Facts About Belgium

Often referred to as the ‘Essence of Europe’, Belgium is a wonderful place to visit. It is known for its capital city Brussels, beer, chocolates, waffles and numerous castles. The official languages spoken here are Dutch, German and French, though the friendly people of Belgium try their level best to speak English with every tourist and try to help as much as they can! Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries of the world, with the population density similar to that of countries like Japan, India, England, etc. Not many people know much about Belgium. Check out some interesting and fun facts about Belgium.

 

Interesting & Fun Facts About Belgium 

• Belgium produces 220,000 tonnes of chocolate every year. When calculated, per person consumption comes to 22 kg of chocolate annually, or 61 grams per day on an average. The world's biggest chocolate selling point is the Brussels National Airport.
• Euthanasia and gay marriages have been legalized in Belgium since 2002 and 2003, respectively.
• The world's first country to ban cluster bombs was Belgium and it was also the second country in the world to ban forced marriages in the year 2006. Forced marriages could lead to a heavy fine and imprisonment.
• The highest proportion of female ministers in the world is in Belgium and this country also has the credit for being one of the earliest countries to have a female Parliamentarian, way back in 1921.
• Education is compulsory in Belgium upto the age of 18, which makes it the highest in the world and also one of the rare countries to have such a law.
• The only man-made structure visible from the moon is the Belgian motorway system, which is visible as a small glittering spot due to the lights all along the motorway network.
• Belgians are fond of keeping pets and almost half of Belgian households have at least a single pet. For 10 million people, domestic dogs and cats mount to 2 million and above.
• After US, Belgians are the most enthusiastic collectors of discount coupons in the world.
• The highest density of collectors of various art forms is in Belgium. The oil painting in fact was invented in the 15^th century by famous Belgian painters.
• The world’s main diamond centre and second largest petrochemical center is Belgium. Almost 90% of raw diamonds in the world are negotiated and distributed in Antwerp.