Belgium
A Brief History of Belgium
Belgium has a long and colorful history of political and cultural upheavals. Surrounded by France, Germany and England, this little country has seen many wars and attempts at accession, the last being in 1940 when Germany took over the entire country in three weeks.
After Leopold I became king in 1831, Belgium started functioning as a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Between independence and World War II, the democratic system evolved from an oligarchy characterized by two main parties to a universal suffrage system that has included a third party and a strong role for the trade unions. Post WWII, Belgium made tremendous economic prowess and the country started flourishing in many ways.
Belgium joined NATO and along with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, formed the Benelux group of nations. It also became one of the founding members of several European trade regulatory organizations. Belgium hosts the headquarters of NATO and a major part of the European Union's institutions and administrations, including the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the extraordinary and committee sessions of the European Parliament, as well as parts of its administration.
During the twentieth century, the schism between the two main communities in Belgium widened and each started demanding autonomy leading to communal tension. This was addressed through constitutional reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, which led to a three-tiered system of federalism, linguistic-community and regional governments.
