Belgium Flag

The flag of Belgium is a triband flag with stripes of black, yellow, and red. The colors of the flag were adopted from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant. The flag has a proportion of 13:15 which is highly uncommon. During the beginning of the Belgian revolution, insurgents replaced the flag of France with a red-yellow-black flag used during the Brabant Revolution of 789-1790. On 23^rd of January 1831, the stripes were changed from horizontal to vertical and on 12th October of the same year, the flag adopted its current form. The official protocol states that the flag should measure 8.5 ft by 9.8 ft.

The flag has three stripes of black, yellow and red. Before it assumed its current state, the triband colors were horizontal. Article 193 of the constitution of Belgium recognize the colors of the flag as red, yellow and black. The triband was adopted from the French flag while the colors were adopted from the Brabant Revolution. The Brabant rebels used these colors during the resistance geared against Austria in the late 18th century. The colors signify the struggle for independence and freedom.

The design of the flag cannot be attributed to a single person, as it was designed based on the colors worn by the Brabant rebels during the Brabant Revolution. Starting from the 16th century, Belgium has always associated itself with the colors red, white and yellow. During the Austrian rule, several flags were hoisted in Belgium without success, forcing the emperor to impose the Austrian flag on Belgium. The public was outraged and began raising the colors of Brabant.

There have been several previous variants of the flag, but the colors have remained the same over the years. The most recognized previous version the flag consisted of the current triband but with horizontal stripes. Another version consisted of the current flag but with a defaced lion ensigned by a crown on the yellow stripe.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Brussels
Languages	Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%
Ethnic Groups	Belgian 75%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 12.8% (2011 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Jewish 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)
Government	Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independance	4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
Area	30,528.00 km²
Water Area	250.00 km²
Land Area	30,278.00 km²
Population	11,409,077.00 Most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas
Location	Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km
GDP(PPP)	$509,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$44,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are chemicals, machinery and equipment, and finished diamonds.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include raw materials, machinery and equipment, and chemicals.
Climate	Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain	Flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Learn More	Belgium

Belgium Flag

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