Belgium
Kingdom of Belgium
Dutch: Koninkrijk België; French: Royaume de Belgique
CAPITAL: Brussels (Brussel, Bruxelles)
FLAG: The flag, adopted in 1831, is a tricolor of black, yellow, and red vertical stripes.
ANTHEM: La Brabançonne (The Song of Brabant), named after the Duchy of Brabant.
MONETARY UNIT: The euro replaced the Belgian franc in 2002. The euro is divided into 100 cents. There are coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents and 1 euro; and 2 euros. There are notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. As of May 2003, €1 = $1.0977 (or $1 = €0.911).
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.
HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Labor Day, 1 May; Independence Day, 21 July; Assumption Day, 15 August; All Saints' Day, 1 November; Armistice Day, 11 November; Dynasty Day, 15 November; and Christmas, 25 December. Movable holidays are Easter Monday, Ascension, and Whitmonday.
TIME: 1 PM = noon GMT.
Location, Size, and Extent
Situated in northwestern Europe, Belgium has an area of 30,510 sq km (11,780 sq mi) and extends 280 km (174 mi) SE–NW and 222 km (137 mi) NE–SW. Comparatively, the area occupied by Belgium is about the same size as the state of Maryland.
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