Culture

Belgium's tangled tongues date back to when Christ was a toddler and Franks were forcing Celts and Gauls into the land's southern regions, making an early form of Dutch the norm in the north. And so it remains, with French the accepted language in the south. Brussels, stuck in the middle, is one of the world's few officially bilingual capitals. The vast majority of Belgians are Roman Catholics, and despite a decline in church attendances, religious traditions still flavour much of Belgium's daily life.

Early Belgian artists are credited with inventing oil painting, so it's no wonder the place has produced more than its fair share of masterpieces. The Flemish Primitive Jan van Eyck started it all in the 15th century, Pieter Brueghel followed with his portrayals of peasant life in the 16th century, and Pieter Paul Rubens dominated early 17th century art as the leading light of the Baroque period. In Antwerp, Rubens set up a highly productive studio of painters and turned out sensational religious allegories such as his famous Descent from the Cross.

At the turn of this century, the sinuous architecture of Art Nouveau started in Brussels led by Henri van de Velde and Victor Horta. Horta was famed for his interiors which avoided straight lines - ceilings simply became curved continuations of walls. Stained glass and wrought iron were much used to accentuate this whiplash of lines. Comic strips are another Belgian forte and while there are many local favourites, Hergé, the creator of the quiffed reporter Tintin, is the most widely known.

Belgian food is highly regarded throughout Europe - some say it's second only to French. Combining French and German styles, meat and seafood are the main raw ingredients. The Belgians swear they invented frites (chips, or fries), and judging by availability, it's a claim few would contest. And though they didn't actually invent beer or chocolate, they may as well have.


Environment

Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, Belgium is one of Europe's tiddlers. The north is flat, the south dominated by the picturesque Ardennes and the 65km North Sea coastline monopolised by resorts, except for a few patches of windswept dunes. Lower Belgium is criss-crossed by a network of canals. Seasons are mild, but the warmest months (July and August) are also the wettest.

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