BELGIUM

The country is in the north-west of Europe. It became popular in the Middle Ages for the wealth of its free merchant cities.

In the 15^th century the area belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy.

In 1477 it was taken into the Habsburg Empire by Maximilian I.

Habsburg established its Empire by marrying and therefore the phrase was coined “Other countries win countries by war but you, Austria, win countries by marrying.”

Between 1504 and 1715 the territory was rules by Spain

From 1713 till 1795 it was ruled by Austria and by France
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In 1815 it became a province of the kingdom of the Netherlands and in 1830 it received independence after a national revolution.  Prince Leopold of Saxon-Coburg was elected one year later as King of Belgium

An international treaty was drawn up in 1839 and it guaranteed Belgium to stay neutral. This treaty was ignored in 1914 and 1940 by Germany when Belgium was invaded.

In 1971 a constitutional reform was established which split the federation of Belgium into semi-autonomous regions of Flemish-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia and bi-lingual Brussels.  Brussels includes the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Community (EU).

King Baudouin died in 1983 and was succeeded by his brother, Albert

BELGAE

Large group of Celtic tribes were living in the northern Rhineland, the Low Countries, northern France (Gaul) and southern England during the 2^nd and 1^st centuries BC.

The Belgae were well established people and put a fierce fight against the Romans. 

Eventually the Romans started to respect. 

Julius Caesar conquered Gaul in 50BC. It followed that Belgae noblemen were admitted to the Roman senate.

Today’s name Belgium derived from the name of Belgae.