Belgians
Belgians (Dutch: Belgen; French: Belges; German: Belgier pronounced [ˈbɛlɡi̯ɐ] ⓘ) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic. The majority of Belgians, however, belong to two distinct linguistic groups or communities (Dutch: gemeenschap; French: communauté) native to the country, i.e. its historical regions: Flemings in Flanders, who speak Dutch; and Walloons in Wallonia, who speak French or Walloon. There is also a substantial Belgian diaspora, which has settled primarily in the United States, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.
Map of the Belgian diaspora in the world | |
| Total population | |
| c. 11–12 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Belgium 10,839,905 (Belgian nationality only, 1 January 2014) | |
| United States | 352,630 |
| Canada | 176,615 |
| France | 139,962 |
| Netherlands | 117,495 |
| Spain | 52,000 |
| Italy | 46,000 |
| Germany | 20,000–50,000 |
| United Kingdom | 31,000 |
| Luxembourg | 22,000 |
| Switzerland | 17,000 |
| Turkey | 12,000 |
| South Africa | 10,000 |
| Australia | 8,000 |
| Poland | 7,000 |
| Portugal | 6,088 |
| Brazil | 6,000 |
| Israel | 6,000 |
| Romania | 5,000 |
| Greece | 5,000 |
| Bulgaria | 3,000 |
| Austria | 3,000 |
| Hungary | 3,000 |
| Sweden | 3,000 |
| Denmark | 2,000 |
| Norway | 2,000 |
| Ireland | 2,000 |
| Morocco | 2,000 |
| Mexico | 1,000 |
| Slovakia | 1,000 |
| Malta | 1,000 |
| Czech Republic | 1,000 |
| Languages | |
| Dutch, French, German (also other languages of Belgium) | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism and irreligious | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Germanic and Romance peoples (especially French, Dutch, Frisians, Luxembourgers and Germans) | |
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