And Belgium is significant

Volker Eichener

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Professor at Hochschule Düsseldorf Jun 15

Why do European countries like Belgium often seem smaller or less significant to people outside Europe, and what are some surprising facts about them?

Europe (without Russia) consists of independent 46 states. The biggest (Germany) has a population of 85 million, the smallest (Vatican City) a population of 882.

Belgium has a population of 11.8 million, so it is neither small nor big but a middle-sized country like Austria or Portugal.

So, it is certainly not small enough to be overlooked (like, say, San Marino or Andorra). And Belgium is significant.

• Belgium is the seat of the most important institutions of the European Union, especially the European Commission.
• Belgium is the seat of the NATO.
• Belgium has several cities which are important destinations for international tourism, including Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp.
• There are important artists from Belgium, like the painters Pieter Bruegel, Peter Paul Rubens (who was of German origin, but mostly worked in Belgium), René Magritte or the architect Henry van de Velde.
• Belgium has the world’s biggest brewery, Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is also very strong on the American market.
• Belgium has Europe’s second biggest seaport (after Rotterdam) and the world’s 12th biggest (bigger than New York/New Jersey and Los Angeles).
• The Belgium National football team belongs to the strongest of the world. It topped the FIFA world ranking from November 2015 – March 2016 and again from September 2018 – March 2022.

Brussels

Bruges

Ghent

Antwerp