la Belgique Inna Kagan F

Map and Flag A map of Belgium. Belgium's capital is Brussels. Belgium’s flag. It was chosen to be their national flag on January 23, 1831. This small country is about as large as the state of Maryland. A map of Belgium. Belgium's capital is Brussels.

Climate and Weather The weather in Belgium is rainy, humid, and cloudy. In Belgium, they have a temperate environment. That means they have cool summers and mild winters.

Tourist Attractions #1 Visitors shouldn't miss the iconic Manneken Pis, probably the most famous statue in all of Brussels. A lot of people do not know that the Manneken Pis is very often dressed. At the moment he has a wardrobe of more than 600 costumes, which are all kept in the King's House, or City Museum at the Grand-Place, the central market square of the city.

Tourist attraction #2 If kids want to play and the weather's too bad to go to the park, then you can try the Pirateneiland (Pirate's Island). It is Belgium's largest indoor playground with 3 floors. It's located in the northern part of the city, near the old docks of Antwerp. The play area is actually a pirate's ship and young pirates can swing from one mast to another with ropes or slide down gangways and attack their pals. You can get snacks on each floor and parents can sit and watch as their kids play.

Tourist attraction #3 An excellent aquarium attraction within Antwerp city center, Aquatopia has become a home to literally thousands of different fish and sea creatures. Highlights include landscaped coral reefs, large rays, sharks, a tropical rainforest area with reptiles, a submarine experience and a new indoor playground area, which has recently opened and can be found directly next to the actual shark tank.

Population, Languages, and Religion The population of Belgium is about 9 million people. The languages that are spoken in Belgium are Dutch, Flemish, French, and German The most common religion in Belgium is Roman Catholicism, although there are small numbers of Muslims and Jews. 9

Form of Government Belgium is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The current Monarch is King Albert II. King Albert II took the oath of office on August 9th, 1993.

Currency Belgium's form of currency right now is the Euro. Belgium switched from the Belgian franc to the Euro as its currency after January 1st, 2002. 1 euro = 40 francs Belgian Franc Euro symbol 20 Euro coin

Major Exports Some of Belgium’s major exports as of 2009 are: Transportation equipment Diamonds Metals and metal products chemicals Metals and metal products Diamonds

Historical Events 1940- Nazi Germany invaded Belgium, disrupting life for the peaceful Belgians and involving them in World War II. 1974- Christian De Duve won the Nobel Prize in Physiology. 1977- Ilya Prigogine won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 1993- The current monarch King Albert II took the Oath of Office. 1998- Belgium became the first member of the European Monetary Union and switched from the Belgium Franc to the Euro. 2001- Kim Clijsters won the US open tennis Championship.

Justine Henin Justine Henin is a professional Belgian tennis player. She is currently ranked #12 in the world. Justine was born on June 1,1982. She turned pro on January 1, 1999. (above) Justine Henin has just won her second U.S. Open title.

Important Holidays Some important holidays in Belgium are: January 1st – New Years Day March 28th – Easter Monday May 1st – Labor Day July 21st – Independence Day November 1st – All Saints Day December 25th – Christmas Day In addition to these official holidays, Belgians love festivals. One of Belgium’s most famous festivals is the Shrove Tuesday Carnival in the town of Binche, with its “March of the Gilles.” On this Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, men wear brightly colored costumes and white hats with huge ostrich feathers. They dance down the street throwing oranges at the crowd. Anyone who throws oranges back at the marchers risks being beaten up by the other townspeople.

Traditional Dance The traditional kind of dance that they have in Belgium is Contra Dance. Contra Dance means several partnered folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines. Examples of Contra Dance