Bel·gium (b l j m) A country of northwest Europe on the North Sea. Inhabited in ancient times by the Belgae, the region was part of the Roman and Carolingian empires before breaking up into a number of feudal states during the Middle Ages. The area occupied by present-day Belgium passed to the Hapsburgs in the 15th century and to the French in the 18th century. Following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Belgium was given to the kingdom of the Netherlands, from which it gained independence as a separate kingdom in 1830. Brussels is the capital and the largest city. Population: 10,400,000. |   |
Belgium [ˈbɛldʒəm]
n
(Placename) 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 1947 and was a founder member of the EEC (now the EU). 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.: 10 268 000 (2001 est.). Area: 30 513 sq. km (11 778 sq. miles)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Belgium - a monarchy in northwestern Europe; headquarters for the European Union and for the North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationBouvines - in 1214 the French under Philip Augustus defeated a coalition formed against him in one of the greatest battles of the middle ages Battle of Fontenoy, Fontenoy - a battle in 1745 in which the French army under Marshal Saxe defeated the English army and their allies under the duke of Cumberland Battle of Waterloo, Waterloo - the battle on 18 June 1815 in which Prussian and British forces under Blucher and the Duke of Wellington routed the French forces under Napoleon first battle of Ypres, Ypres, battle of Ypres - battle in World War I (1914); heavy but indecisive fighting as the Allies and the Germans both tried to break through the lines of the others second battle of Ypres, Ypres, battle of Ypres - battle in World War I (1915); Germans wanted to try chlorine (a toxic yellow gas) as a weapon and succeeded in taking considerable territory from the Allied salient battle of Ypres, third battle of Ypres, Ypres - battle in World War I (1917); an Allied offensive which eventually failed because tanks bogged down in the waterlogged soil of Flanders; Germans introduced mustard gas which interfered with the Allied artillery Common Market, EC, EEC, European Community, European Economic Community, European Union, EU, Europe - an international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members; "he tried to take Britain into the Europen Union" NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization - an international organization created in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty for purposes of collective security Benelux - a customs union comprising Belgium and Netherlands and Luxembourg commune - the smallest administrative district of several European countries Belgian capital, Brussels, Bruxelles, capital of Belgium - the capital and largest city of Belgium; seat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Antwerp, Antwerpen, Anvers - a busy port and financial center in northern Belgium on the Scheldt river; it has long been a center for the diamond industry and the first stock exchange was opened there in 1460 Bruges, City of Bridges - a city in northwestern Belgium that is connected by canal to the North Sea; in the 13th century it was a leading member of the Hanseatic League; the old city (known as the City of Bridges) is a popular tourist attraction Charleroi - city in southwestern Belgium; center of an industrial region Gand, Ghent, Gent - port city in northwestern Belgium and industrial center; famous for cloth industry Namur - a city in south central Belgium situated on a promontory between the Meuse River and the Sambre River; the site of intense fighting in World War I and World War II Waterloo - a town in central Belgium where in 1815 Napoleon met his final defeat Europe - the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use `Europe' to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles Meuse, Meuse River - a European river; flows into the North Sea Sambre, Sambre River - a river in western Europe that rises in northern France and flows generally east into Belgium where it joins the Meuse at Namur Scheldt, Scheldt River - a river that rises in France and flows northeast across Belgium and empties into the North Sea Belgian - a native or inhabitant of Belgium Fleming - a native of Flanders or a Flemish-speaking Belgian Walloon - a member of the French-speaking people living in Belgium |
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