Belgium

Canals of Bruges, Belgium

As you have seen in this topic, Belgium may be a small country geographically, but it plays an important role in the world. The nation's capital of Brussels also serves as the capital of the European Union. Belgium officially maintains neutrality in world conflicts, but it has served as a stage for several significant world events.

This nation is known for its chocolates, waffles, french fries, lace, and even comic strips. Belgians enjoy a variety of activities, such as soccer, competitive biking, raising homing pigeons, fishing, and camping in the Ardennes. There have been many influencial Belgians, but modern Americans are probably most familiar with Audrey Hepburn and Jean-Claude van Damme, due to their roles in American movies. The fashion designer Liz Claiborne is also well-known in the U.S., and was born in Belgium.

French is one of Belgium's three official languages, along with Dutch and German, but many others are spoken in the country, including English. This makes it a wonderful place for you to travel to and practice your French!