Why does Belgium speak two languages, which language is the national anthem sung in and what is Flemish?
BELGIUM head into the 2022 World Cup as one of the dark horses to go far in the tournament.
Roberto Martinez’s side are blessed with a talented group of young stars – and many are tipping them to finally shed their nearly-men tag.
Why do Belgium have two languages?
Despite being a relatively small country, two major languages are spoken around Belgium.
French and Dutch are spoken by 99 percent of the population, whilst some small eastern areas speak German.
Dutch is the official language of the Flemish communities in the country, with different dialects including Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish and Limburgish.
In southern areas of the country though, French is the dominant tongue and is used natively by almost 40 percent of the population.
Whilst the German speakers number less than 1 percent and are situated in the East Canton region.
The diversity is due to the countries chequered history, with it constantly changing hands between various nations until independence from the Dutch in 1830.
What is Flemish?
DERIVED from the Dutch language, Flemish is largely spoken in the north of Belgium.
It can also be used as a term for the people who live in Northern Belgium and the area of Flanders.
All Dutch dialect groups spoken in border areas of Belgium are spoken in areas just across the dotted line in Holland.
What language is the national anthem of Belgium?
The Belgian national anthem La Brabanconne, is sung in French.
But recently an unofficial short version of the fourth verse has been used, which is sung in French, Dutch and German.
And don’t expect to see all the Belgium players singing the anthem in their football matches as it is not a well known song in the country.
Even former Prime Minister Yves Leterme is known to have forgotten the lyrics before.
What is the population of the country?
As of 2022, the population of Belgium is estimated to 11.59million.