The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a
founding member of the European Union and hosts its
headquarters, as well as those of other major international
organizations, including NATO and the OECD. Belgium covers an
area of 30,528 km2 (11,787 square miles) and has a population of
about 10.7 million. Straddling the cultural boundary between
Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home for two main
linguistic groups, the Flemings and the French-speakers, mostly
Walloons, plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two
largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the
north, with 59% of the population, and the French-speaking
southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 31%. The Brussels-
Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-
speaking enclave within the Flemish Region, and has 10% of the
population. A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern
Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political
and cultural conflicts are reflected in the p