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In a second hand book store I found this map of linguistic and ethnographic entities in Europe (*).
Tourists on holiday or people on a business trip visiting Belgium seem amused by the fact that in this little country about half of the population speaks French (Walloon) and the other half speaks Dutch (Flemish). On the Straka map these two communities are divided by a more or less straight line, called the Belgische taalgrens or frontière linguistique belge (Belgian language border). It’s said that it originated during the Late Roman Empire as a result of Germanic tribes invading Roman territory from the north. Clearly, Dutch is a Germanic language while French descends from Latin, the official language of the Roman Empire. The language border marks the southernmost frontier of Germanic cultural influence in this tiny part of Europe. Up until today, this centuries-old border plays an important roll in Belgian politics, fueling (and refueling) the idea of dividing the country into two separate, independent states. And let’s not forget the German speaking community in the east of Belgium!
But if you think Belgium is quite a language quilt, you should take a look at Romania.
Romania’s linguistic and ethnic entities: 20 (light purple/blue) = Romanian, 32 (pink) = German, 33-45 (green) = Slavic, 59 (yellow) = Hungarian, 61-63 (light brown and dark pink) = Altai
(*) Straka, M. 1979. Karte der Völker und Sprachen Europas unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Volksgruppen. Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt.
More interesting maps on http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/
1st Edition, May 2008
N – Neuhaus: Inventor of the Praline (1912), the famous Belgian chocolate delight with its creamy filling and thin chocolate coating. I must confess, I’m a bit of a chocoholic myself.
O – Olympic Games, 2008 Beijing: To boycott or not to boycott, that’s the question. While our politicians are still making up their minds, our athletes are busy doing their warm-ups.
P – Pastry, on Sunday: In Belgium most bakeries are open on Sunday morning, selling fresh pastries, sweet pies and crispy rolls. Hmm… very tempting! And the bakery is right next door.
Q – Quote: Ilya Prigogine (1917-2003), Belgian physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize Chemistry 1977: “The future is uncertain… but this uncertainty is the very heart of human creativity”.
R – Rock Werchter: Music festival, held every year in the little village of Werchter (Belgium), received in 2008 the ILMC Arthur Award for Best Festival for the fourth time in five years.
S – Surrealism: Painter René Magritte is Belgium’s best know surrealist (Ceci n’est pas une pipe), but I’m convinced that all Belgians by nature carry a chunk of surrealism within themselves.
T – Tintin: Comic book hero Tintin (a young Belgian reporter who’s adventures started in 1929) and his creator Hergé are known all over the world. Their albums are translated in over 50 languages.
U – UFO Sightings: On several occasions in 1989 and 1990 all across Belgium people reported having seen a UFO. The sightings where confirmed by radar stations and chased after by F-16s.
V – Vineyards: As a result of global warming, Belgian wine making is now a growing business. The Hageland and the Hesbaye region are producing mostly white wines, some even with AOC label.
W – War: Many battles were fought on Belgian soil: Napoleon’s Waterloo in 1815, the Ypres Salient during WW I (In Flanders Fields…), the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Offensive) during WW II… probably making Belgium Europe’s number one battlefield.
X – Xenophobia: The success of the extreme right-wing anti-immigrant Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party resulted in the widespread idea that Belgians are inhospitable and xenophobic.
Y – Youth delinquency: We’ve seen an increase in juvenile delinquency, from throwing rocks to even stabbing a student for his MP3 player. Why the f*ck are all these kids so f*cked up?
Z – Zaventem: Village where Brussels Airport is situated, which in the past few years was proclaimed several times as Best Airport in Europe. My number one gateway to the rest of the world.
1st Edition, May 2008
A – Africa: King Leopold II and the Belgian Government colonised the Congo until 1960. That’s why many Belgians still feel somehow connected to Central Africa, e.g. through a relative who worked there as a missionary or an entrepreneur.
B – Beer: It’s not the amount being consumed but the large variety of beers (1000+) that makes Belgium a top beer country. My personal favourite: Orval, brewed in a Trappist monastery.
C - Caterpillar: In summer the poisonous hairs of the Oak Processionary Caterpillar are causing a new and growing public health problem. Should have something to do with climate change.
D – Damien, Father: Was voted De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian) in 2005. Since the Vatican in 2008 attributed two miracles to him, he’s just one step away from canonization.
E – Expo 58, 50th Anniversary: The first major world’s fair after WW II was held in Brussels (Belgium) in 1958 and ushered in a new and promising era of progress, wealth and comfort.
F – Fashion: Since the 1980s, Belgium plays a distinctive roll in the international world of fashion, with designers as Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons and Véronique Branquinho.
G – Government: Due to major disagreements between the Dutch- and the French-speaking parties after the latest general election (June 10, 2007), Belgium was left without a Federal Government. The situation continued for months, until December 23 (2007) when an interim Government was formed. A new Federal Government came into office on March 20, 2008.
H – Health care: While struggling to meet the future demands of an ageing society, Belgium still has one of the best health care systems in the world. To me, there’s no better place to fall ill.
I – Iguanodon: Skeletons of this dinosaur genus are on display at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Discovered in 1878 in a coal mine near the village of Bernissart, Belgium.
J – Jazz Middelheim: This open air jazz festival is set in a beautiful park near the Antwerp city centre. Lots of (inter)national artists, a lush green backdrop and a super relaxed atmosphere!
K – Kermis: Originally the feast of the patron saint of the local church, now a travelling funfair with a merry-go-round, air rifle shooting, fishing rubber ducks and lost of French Belgian fries.
L – Lighting, Street: No country has as much street lighting per sq km as Belgium. Astronauts are reporting a bright Belgium shaped spot when they look at earth through their spacecraft window.
M – Mechelen: Situated between Brussels and Antwerp. The city where I currently work and one of Belgium’s best kept secrets. The historic city centre with its St. Rumbold Cathedral, 16th century city palaces and lots of cosy corners is certainly worth a visit.
