Belgium

[bel-juh m] /ˈbɛl dʒəm/
noun
1.
a kingdom in W Europe, bordering the North Sea, N of France. 11,779 sq. mi. (30,508 sq. km).
Capital: Brussels.
French Belgique
[bel-zheek] /bɛlˈʒik/ (Show IPA).
Flemish België
[bel-khee-uh] /ˈbɛl xi ə/ (Show IPA).
Examples from the web for Belgium
  • The first offensive use of zeppelins was just two days after the invasion of Belgium.
British Dictionary definitions for Belgium

Belgium

/ˈbɛldʒəm/
noun
1.
a federal kingdom in NW Europe: at various times under the rulers of Burgundy, Spain, Austria, France, and the Netherlands before becoming an independent kingdom in 1830. It formed the Benelux customs union with the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1948 and and was a founder member of the Common Market, now the European Union. It consists chiefly of a low-lying region of sand, woods, and heath (the Campine) in the north and west, and a fertile undulating central plain rising to the Ardennes Mountains in the southeast. Languages: French, Flemish (Dutch), German. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Brussels. Pop: 10 444 268 (2013 est). Area: 30 513 sq km (11 778 sq miles)
Word Origin and History for Belgium

c.1600, "Low Germany and the Netherlands," from the Latin name of the territory near here occupied by the Belgæ, a Celtic tribe. Adopted 1830 as the name of a new nation formed from the southern part of the former United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Belgium in Culture

Belgium definition


Monarchy in northwestern Europe, bordered by the North Sea and The Netherlands to the north, Germany and Luxembourg to the east, and France to the south. Its capital and largest city is Brussels.

Note: Headquarters for the EU and for NATO.