25 November 2009. A few hours later, the new government under Prime Minister Yves
Leterme was sworn in. On 22 April 2010, Leterme again offered the resignation of his cabinet to
the king after one of the coalition partners, the OpenVLD, withdrew from the government, and
on 26 April 2010 King Albert officially accepted the resignation.

The Parliamentary elections in Belgium on 13 June 2010 saw the Flemish nationalist N-
VA become the largest party in Flanders, and the Socialist Party PS the largest party in
Wallonia. Until December 2011, Belgium was governed by Leterme's caretaker
government awaiting the end of the deadlocked negotiations for formation of a new government.
By 30 March 2011 this set a new world record for the elapsed time without an official government,
previously held by war-torn Iraq. Finally, in December 2011 the Di Rupo Government led by
Walloon socialist Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo was sworn in.
The 2014 federal election (coinciding with the regional elections) resulted in a further electoral
gain for the Flemish nationalist N-VA, although the incumbent coalition (composed of Flemish
and French-speaking Social Democrats, Liberals, and Christian Democrats) maintains a solid
majority in Parliament and in all electoral constituencies. On 22 July 2014, King Philippe
nominated Charles Michel (MR) and Kris Peeters (CD&V) to lead the formation of a new federal
cabinet composed of the Flemish parties N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld and the French-speaking MR,
which resulted in the Michel Government. It is the first time N-VA is part of the federal cabinet,
while the French-speaking side is represented only by the MR, which achieved a minority of the
public votes in Wallonia.

3. Natural Resources:
Overview of Resources
Belgium’s key natural resources include industrial and construction materials such as limestone,
cement, silica sand and dolomite . The leading mineral operations in Belgium include the
production of steel and the refining of zinc, copper and minor metals.

The country also produces cobalt, tin, cadmium, tellurium, selenium and germanium. The
production of construction and industrial materials such as silica sand, limestone, cement and
dolomite contributes a lot to Belgium’s well-developed industrial minerals sector.

Industrial Minerals
Belgium is a leading trader of diamond. In 2010, a turnover of $41.9 billion was achieved from
Belgium’s rough and polished trade. The country’s export of polished diamond increased by 7.1%
by volume to 7.79 million carats and the value of polished diamond increased by 28.6% to $11.1
billion in 20102, compared with that of 2009.

Metals
In 2010, Belgium saw an increase in its production of pig iron and crude steel due to an increasing
demand for steel and the recovery of the world steel industry. The production of crude steel in
Belgium increased by 53% and that of pig iron increased by 43.5% in 2010.

During December 2008 to September 2009, Nyrstar’s Balen smelter was under maintenance, due
to the globally decreasing demand for zinc. However, the production of zinc at the smelter resumed
in full swing in the first quarter of 2010, boosting Nyrstar’s plans to increase zinc production by
the end of 2010.
Fossil Fuels
In 2010, Belgium had no economically exploitable reserves of coal and the country imported
significant quantities of raw materials.

Investment
Four chief mining sites of the southern French-speaking region in Belgium have been recognized
as World Heritage sites by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. These mining sites include
Blegny-Mine, the Bois du Cazier, Grand-Hornu and Bois-du-Luc.

Belgium’s Nyrstar, the world’s largest zinc producer, expects to mine 310,000-350,000 t of zinc
in concentrate in 2012 despite supplier warnings. The company has also been keen on maintaining
its mining targets for other metals that include gold, lead and copper.

Belgium expects to see a continuous increase in its steel production sector due to the reactivation
of the automobile market and increase in the demand for steel. Besides this, the country also aims
to remain a chief diamond trader and mineral processor in the future.

Belgium has four major ports that include Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Ostend and Ghent. Through these
ports, the country expects to play a major role in intra-European and international cargo handling
of mineral products. Belgium also plans to focus more on its renewable energies sector going
forward.

Disclaimer: The Author of this article does not imply any investment recommendation and some
content is speculative in nature. The Author is not affiliated in any way with any companies
mentioned and all statistical information is publically available.

4. Food Culture: Belgian food and drink, often overshadowed by the those of powerhouse
neighbors France and Germany, receive much deserved attention in this thorough overview, the
most comprehensive available in English. Belgian waffles, chocolate, and beer are renowned,
but Food Culture in Belgium opens up the entire food culture spectrum and reveals Belgian food
habits today and yesterday. Students and food mavens learn about the question of Belgianness in
discussions of the foodways of distinct regions of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. Packed with
daily life insight, consumption statistics, and trends gathered from the culinary community on the
Web, this is the ultimate source for discovering what has been called the best-kept culinary secret
inEurope.
Moules Frites

leigewaffles

Scholliers thoroughly covers the essential information in the topical chapters on history, major
foods and ingredients, cooking, typical meals, special occasions, eating out, and diet and health.
He is keen to illuminate how Belgium's unique food culture has developed through time. Before
independence in 1830, Belgian regions had been part of the Celtic, Roman, Spanish, Austrian,
French, Dutch, and German empires, and Belgium's central location has meant that it has long
been a trade center for food products. Today, Brussels is the European Union administrative center
and a cosmopolitan dining destination. Readers learn about the ingredients, techniques, and dishes
that Belgium gave to the world, such as pommes frites, endive, and beer dishes. A timeline,
glossary, selected bibliography, resource guide with websites and films, recipes, and photos
complement the essays.

5. Cultural differences with Bangladesh :

Belgium:
Cultural Information - Conversations
Question:
I am meeting someone for the first time and I want to make a good impression. What
would be good discussion topics?
Local Perspective:
Men and women shake hands when they meet for the first time. At the first meeting,
it is polite to say - nice to meet you ("enchanté" or "aangenaam"). An effort to speak
the language (either Dutch or French) is always welcome.
When meeting someone for the first time, the topic "where are you from?" is always
a good idea. Work can be discussed as well, as long as there is not a huge gap between
the levels of the two parties (boastfulness is not well perceived). In Belgium, a
sensitive issue is the relations between Dutch and French speakers. You should
avoid questions or comments on that topic. As a general trend, humour is more than
welcome. Belgians are known for their auto derision and their sense of humour
(although, of course, there are exceptions). On the other hand, Belgian culture is more
formal than Canadian culture. An extensive use of the words "thank you" and "sorry"
is recommended.

Bangladesh:
Cultural Information - Conversations
Question:
I am meeting someone for the first time and I want to make a good impression. What
would be good discussion topics?
Local Perspective:
Bangladeshis always have positive and welcome attitude towards foreigner and
openness to Hospitality.
 Establishment of personal relationship by one-to-one basis is important. Better to
avoid the questions regarding profession, income and family background.
It is better to avoid satire and have patience to listening and appreciations without any
possible counter point.

Belgiuim:
Cultural Information - Communication Styles
Question:
What do I need to know about verbal and non-verbal communications?
Local Perspective:
A good distance when speaking to someone is far enough not to touch the person
involuntarily but close enough to show interest in the conversation. Usually, Belgians
do not gesture much. The sense of space is not as strong in Belgium as it is in Canada
but the space increases when talking to strangers. At work, usually more space is
allotted to each talker than in casual conversation. The right distance may vary
according to the personality of the person.
People touch each other more in Belgium than in Canada. For instance, when greeting
each other, it is recommended to stop and shake hands. Friends or family members
kiss each other (one kiss on the right cheek). At the workplace, it is not necessary to
take the time to shake hands with everybody everyday.
The tone of the voice is usually quiet. There is not as much intonation as there is in
Canada. Some expressions or gesture are considered as rude: middle finger pointed
upwards, tongue out, pointing at someone/something, making noise while eating,
talking loudly, etc.
Making eye contact is very important. Failure to do so, shows a lack of interest. As in
Canada, it is considered a sign of dishonesty if a person refuses to or is reluctant to
make eye contact.

Bangladesh:

Cultural Information - Communication Styles

Question:
What do I need to know about verbal and non-verbal communications?
Local Perspective:
 It is not necessary to maintain a distance when speaking to someone. Though shake
hand is not customary but very much appreciable especially when a foreigner does it.
Normally shaking hands with a male, using the contemporary expression of goodwill,
i.e. "hallo, how are you?" "good morning" "good evening" etc is appreciated. But
avoid shaking hands with a female.
Eye contact is not unacceptable whether male or female. It is important to note that
the female in Bangladesh normally shy to have an eye contact with male at the first
meeting. And also according to custom it is considered impolite. But this situation is
mostly in rural areas. Touching someone when speaking is not common unless the
relationship is become more close but this is not acceptable in case of female.
Politeness and courteousness are desirable and prevail among Bangladeshis.
Facial expression: is an important factor, the expression should be as normal as
possible because Bangladeshis by nature are prow to the proverb "face is the index of
mind".
Tone of voice and directness: Bangladeshis by nature are soft spoken and dislike
loudness and highness of expression. And directness may pose insult, therefore better
to avoid.
Gestures: There are some gestures that are considered rude in Bangladesh such as
showing thumb in an upward way or blinking your eyes.

Belgiuim:

Cultural Information - Display of Emotion

Question:
Are public displays of affection, anger or other emotions acceptable?
Local Perspective:
Public displays of affection are acceptable and common. For instance, friends often
touch each other, lovers walk hand in hand. However, public displays of anger have
to be avoided. Happiness is always good to show and share (with some limits). Laughs
and a smile are well perceived. Sadness and pain are only shown to people
known/friends/close persons. In comparison with Canadians, Belgians do not react as
strongly to something that a speaker tells them. One should only show empathy if s/he
really cares about the subject.
Canadian Perspective:
Signs of affection, anger or others are acceptable in public. Sometimes people will
raise their voice in public. If a conversation becomes heated, one is better not to
 interfere and go about one's own business, but rarely does such a heated conversation
evolve into something more. In public, couples can openly show their affection
towards each other.

Bangladesh:
Cultural Information - Display of Emotion
Question:
Are public displays of affection, anger or other emotions acceptable?
Local Perspective:
Expression and display of affection in public as well as emotions is acceptable because
these acknowledge the sentiment of a Bangladeshi. Expression of anger in public
might create violence. This is true throughout Bangladesh.

Belgiuim:

Cultural Information - Dress, Punctuality & Formality

Question:
What should I know about the workplace environment (deadlines, dress, formality,
etc.)?
Local Perspective:
The appropriate dress code depends on the workplace. Usually, it is what we call
"tenue de ville", i.e. a suit. Habits may vary from place to place but the classic dark
suit is always the safest solution. Usually, women are a bit more casual than men.
Colleagues and employers are often addressed by their first name, but using Mr. or
Mrs. with the last name is usually more appropriate for addressing a supervisor.
Moreover, it is more appropriate to address people using the "polite form" if the used
language is French or Dutch ("Vous" or "U").
People are expected to be punctual and deadlines have to be respected. A lot of
workers have the 9-5 schedule but this can be adapted to the situation. Once one
reaches a certain level, he/she no longer has a schedule (i.e. the work has to be done,
whatever the time it takes). Absenteeism from work has to be justified and one should
inform his/her supervisor of his/her absence. The expected level of productivity varies
according to the work but usually one has to justify his/her wages and, therefore, be
quite productive.
Bangladesh:

Cultural Information - Dress, Punctuality & Formality

Question:
What should I know about the workplace environment (deadlines, dress, formality,
etc.)?
Local Perspective:
There is no such dress code unless specially mentioned. Normally decent and clean
dresses are used. In case of female, use of local dress like "salawer and kamij" are
appreciated and wearing any kinds of short dresses should be avoided.
Normally the colleagues and supervisors are addressed more casually / by names
(irrespective of gender).
Usually Bangladeshis are reluctant to meet the deadlines, punctuality etc. It is
advisable to monitor the timeframe/progress of any product.

6. Main Business:
Metallurgy, steel, textiles, chemicals, glass, paper, and food processing are the dominant
industries. Belgium is one of the world's leading processors of cobalt, radium, copper, zinc, and
lead. Refineries, located principally in the Antwerp area, process crude petroleum.

Importing and Exporting in Belgium

Belgium’s key-role in Europe is given by the fact that it is the headquarter of the European Union
and other major international organizations, such as NATO. The country has a very open
economy, is focused on international connections and has excellent infrastructure and a modern
transportation network.
Foreign trade is an important part of the country’s economy and the country performs well in terms
of exports and the general trade balance. Belgium imports raw materials and semi-finished goods
that are processed in the country and then re-exported. In 2016, the country has the 11th exporter
in the world and the 13th importer, according to the World Trade Organization. The total export
value increased because of the higher demand for Belgian products in the European Union and
Asia.
 Belgium is a country that promotes trade and investors find it convenient to open a Belgian
company that engages in import/export activities because of the good transport infrastructure that
is in place in the country. The overall economic situation and the business policies in the country,
including the laws for intellectual property and the transparent administrative policies for border
control, are key factors that drive investments in the trade sector.

Our team of lawyers in Belgium can help investors open a company that engages in activities
related to foreign trade, either imports or exports or both of these.

Exports from Belgium

Belgium exports machinery and equipment, chemicals, finished diamonds, metals and metal
products and foodstuffs. Its main exports partners are its neighboring countries Germany, France,
and the Netherlands, but also the UK, US, and Italy.

In 2013, Belgium exports to the other EU Member States increased by 1.9%. Although exports to
countries belonging to the euro area were not significantly higher, Belgium’s deliveries to
countries that do not belong to the euro area registered good results: +10.8% in Bulgaria, +10.2 %
in Lithuania and +10.1% in Latvia. Total Belgian exports to non-euro countries increased by 6.3%
in 2013. Belgian exports towards countries outside of the European Union have increased by 4.0%
in 2013.

The top exported products include:

 - Chemical products

 - Machinery and related equipment: included here are cylinders, air/vacuum pumps, centrifuges
and others

 - Cars: car parts, delivery trucks, tractors and others

 - Plastics: including polymers of ethylene and styrene, polyacetals

 - Packaged medicaments

 - Refined petroleum

 - Diamonds

 - Food: from chocolate to beer and baked goods

Imports in Belgium

Belgium imports raw materials, machinery, and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds,
pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products. Its main imports partners are
again the Netherlands, Germany and France, US, UK, and Ireland. The imports from the European
Union have decreased by 2.6 % in 2013, compared to a slight rise of 1.4% in 2012. Belgian
imports from other European countries outside the EU increased by 10.9% in 2013.

The top imports include the following:

 - Chemical and mineral products

 - Pharmaceuticals

 - Machinery and equipment

 - Organic chemicals

 - Iron, steel

Belgium remains among the world’s top exporters and importers, and it is included in the top
fifteen largest export economies in the world. With an expanding clientele, importing and
exporting in Belgium remains a profitable and lucrative business.
Partner country:

Top 10 Export Countries

Country Export USD$

Germany $66,355,357,723

France $61,286,637,053

Netherlands $44,726,391,881

United Kingdom $35,417,366,769

United States $23,043,242,822

Italy $20,797,728,856

Spain $10,608,132,185

India $8,984,910,293

Poland $7,970,446,757

China $7,668,111,466
Top 10 Import Countries

Country Import USD$

Netherlands $60,037,962,996

Germany $50,606,489,369

France $35,257,734,303

United States $30,104,227,767

United Kingdom $17,775,658,199

Ireland $16,601,959,151

China $16,173,278,355

Italy $14,635,560,005

Japan $9,187,565,496

Spain $8,842,483,237
7.Belgian Fun Facts:
Belgium got its name from the Romans
Belgium has only existed as a sovereign nation for just under 200 years. But despite its young
kingdom, the name “Belgium” has ancient routes that date back to antiquity.

Belgium 2000 years ago was a conglomerate of various tribes. The main tribes were Gallic and
Germanic, and they were distinguished by the languages they spoke. As Julius Caesar came to
conquer northern Gaul (Morden day northern France, Belgium, southern Netherlands and
Luxembourg), he made a differentiation of the peoples within it. He is noted to have said that there
was a tribe separated from the main Celtic part of Gaul in the south, by the Marne and the Seine
rivers, and from Germania in the north, with the Rhine river. The main tribe living here was called
Belgae – the province hereafter became known to the Romans as Belgica and later in history,
turned to Belgium.

New York City was founded by a Belgian

Belgium is often characterised as a voyeur, a side-kick to the main protagonists of the past. But
did you know that one of the most important cities in the world was founded by a Belgian?

New York, New York! Yes, the big apple was founded by Belgian, Peter Minuit in 1626. Minuit
was appointed an explorer for the Dutch West India Company and went to the Americas in search
of tradable goods.

Once arriving in the Americas, Minuit was introduced to the local native tribes of the Hudson
River area and began interacting with them about the purchasing of the land of Manhattan – today
one of New York’s most expensive areas. He purchased the island for the price of 60 guilders –
roughly $1,500 in today’s standards.

Belgium holds the record for longest period without a government

541 days. That’s how long it took Belgian politicians to form an official government after the
federal elections of June 13, 2010. It earned Belgium a Guinness World Record for going the
longest time with no government, smashing the previous record held by Iraq which went
government-free for 289 days in 2010.

You would think that a country would fall apart in the absence of a central government. Just look
at how Americans start panicking when their government shuts down. But not the Belgians who
managed just fine with the help of a caretaker government, a well-oiled bureaucracy, and a naughty
sense of humour even as their politicians spent a year and a half bickering away.
Belgium was the second country in the world to decriminalise homosexuality
The gay rights movement has been campaigning for equal rights for gay people since the early
60’s. However, one of their most significant victories has only recently come about: same-sex
marriage. Although the groups are still active and campaigning around the world, Belgium can
look back on its history with a progressive glimmer, as it was the second country to allow gay
marriage and one of the first to legalise homosexuality.

Although acceptable in antiquity, homosexuality was associated with sin in Christian Europe and
was repressed throughout the era. After the age of enlightenment and the many revolutions across
Europe, homosexuality became legal in some societies, like France, and this extended to Belgium
as it were under French dominion; which allowed same-sex relations as early as 1795. This is in
stark contrast to other European nations, as places like the UK only made homosexuality legal in
1967.

Belgium’s weirdest laws

1. The Belgian flag is ‘unconstitutional’
Everyone knows the Belgian flag to be a tricolour of black, yellow and red. Surprisingly though,
article 193 of the Belgian Constitution states that “[t]he Belgian Nation adopts red, yellow and
black for its colours”.

The colour shuffle can be traced back to the period after the Belgian revolution of 1830. The flag
indeed started out being red over yellow over black. Its bands, moreover, were horizontal, rather
then the present-day vertical ones. Early on, the bands were rotated 90 degrees, most likely for
symbolic reasons, while the order was changed for heraldic(2) reasons some time later.
In doing the latter, however, no one bothered to revise the draft Constitution. Nor was the
document ever amended afterwards on this point. And thus the mismatch between the actual flag
and its constitutional foundation has endured for almost two centuries by now.

2. Independence be damned: Belgian King can mobilise troops in Congo

Even though Congo achieved independence in 1960, the King of Belgium is still officially
authorised, by law, to take all necessary measures to mobilise the military in ‘Belgian-Congo’, as
well to ensure the protection of the country’s citizenry in the event of war.

The King may even take such measures proactively, in times of peace. Needless to say, this law
has not been invoked much, in the last few decades.

3. No Dutch royals on the throne

Have you ever been so mad… you banished someone for all eternity? That’s basically, on a
national scale, what a decree of 24 November 1830 did.
The decree debars members of the House of Orange-Nassau (basically: the Dutch royal family)
from any position of power or public authority in Belgium, in perpetuity. In theory it not only
excludes members of said House from the throne, but also from access to the public sector and
from standing for elections.
The decree is considered to have constitutional status, rendering its abolition quite difficult. It goes
back to the period immediately following the rule of the Dutch King William I in what is now
Belgium, from 1815 until 1830. Suffice it to say that the Belgian revolutionaries found that
William’s rule left some room for improvement…

4. None shall take your last cow (or 12 goats), pig and 24 chickens
The Belgian Judicial Code provides a list of goods and items that may not, in principle, be seized
by a bailiff (art. 1408), basically in order to safeguard minimal living conditions and means.

While such a list is useful in itself, several of its elements are outdated (at least for most of us).
Most notably, it details that a seizure may not lay claim to “a cow, or 12 sheep or goats” (a tough
choice), nor can someone’s last (or only) pig “and 24 poultry animals” be seized. Materials
required for keeping and feeding said livestock “for the duration of one month” are also precluded
from being seized.

D. Conclusion:
Summarizing these strengths and weaknesses, the International Institute for Management
Development (IMD) ranks Belgium as the 23nd most competitive economy in the world (a five-
position improvement over 2014, but one place below its level a year ago), and the World
Economic Forum (WEF) ranks the country 20th out of 137 (17th in 2014) in terms of global
competitiveness.

E. Appendix:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium
https://www.britannica.com/place/Belgium
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/be.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/belgium
https://www.belgium.be/en