belgium
Belgium,[A] officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.5 million, making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe, with a density of 376 per square kilometre (970/sq mi). The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège.
Legally, Belgium is a sovereign state and a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds. It is divided into three highly autonomous regions:[10] the Flemish Region in the north, Walloniain the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region, as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita.
Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, which constitutes about 60 percent of the population, and the French-speaking Community, which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians. 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.[11] 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 is part of an area known as the Low Countries, a somewhat larger region than the current Benelux group of states that also included parts of northern France and western Germany. Its modern name is derived from the Latin word Belgium, used in Julius Caesar‘s “Gallic War“, to describe the region in the period around 55 BCE.[12] From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, the area of Belgium was a prosperous and cosmopolitan center 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”,[13] 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[14][15] and, during the course of the 20th century, possessed a number of colonies in Africa.[16] 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;[17] and the formation of a coalition government took 18 months following the June 2010 federal election, a world record.[18] Unemployment in Wallonia is more than double that of Flanders, which boomed after the war.[19]
Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and its capital, Brussels, hosts the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council, as well as one of two seats of the European Parliament (the other being Strasbourg). 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.[B]
Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy. It has very high standards of living, quality of life,[20] healthcare,[21]education,[22] and is categorized as “very high” in the Human Development Index.[23] It also ranks as one of the safest or most peaceful countries in the world.[24]
Photo Credits
Photo by Daniel Cañibano on Unsplash
Photo by Alex Vasey on Unsplash
Photo by Yeo Khee on Unsplash
Nele Van Den Haesevelde · Team Lead Customer Success · Enfocus · Reporting from Drupa 2024
Nele Van Den Haesevelde is responsible for customer success, which essentially means that after a solution has been delivered to a customer, she and her team follow up with the customer to ensure satisfaction. Great approach!
Investing in Contiweb · Steven Renders · CEO · Roularta Media Group
DE Edition Roularta Media Group is a Belgium-based publishing group publishing magazines and news, delivering digitally, making TV, and supporting local and international brands. Roularta is also involved in the printing industry as the group publishes Grafisch Nieuws - but it's also a huge printing company with dedicated objectives of achieving considerable CO2 reductions. As CEO Steven Renders explains, CO2 reductions get harder and harder as the company obviously looks for the easiest targets first. One of these targets was the dryers on Roularta's web-offset presses - they realized that new Contiweb gas dryers could not only use less energy but also considerably reduce the CO2 emissions - so with that, Roularta exchanged all the heaters on their presses, and now the happy owners of three new Contiweb gas-dryers. Roularta is a very automated printing company with clear strategies that enable it to grow, reduce its carbon footprint, and develop more print business through its unique business models. This is a VERY good film to learn from we believe!
Atomyx Launch Event · The Boss · Tom Peire
The owner. The CEO. The Boss, and despite all the titles, he is also the one who has the vision for where his new company and software, atomic, should be in the future. Promises are given, and expectations can be high, yet Tom Peire is humble - maybe because of his Belgian background? Maybe because he and his team recognize that this software COULD be a game-changer, and yet they want the results to speak for themselves. Make your mind up. Listen to Tom!
Atomyx Launch Event · Development · David van Driessche
David van Driessche is the CTO of Atomyx, and in this interview, David, among other things, talks about how difficult it is not to talk about a product you have worked on for a long time. Being the CTO of a software company, of course, requires input - lots of input. Enjoy!
Atomyx Launch Event · Product Management · Toon Van Rossum
It was a great pleasure to meet Toon Van Rossum in Gent, now as Product Manager for Atomyx. Many may remember Toon from the many interviews we have done with him while he worked for Enfocus - but now he is back in the printing industry responsible for Atomyx. In this interview, Toon speaks about the platform, but also how he bridges input from customers to developers. Enjoy!
Atomyx Launch Event · Marketing & Communication by Cindy Van Luyck
Back in the printing industry, Cindy Van Luyck is now positioning ATOMYX for the future. In this interview, we talk to her about being back in the industry after trying something completely different, but also how she and her team will communicate ATOMYX. This is, of course, part of our Launch Event coverage!
Atomyx Launch Event · Welcome by Morten B. Reitoft
Four Pees is finally revealing its new software platform - ATOMYX, and we are covering the event. During the day, we will share stories about the platform - what it does, its implications, and its potential. More than 100 people from Europe and the US are here to see, learn, and network and I wouldn't be surprised to sign up for the SDK kits that are available for the platform. Read more at www.atomyx.io
Arctic Paper