Belgium is located on the coast of the North Sea between Holland, German and France. The name comes from the Belgae, a celtic tribe.
Belgium’s geographic location places it at the crossroads of much of Europe, particular in relation to the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. As a result, the country has been heavily influenced by the powers that be in Europe during certain periods of times. You can find aspects of Romans, Celtics, Germanic, French and Spanish influences.
Ruled by various European empires, the cities of Bruges, Brussels and Antwerp were major commercial trading posts. They also produced some of the more spectacular artists in Europe, including Eyck and Rubens.
In modern times, the country is really three separate states with significant autonomy. The country is divided up into Flemish, Walloon and a smaller Germanic area. The Flemish are Dutch speaking while the Walloon are oriented to French. The divisions between these areas are significant and they have significant autonomy from the federal government. One might argue they are countries unto themselves.
The official name of Belgium is the Kingdom of Belgium. The country is located in Western Europe and covers approximately 12,566 square miles. Brussels is the capital of the country and has a population of approximately 922,000 people. The second largest city is Antwerp with 452,000 residents.
The people of Belgium are known as Belgians. Total population for the country is 10.4 million with a paltry annual growth rate of less than one half of one percent. The country is divided into three linguistic regions, Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. French is the dominant language in Wallonia, Dutch in Flanders and German in the Brussels area. Most people of Belgium claim Roman Catholic as their faith, but Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Anglican communities exist. The literacy rate is 95 percent.
Belgium is an odd hodgepodge of influences. That being said, everyone seems to get along in these modern times and Brussels is a major financial center in the Europe.
| ©2009 Richard Monk. All rights reserved. |
California, the State. San Francisco, the city. Monterey, the town. John Steinbeck, the author. For this Steinbeck fan, San Francisco is quite close to heaven. From San Francisco it is an easy drive down the peninsula to Santa Cruz and into Steinbeck territory.
I fly into San Francisco airport late in the afternoon. The signs are
immediate America. 'No Ped Xing', 'Squeeze right', 'Occupation by more
than 132 persons unlawful'. From Rent-a-Wreck I collect a Chevrolet in
two tones -- cat-sick green and vile yellow. A veritable pimpmobile.
And was it not in a car like this I drove into San Francisco for the
1967 Summer of Love, to
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If you love sealife, fast rides and beautiful scenery, then SeaWorld is for you. This is one place that is a “must visit” for us on every single trip to Orlando. From the minute you enter the park and you have your photo taken by one of the official photographers, you just know you are in for a fun packed day. There are plenty of ticket variations available including the Orlando Flexticket avaialble from this site, just follow one of the links above to see what options are available to you and your family.
We usually pick up a park map,
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One of the most used departure ports for cruise ships in the Caribbean is San Juan in Puerto Rico. We decided to arrive a day early to San Juan in order to see some sights before our cruise ship departure.
San Juan, known as 'La Ciudad Amurallada' (the
walled city), was founded in 1521 and is the oldest city under
the US flag. During the 16th century, the Spanish used it as a
point of departure for expeditions to the New World.
Fortifications in the Old San Juan section of the city repulsed
numerous attacks from the English and the Dutch during those
years. Today, Old San Juan is a
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Walking takes me around the great cities of the world in style, and it saves me a lot of money as well. Consider London. There you can walk and be guided at the same time.
When I was young and ran a publishing company in London my offices were in Barnard's Inn. This is where Mr Pocket lived in 'Great Expectations'. Around the corner was a group of buildings which had survived the Great Fire of London.
I mention this not to boast, but to show that in London you cannot
avoid history as long as you walk. Almost anywhere you care to stand
you are near
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This article gives advice about places to visit, places to stay and places to eat in Scotland. Scotland is a superb country to visit and it is steeped in history. With famous cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland has plenty to offer for everyone.
Edinburgh Castle has been a focal point of the Edinburgh skyline for over eight hundred years.
It includes the Scottish National War Museum, which lists all of Scotland's war dead since 1914.
Adult admission to the castle is currently £8 and for children it is only £2.
Loch Ness and the Great Glen is a
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