Today, we continue on our virtual backpacking trip through Europe, and our next stop is... Belgium! This is a fun country, and one of the few that I've already visited in person, so later this week, I will be sharing some photos here from our time in Belgium a few years ago. In the meantime, there are some fun and quirky things for us to learn together about this beautiful country. Let's dig in!
Belgians claim to have invented French Fries, and are offended that the French get all the credit!
The country produces more than 220,000 tons of chocolate per year.
Speaking of chocolate, Belgium is home to the place where the most chocolate in the world is sold, and it is probably not the first place you'd guess... it's the Zaventum Airport in Brussels!
Belgium is the birthplace of several important inventions. Among them: Body Mass Index; the Electric Tram; Plastic; Modern Road Asphalt; the 'Big Bang Theory' of the origin of the universe; Music Tapes; the Saxophone; and the World Wide Web!
More than 1,000 types of beer are brewed in Belgium, and every type of beer has its own unique matching glass. Many people collect their favorites.
And they do love beer... until the 1970s, light beer was served as a part of school lunch!
Belgium holds the world record for the longest period operating without a government (and, in fact, they broke their 2010-11 record of 589 days in 2019-20 with a 656 day period!).
Belgium is the world's leading exporter of Billiard Balls.
World famous and beloved actress and humanitarian, Audrey Hepburn was born in Brussels.
Antwerp is the center of the world's diamond trade.
Comic book writing is common and popular in Belgium, and the country is the birthplace of favorites such as the Smurfs; TinTin; Asterix; the Snorks; and many others.
There is a 70% divorce rate in Belgium which is the highest in Western Europe.
No universal 'Belgian' language dominates the country (or exists). The people of Belgium speak Dutch; French and/or German.
There is one piece of art on the moon's surface. It is a small sculpture called, 'Fallen Astronaut' and it was designed and created by artist Paul Van Hoeydonck.
A national symbol of Belgium is the sculpture, 'Manneken Pis' or 'Peeing Boy'. The statue has many outfits, and even has his own dresser, who decks him out to honor national happenings.
The highway lights of Belgium are so bright they can reportedly be seen from space.
Brussels is a very international city, as it is home to 120 international governmental organizations; more than 1,400 NGOs, and more than 180 embassies, hosting 3,000+ dipomats. Belgium part of the 'Benelux' (Belgium; the Netherlands and Luxembourg) economic union; is home to the NATO headquarters; as well as the European Parliament, and is often referred to as 'the Capital of the EU.'
Belgium is the 11th wealthiest country in the world, per capita; and its residents also contribute some of the highest percentage of their taxes, with some contributing as much as 65% of their income.
The country has long been a leader in LGBTQIA+ rights. They first legalized gay civil unions in 2000, followed by gay marriage in 2003. Same sex sexual activity was actually legalized in 1795! The country has also boasted leaders who identify as LGBTQIA+, with Elio Di Rupo, the first openly gay Prime Minister, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter, the first Transgender Minister in Europe.
Belgian artists invented oil painting in the 15th century.
Flower carpets are beloved in Belgium, and beautiful flower carpets are regularly created to adorn popular public squares.
This is the most urbanized country in Europe, with 98% of its residents living in cities.
Belgian men are, on average, the 2nd tallest in the world, after only the Netherlands.
The country tends to have very open minded residents and very progressive laws. In addition to the advances mentioned above that Belgium has made on LGBTQIA+ rights, the nation is one of the few in the world with compulsory voting; they grant the most new citizenships to newcomers per capita in the world; they enjoy the smallest salary gap between men and women in the EU; and in 1990, they decided to dethrone King Baudouin for 36 hours so that they could end an oppressive abortion ban that he supported, and then they reinstated him once it had been removed!
Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables in Brussels and Waterloo.
The second most translated books in the world, after only the Bible, are those about Inspector Maigret by George Simenon from Liege.
The tallest living horse is a Belgian Gelding Horse named 'Big Jake.'
The country boasts the most castles per square kilometer in the world.
Belgium claims the densest rail network in the world, at 4,078 kilometers of track.
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