Why is Belgium a French-speaking country?
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Why is Belgium a French-speaking country?
Tension between the Walloon Region and the Flanders Region was especially heightened after gaining independence from the Dutch. French immediately became the official language in Belgium which upset the Flemish Speakers. This law stated that Dutch and French were to be understood as equal official languages.
Is Belgium part of French?
The French Revolutionary wars led to Belgium becoming part of France in 1795, bringing the end of the semi-independence of areas which had belonged to the Catholic church.
Are French and Belgian the same?
There are other ways that the dialects differ as well. Just as Canadian French is different from Standard French, Belgian French is also different. There are actually three official languages in Belgium – Dutch, French, and German. Even though both countries speak French, the French is not always the same.
What percent of Belgium speaks French?
The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. A number of non-official, minority languages and dialects are spoken as well….
| Languages of Belgium | |
|---|---|
| Official | Dutch (1st: ~55%, 2nd: 16%, total: ~71%) French (1st: ~39%, 2nd: ~49%, total: ~88%) German (1st: 0.4%, 2nd: 22%, total: 22.4%) |
Who is Belgian but speaks French?
Belgium is divided into three regions: Flanders in the north, the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle, and Wallonia in the south. To make matters a little more confusing, the Flemish speak Dutch but do not consider themselves Dutch, and the Walloons speak French but do not consider themselves French.
Is Belgium French or Dutch?
The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the dominant language….Belgium.
| Kingdom of Belgium Koninkrijk België (Dutch) Royaume de Belgique (French) Königreich Belgien (German) | |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Dutch French German |
Which part of Belgium is French-speaking?
southern Wallonia region
The French-speaking community lives in the southern Wallonia region and in the capital, Brussels. They make up approximately 40% (4.5 million) of the population.
When did Belgium became a French speaking country?
In 1898, the Equality Law established French and Dutch as co-equal official languages, but there was still often a bias toward French in practice. In 1967, an official Dutch version of the constitution was passed, but this hardly marked the end of regional tensions.
How is Belgium different from France?
One of the most obvious and important differences between Belgium and France is that whereas French are nationalists, Belgians are cosmopolites and more open- minded.