Everything you need to know about Belgium: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Belgium: A Melting-Pot of Cultures
Belgium was invaded by France and Germany in early 1990’s and consequentially it now features varied cultures like Celtic, Roman, Spanish, Dutch, French, German and Austrian and can be referred as a true ‘melting pot’. Its located advantageously in the heart of Europe, thereby, it has an excellent infrastructure, especially in Brussels and the architectural wonder, Antwerp that are its major cities.
Belgium Quick Facts:
· National Name: Kingdom of Belgium
· Total Area: 30,528 sq km (11,787 sq miles)
· Total Population: 10,258,76
· National Capital: Brussels
· Major Languages: Dutch, French, German
· Major Religion: Christianity
· Currency: 1 Euro= 100 cents
· GDP per capita (PPP): $33,000 (2006 EST)
· Life Expectancy: 75 years (Male), 82 year(Female) (2006 EST)
Belgian Culture and Cuisine:
Belgium offers an amalgam of different varied cultures thereby it cannot be defined by one national identity. Its art and culture is significantly rich offering an artistic approach to its culture variation through surrealistic paintings and intricate architecture. Besides this, Belgians are known for their lavish celebrations during festivals and carnivals.
Some of the important festivals are:
· Carnival at Binche, held before Lent which includes carnivalesque activities and dancing in particular dresses. As men called ‘Gilles’ wear bright costumes with high, plumed hats.
· Procession of Holy Blood, which is an important children’s holiday commemorating St. Nicholas’s day.
Other than these, Belgians are also known for their music interests, Folklore and etiquettes regarding cleanliness, formal meetings, dressing etc.
Cuisine: This exotic country offers some delectable and sumptuous dishes which are famous world wide featuring a blend of French and German cuisines. The French fries were introduced in Belgium itself and not in France as the name suggests. Also it is known for its wide range of beers, chocolates such as Godiva, Callebaut and many others and also wafers. Some of the typical Belgian dishes include Waterzooi, a casserole of chicken, waffles, pralines, chocolates and a special beer.
Tourist Attractions in Belgium:
There are a number of places to visit in this country. No wonder every year a number of tourists throngs this place. If you are looking to travel to Belgium and mingle with the local Belgians you just cannot miss the great tourist attractions some of which include:
Antwerp: It is known as the Diamond center of the world and has a repute of having some splendid architectural designed buildings belonging to past centuries.
Brussels: This cosmopolitan city is known for its composition of Gothic cathedrals and churches featuring different architectural designs. The Grand’ Place is the historic market in this city having splendid guild houses and a unique Town Hall, considered as the most beautiful town square in Europe.
Other interesting places in Belgium include Ghent, Spa, Bruges, Leuven, Waterloo and Liege.
London, May 21 (ANI): Discrimination against Jews and Muslims is on the rise around the world, according to a new report in the US.
Washington, May 21 (ANI): Beyonce's husband Jay-Z has dismissed rumours that the former Destiny's Child member is pregnant.
London, May 19 (ANI): Beyonce, who was rumored to be preggers with her second child, slammed the gossipmongers on Instagram.
Los Angeles, May 19 (IANS) Singer Beyonce Knowles is reportedly expecting her second child with rapper Jay-Z and it is unlikely to affect her forthcoming stage performances.
Shanghai, May 18 (IANS) American hurdler Aries Merritt, who won his first Olympic gold in London and set a world record in the men's 110m hurdles last year, has geared up for the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League Shanghai leg.
Los Angeles, May 18 (IANS) Singer-songwriter Beyonce Knowles is reportedly pregnant with her second child with rapper husband Jay-Z.
Washington, May 18 (ANI): Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z are expecting their second child, according to reports.
New York, May 17 (ANI): Beyonce defied doctors' orders and returned to the stage in Antwerp, Belgium, on Thursday, after postponing her concert the day before.
London, May 16 (ANI): Beyonce has posted an image of a handwritten apology letter online for cancelling the Belgium concert of her 'Mrs Carter Show' tour.
Washington, May 15 (ANI): An international team of scientists has identified a new species of ichthyosaur (a dolphin-like marine reptile from the age of dinosaurs) from Iraq, which revolutionises our understanding of the evolution and extinction of these ancient marine reptiles.
Washington, May 15 (ANI): Beyonce fanned fire to pregnancy rumours after she rescheduled a gig in Belgium under doctor's orders, citing dehydration and exhaustion.
Washington, May 15 (ANI): Beyonce fanned fire to pregnancy rumours after she rescheduled a gig in Belgium under doctor's orders, citing dehydration and exhaustion.
Washington, May 15 (ANI): Beyonce fanned fire to pregnancy rumours after she rescheduled a gig in Belgium under doctor's orders, citing dehydration and exhaustion.
Paris, May 13 (IANS) The 52nd edition of the world's premier table tennis event will be held in Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy May 13-20 with a record 463 men and 360 women participating.
Melbourne, May 12 (Xinhua-ANI): The statistics released by the 14th Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers report showed that Australia has reached the top 10 best countries to be a mother around the world this year, local media reported on Sunday.
Melbourne, May 10 (ANI): The top 10 worst hot spots for traffic on the planet, where an individual will need a lot of extra time to travel, has been revealed.
New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Days after his meeting with External Affairs Minister SalmanKhurshid in the Kazakh capital Almaty, US Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns arrives in New Delhi this week to hold talks on a host of issues, including Afghanistan and expanding civil nuclear cooperation with India.
Bhubaneswar, May 7 (IANS) An area commander of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was arrested in Odisha's Rayagada district Tuesday, police said.
Bangalore, May 7 (IANS) Three-time World Champion and Sydney Olympic gold medallist Maria Mutola, often ranked as the greatest female 800 metres runner of all time,has been confirmed as the Event Ambassador for the TCS World10K Bangalore 2013.
Washington, May 7 (ANI): The second flight of ESA's newest launch vehicle, Vega, has been completed from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, releasing 3 satellites into different orbits.
Sydney, May 7 (ANI): Belgium is mourning the death of its Nobel laureate, the biochemist Christian de Duve who died in an act of euthanasia at the age of 95 according to a Belgian daily.
Brussels, May 5 (IANS) A cargo train carrying chemicals derailed near the northwestern Belgian city of Ghent, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others, a media report said.
London, April 24 (ANI): Myleene Klass was granted a quickie divorce from her former bodyguard husband - in 100 seconds on Tuesday.
New Delhi, Apr. 22 (ANI): Union Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal met Ambassadors and Heads of Chambers of Commerce of countries which are leaders in the electronics sector here today.
Karachi, April 22 (ANI): An aeronautical engineer has turned his back on his profession and set out across Europe to learn 33 more trades instead.
Yangon, April 21 (IANS) Foreign ministers of the European Union are to meet in Luxembourg Monday to decide on withdrawing all sanctions against Myanmar, exactly a year after the grouping announced suspension of most sanctions for a year except the arms embargo.
Washington, April 19 (ANI): Those working in physically demanding jobs are more susceptible to heart disease, two new studies suggests.
Washington, April 19 (ANI): A new research has refuted the idea that all children under the age of ten have the same taste in food and highlighted the importance of the country of residence, culture and age in these preferences.
Dhaka, April 18 (IANS) The editor of a Bangladesh's pro-opposition daily was sent to jail Wednesday in a case filed for publication of a report on the Skype conversation.
Monte Carlo, April 17 (IANS) Belgian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov caused an upset at the Monte Carlo Masters here by beating eighth seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets.
Washington, April 16 (ANI): Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis shared a romantic getaway over the weekend as they toured Bruges and Belgium in a horse-drawn carriage on Sunday.
Moscow, April 14 (IANS) A bus carrying Russian youngsters crashed in Belgium Sunday, killing at least five people and leaving 17 others injured, RIA Novosti reported.
Washington, April 11 (ANI): Researchers have found that therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or "smart" stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure.
Brussels, April 11 (IANS/EFE) The economic recession that has affected Spain since 2011 could continue into next year despite forecasts that the Spanish economy could grow 0.80 percent over the next year, the European Commission said Wednesday.
New York, Apr 6 (ANI): Typically, women order wine and men order beer, but beer was much more of a woman's beverage back in the day-and children had their fill of it too.
Nogaro (France), April 1 (IANS) India's Karun Chandhok and his Seyffarth Motorsport team survived torrid conditions to finish 11th overall and 7th in the PRO category in the FIA GT Series here Monday.
Washington, March 31 (ANI): Antipsychotic medication, used to control behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in older people, is known to have negative side effects and increases the risk of stroke and death.
Miami, March 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Germany's Tommy Haas stunned top-ranked Novak Djokovic with a straight-sets victory that propelled the 15th-seeded veteran to the quarterfinals of the Miami Masters.
Miami, March 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Maria Sharapova blew away Klara Zakopalova Tuesday to set up a Miami Masters quarter-final with Italy's Sara Errani.
Washington, Mar. 24 (ANI): Accounts of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's response to the suffering and slaughter of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe fail to reveal the true strengths and failings of him and of his presidency, a new book has claimed.
New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Loss, exile, fear, war, longing for home, memories and redemption colour the soul of diplomat and poet Williams Nkurunziza's sonnets that are chronicles of the journey of his native Rwanda from its difficult days of ethnic strife to a modern nation in quest of prosperity in the last century.
Skopje (Macedonia), March 23 (IANS) Belgium continued their winning streak with a 2-0 victory over Macedonia here in the European Zone Group A World Cup football qualifier.
Colombo, March 21 (IANS) A demonstration was held outside the US Embassy in Sri Lanka Thursday against the US sponsored resolution scheduled to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Colombo, March 21 (Xinhua-ANI): A demonstration was held outside the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka on Thursday against the U.S. sponsored resolution scheduled to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Colombo, March 20 (IANS) The Sri Lankan government decided to reject the final draft of a US resolution submitted at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and seek a vote among members, the external affairs ministry said Wednesday.
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Indian driver Armaan Ebrahim will represent the BMW Sports Trophy in the FIA GT1 World Series.
Washington, Mar. 16 (ANI): Mindfulness, which is a form of meditation therapy focused on exercising "attentiveness," can lead to a decrease in symptoms associated with depression in adolescents, a study has revealed.
Bangalore, March 15 (IANS) Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo Auto will roll out its V40 Cross Country sedan in India by June to give a run for the money to competitors like BMW, Audi and Mercedes in the cross over sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment.
Moscow, March 8 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The alliance between man and his best friend may be at least 19,000 years older than previously confirmed, according to a new study of the DNA of a 33,000-year-old fossil from the Altai mountains in Russia.
Sydney, Mar. 7 (ANI): Australia and India will start negotiations for the sale of Australian uranium to the subcontinent this month.
Lausanne, March 6 (IANS) The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Tuesday awarded India the hosting rights of the men's Junior World Cup and the World League Finals.
Moscow, March 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's armed forces should expand to at least a million men in order for the country's defences to be effective, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said.
Abu Dhabi, March 6 (IANS/WAM) The Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2013, showcasing the latest products and services in the aviation industry, has begun at the Al Bateen Executive Airport.
London, Mar 2 (ANI): The German parliament passed a law, which will force search engines such as Google and other news aggregators to pay royalties to publishers for posting extracts of their articles.
London, Feb. 27 (ANI): Rudyard Kipling's 50 lost poems, which were discovered by a US scholar, will be published alongside 1,300 others in the first ever complete edition of author's verse on March 7.
Washington, Feb 25 (IANS) Humans have two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys, which may have been added during evolution from primate ancestor to human, say researchers.
Paris, Feb 25 (IANS/EFE) Spain garnered four Gourmand awards - considered one of the most prestigious in the sector - for the year's best books about wines and beverages.
Bangalore, Feb 22 (IANS) A three-day festival of films and documentaries, exhibition of paintings and panel discussions on themes related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT or Queer) communities began here Friday.
Robbers who stole $50 million worth of diamonds from a Brink's armoured truck at Brussels International Airport in Belgium were disguised as cops, Belgian prosecutors said Tuesday.
Brussels, Feb 20 (IANS/EFE) The machine-gun-toting men who stole $50 million worth of diamonds from a Brink's armoured truck at Brussels international airport were wearing police uniforms, Belgian prosecutors said Tuesday.
There is a bad news for Men who have circumcised penis as Belgium Scientists have claimed that circumcised penis (penis with removed foreskin) has less sensitiveness in the bed as against to uncircumcised peers........................
London, Feb 16 (ANI): Men who are circumcised are in for some bad news - it puts them at a disadvantage in the bedroom, experts have claimed.
Wellington, Feb 11 (IANS) New Zealand's military personnel have begun training with new Belgium-made light machine guns that will extend their operating capabilities, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced Monday.
Moscow, Feb 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia beat Japan 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the Fed Cup after bouncing back from 1-2 down.
Tbilisi (Georgia), Feb 10 (IANS) Hosts Georgia defeated Portugal in the European Nations Cup rugby division A second rounder, winning 25-12.
Moscow, Feb 10 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A 12-year-old Belgian boy managed to sneak into the international departure zone of the Brussels airport and boarded a plane to Spain without a ticket.
Gaborone (Bostwana), Feb 10 (IANS) FIFA president Joseph Blatter urged that African countries should improve their professional leagues, so as to maintain young players in their own countries.
London, Feb 8 (ANI): Researchers have developed a band that can be worn across the forehead for twenty minutes a day and zap migraines that blight the lives of millions.
Berlin, Feb 8 (IANS/DAPD) German chocolate is in high demand abroad. In 2012, the country sold cocoa products worth around $3.6 billion.
Alappuzha (Kerala), Feb 6 (IANS) A 'funeral pillow', made in Kerala from coir and placed under the head of the departed prior to the burial, has sold nine million units in Europe, a company official said here Wednesday.
London, Feb 6(ANI): Burkina Faso head coach Paul Put, who served a three-year ban in Belgium that expired in 2011 after being found guilty of fixing two matches while manager of Lierse, has claimed corruption has always existed in football following Europol's announcement that up to 380 European football matches are under suspicion of being fixed.
Washington, February 6(ANI): With the completion of the most detailed study ever of the fierce wind from a giant star, ESA's XMM-Newton space observatory has revealed for the first time that the stellar wind is not a uniform breeze but is fragmented into hundreds of thousands of pieces.
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) India has signed a social security agreement with Austria to encourage movement of people and enhance business and trade engagements.
Sydney, Feb. 5 (ANI): A sheep was the winner of Norway Tourism's offer to win a free trip to the country.
Rome, Feb 3 (IANS) Following are the Davis Cup World Group first round results till Saturday:
Sydney, Feb 3 (ANI): In the longest Davis Cup match in history, with a record duration of seven hours and two minutes, Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol beat Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli in a doubles clash.
London, Jan 31 (IANS) Following are tennis' Davis Cup World Group first round ties from Friday till Sunday:
New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) India is set to deepen its ties with Latin America, where China has a marked presence, with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to visit Argentina, Colombia and Chile on a 10-day visit.
New Delhi, Jan.27 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will undertake an official visit to Germany from January 28 to 29 and to Belgium from January 30 to 31.
New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Talks on concluding a long-awaited Free Trade Agreement with the European Union will top the agenda when External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday heads to Germany, where he will meet Chancellor Angela Merkel, and later Belgium.
New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) It is a proud moment for designer duo Pankaj and Nidhi Ahuja - they are set to represent the country at the final round of International Woolmark Prize award in London with their collection that epitomises true Indian craftsmanship with an essence of global appeal.
Bangalore, Jan 24 (IANS) The fledgling Indian machine tools industry is betting on economic revival to spur growth in fiscal 2013-14 after reeling under the impact of slowdown and de-growth in the manufacturing sector across verticals in 2012-13.
Luxembourg, Jan 24 (IANS) ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, Thursday announced it will close a coke plant and six production lines in its Liege facility in Belgium as demand has weakened further in Europe.
Rio de Janeiro, Jan 24 (IANS) Brazil's Davis Cup captain Joao Zwetsch has welcomed the challenge of facing a United States team buoyed by the inclusion of World No.13 John Isner.
Melbourne, Jan 24 (IANS) Former French Open champion Li Na of China swept second-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 to reach her second Australian Open women's singles final here Thursday.
Washington, January 24 (ANI): The first test of a pair of Galileo search and rescue satellites - which ware launched in space on 12 October last year - has proved that it is working well.
Bangalore, Jan 21 (IANS) Leading healthcare provider Apollo Hospitals will set up India's first proton therapy centre in Chennai at a cost of Rs.400 crore for treating cancer patients across the country, southeast Asia, Africa and Australia.
Melbourne, Jan 20 (IANS/R -Sport) Second seed Maria Sharapova delivered a crushing victory over Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens Sunday to reach the women's singles quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The Hague, Jan 16 (IANS) Midfielder Adam Maher said Wednesday that he wanted to leave AZ Alkmaar for PSV Eindhoven.
Brussels, Jan.16 (ANI): A GPS error made a Belgian woman drive through six countries for almost 1500 kilometres, before she noticed the malfunctioning car navigation system.
Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) "Argo" walked away with the two top honours - best film and best director - at the 70th Golden Globe awards, which was otherwise dominated by Tom Hooper's musical drama "Les Miserables" that clinched the maximum gongs.
Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) Austrian drama "Amour" clinched the 70th Golden Globe award for the best foreign language film.
Melbourne, Jan 13 (IANS) Chinese tennis star Li Na heads into the 2013 Australian Open full of confidence after winning in Shenzhen and reaching the last four at the Sydeny International.
Vadodora (Gujarat), Jan.9 (ANI): The international kite festival in Vadodara, Gujarat, lured scores of kite flyers from across the world.
Bangalore, Jan 8 (IANS) About 900 exhibitors from 25 countries will participate in the Indian metal-cutting exposition Imtex 2013 here later this month to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies and trends.
London, Jan 5 (ANI): Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has called for a Premier League investigation into club's former defender Ezekiel Fryers' move to Tottenham Hotspurs from Belgium club Standard Liege.
The Hague, Jan 4 (IANS) PSV Eindhoven have informed AZ Alkmaar of their interest in Adam Maher but the Alkmaar-based football club is not yet willing to sell the 19-year-old midfielder.
London, Jan 4 (IANS) A man believed to be Britain's oldest surviving prisoner of war has died at the age of 98.
London, January 4 (ANI): French actor Gerard Depardieu has been granted Russian citizenship after a very public war with the leaders of his country over high taxes on the rich, it has been revealed.
Moscow, Dec 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A plane that crashed on landing here carried Russia's national football team - including world famous trainer Guus Hiddink and Arsenal player Andrei Arshavin - to matches, the Russian Football Association's (FA) former spokesman has said.
