General information about Belgium
Belgium is located in the northwestern part of Europe. It’s a country that is one of the most important founding members of the European Union. It is bordered by Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France and has a population of over ten million people.The two major languages spoken in Belgium are Dutch and French. In addition to this, Belgium also has there is a small French speaking community. You will find that English is commonly spoken here. Linguistic diversity of the country is reflected in its complex system of government and political history.Right from the sixteenth century until the time of the Belgian revolution in 1830, Belgium was called Southern Netherlands. It’s been a constitutional monarchy since the year 1830. The country has been witness to many battles between European powers and this is evidently seen in the large number of war memorial and war cemeteries. Belgium is also quite famous for it’ s beer, and a visit to the local pub will enable you to have a taste of a variety of beer each of which is different from the other in alcohol content, price, and presentation.Belgium’s official currency is the Euro, but in the event of finding yourself with prices indicated in Belgian Francs use the conversion rate to convert them. The conversion rate is: 1 Euro = 40.3399 BEF.Before you arrive in Belgium, check to see, if the necessary custom formalities have been followed. A visit requires you to possess a valid passport and visa. There is an exception for visitors from Canada and the United States. Visa application is not required for U.S. and Canadian citizens, unless they are planning to stay in Belgium for more than ninety days. Those who want to bring their pets along in the tour need a vetnarian’s certificate, stating that the pet health is in good condition. Ensure that the certificate issued is not earlier than thirty days and not later than one year of your date of travel.When you arrive in Belgium, you will need to set you time six hours ahead of the US Eastern Standard Time and one hour ahead of GMT. From the airport you can reach your hotel quite easily as the airport is connected by frequent trains to the center of the town.
About the Author
Joushua James - Belgium Visit their website at: http://www.travels-belgium.be/
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here