What is the difference between the Flemings and the Walloons? Controversy between Walloons and Flemings in Belgium Where do Flemings and Walloons live

Belgium is a small European country with a long and complicated history, which often overlaps with other states. What characterizes the modern population of Belgium? Let's find out about this further.

Short review

The Kingdom of Belgium is located in the western part of Europe. It is surrounded by the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg and Germany. In the northwest is the North Sea. Belgium has 368 people per square kilometer and the country's area is 30,528 km. sq.

The state has gone through a long history, having been part of the Roman Empire, the Duchy of Burgundy, the Netherlands and France. Belgium received full independence in 1839, having declared it back in 1830. Since then, it has been a constitutional monarchy ruled by a king.

The capital of the state and the largest city is Brussels. The offices and headquarters of the international communities of which Belgium is a member (NATO, European Union, Benelux Secretariat) are located here. Bruges, Antwerp, Charleroi, and Ghent are also major cities.

Population of Belgium

The state ranks 77th in the world in terms of population. The population of Belgium is 11.4 million people. Natural increase is generally positive. The birth rate is only 0.11% higher than the death rate.

The percentage of the young population has been gradually decreasing since 1962. Then children aged 0 to 14 years made up 24% of all residents, now - 17.2%. However, in recent years the trend has become positive again. Residents over 65 years old account for approximately 18.4%, almost 64.48% are between the ages of 15 and 64 years.

The table shows the gender structure of the population in more detail. Belgium has a predominantly female population.

According to data for 2016, there are 1.78 children per woman, and the family size is 2.7 people. On average, women give birth to their first child at age 28. The predominant number of children appear in full-fledged families with two parents.

Ethnic composition

The population of Belgium consists of two large ethnic groups: Flemings (58%) and Walloons (31%). represented by the French, Italians, Dutch, Spaniards and Germans. The country is home to almost 9% immigrants. This includes Poles, Moroccans, Turks, Indians, French, Italians, Congolese and others.

The Flemings and Walloons are the indigenous people. The former are descendants of the Frisians, Saxons, Franks and Batavians. Their native language is Dutch and its many dialects. The Walloons are significantly inferior to the Flemings in numbers. They are descendants of Romanized Celtic tribes - the Belgae. They speak French and Walloon.

Belgium has three national languages. About 60% speak Dutch, almost 40% speak French, and less than one percent of residents speak German. Three quarters of the population adheres to Catholicism, the rest profess other religions, among which Islam and Protestantism predominate.

Cultural disputes and differences

The population of Belgium is characterized by noticeable differences between indigenous ethnic groups. The Flemish culture is closest to the Dutch. They inhabit the northern region of the country called Flanders. Art, architecture and folk poetry, due to historical events, are closely connected with the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Many cultural figures created their works in Dutch.

The Walloons are closest in spirit to the French. They share a language with them, although other aspects of life still differ due to the influence of Germanic tribes. The Walloon region covers five provinces in the south of the country, with its center in Namur.

The Flemings have been competing with the Walloons for a long time. The first claims were voiced immediately after the country’s independence was declared, since French became the official language throughout the territory. The Flemings immediately declared inequality and began to reclaim their identity. Economic and cultural disputes have arisen throughout Belgian history, right up to modern dates.

Employment

Belgium's working population is 5.247 million. The unemployment rate reaches 8.6%, which puts the country in one of the first places in the European Union. Despite this, the state's GDP is 30 thousand dollars per capita.

The large number of unemployed people and the rather moderate pace of unemployment in Belgium are associated with insufficient competitiveness and lack of adaptability to new market conditions. With the emergence of new leaders in the industry, demand for the country's main products - textiles, engineering products, glass, inorganic chemicals - has fallen.

Residents are employed in the service sector, which also slows down economic restructuring. Currently, approximately 1% of the working population is engaged in agriculture. The service sector accounts for 74%, industry - 24% of the country's population. The rest are involved in real estate, finance, transport and communications.

Belgium is falling apart: the Flemings are tired of living side by side with the Walloons. This is not surprising: after all, for many years, Flanders, where Dutch is spoken, and French-speaking Wallonia have been united only by the monarchy. The economic situation of the regions does not allow them to forget about ethnic and cultural contradictions.

Belgium is, in fact, not a completely natural formation. It is made up of completely different parts that have never had anything in common - neither language, nor culture, nor economy. The Dutch and French have tried to get along for more than a century. But it was difficult for them. Flanders, which had long been in the position of a poor relative, was a backward peasant region. It survived largely due to subsidies from Wallonia, where industry developed. The Flemish region was a kind of vegetable garden, an agricultural appendage of Wallonia, where the industrial revolution unfolded in the 19th century. It was in Wallonia that coal was mined, steel was produced, and railways were built. In political and cultural life, the superiority of the developed French-speaking region was also noticeable.

This situation persisted until the 60s of the last century, when Flanders took a sharp step forward and became an economic leader. Now Wallonia has found itself in the role of a lagging region, says Yuri Rubinsky, head of the Center for French Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences:

"After the Second World War, Flanders made a breakthrough. The development of Flanders led to the fact that it became richer than the traditionally dominant Wallonia. And now it was no longer the Walloons who considered the Flemish freeloaders, but vice versa. The Flemings say: they are the economic heart and future of the country. In "As a result, the Flemings and Walloons have diverged so much that the same parties are Flemish and Walloon. The most difficult problem is Brussels, where different areas belong to the Flemings and Walloons. And it is quite difficult to govern this city."

But the two regions are ruled by one monarch - perhaps it is the crown that is still keeping the country from falling apart. King Albert II played a significant role in this, who for many years, until his abdication, acted as an arbiter. But after the economic situation changed, this became increasingly difficult. After all, Wallonia continues to rule the roost in political and cultural life, which, according to the Flemings, no longer has any basis for it. This state of affairs once again exposed long-standing contradictions. In Flanders, right-wing radical nationalist movements that put forward a separatist and anti-emigrant program have gained extraordinary popularity.

However, if Flanders expects its own independence to start a new life - both political and economic - then for Belgium this could well be a fatal blow. Wallonia is unlikely to be able to continue to exist as a full-fledged state, says Alexander Tevdoy-Burmuli, associate professor at the Department of European Integration at MGIMO:

“Flanders itself does not plan to join any other country if it secedes. But it is unclear what will happen to Wallonia, which has never been a self-sufficient entity. If there is nationalism in Flanders, then in Wallonia there is practically none. And therefore we can assume that if Belgium will fall apart, Wallonia will be attracted to some country, first of all, here we can talk about France.”

The independence of one region of Belgium could entail a reconfiguration of the entire European space. But hardly anyone in Europe, except Flanders, of course, wants such changes. Therefore, most likely, the country will be kept from collapse by everyone who can influence this situation. Abdicating the throne, Albert II called on his subjects to unity. His son Philip, the new king, promised to continue his father's work and preserve Belgium as a single state. Will it succeed?

To the question: How are the Walloons different from the Flemings? given by the author )) the best answer is The Walloons are a people in Belgium inhabiting the southern provinces of the country.
The Walloons are a Romanesque people, related to the French, partly inhabiting French departments. They are descended from the ancient Gallic Belgae, mixed with Roman elements.
They are a people of medium height, strongly built, with dark hair and dark eyes, superior in mobility, dexterity and agility to their Flemish neighbors, and to their French neighbors in endurance and hard work.
The culture and life of the Walloons has much in common with the northeastern groups of the French. In rural areas, the predominant type of house is with a closed courtyard, when the dwelling and outbuildings form a rectangle, inside of which there is a small courtyard, usually paved with cobblestones. Old buildings are mostly frame (in the Ardennes - stone); 1-2-story brick houses are common, with strips of white brick running along the walls, white stone trim and doorways are made. On the roofs of houses there are often metal weather vanes, usually with the image of a rooster. The interior has a traditional fireplace with dark tiles, beds are located in wall niches. An abundance of decorative tableware is characteristic.
Traditional clothing for women is a narrow long striped skirt, a dark apron, a scarf crossed over the chest, and a wide-brimmed hat or small scarf on the head. Many Walloons, like the French, wear a beret and a long untucked work blouse, mostly blue.
The main traditional food is potato, vegetable and cereal dishes; fish is consumed more often than meat. Traditional drinks - coffee, milk, beer.
The Walloons spend most of their free time outside the home; Holidays, family celebrations and meetings with friends are usually held in cafes and restaurants. Solemn processions during church holidays, carnivals with songs, dances, and the participation of clowns in ancient costumes and headdresses decorated with feathers are common.
The Flemings are related to the Dutch. The ethnic basis of the Flemings was made up of Frankish, Frisian and Saxon tribes.
Traditional settlements are closely located farmsteads. A common type of house is the so-called house with a long gable, combining residential and utility rooms into one elongated building. There is also a house with an enclosed courtyard. Unlike Walloon houses, Flemish houses are usually plastered and painted white, pink or yellow. Wooden roof ridge decorations in the form of swan heads are typical. Women's traditional clothing is similar to Dutch: a linen shirt with hangers, a linen jacket, a dark bodice, several wide skirts, an apron, a long jacket with a peplum, a large single-color or checkered shawl with fringe, a black silk scarf with fringe (fali) that covered the head and top part of the body (reminiscent of a Spanish mantilla), fluffy lace caps with decorations made of artificial flowers, beads, ribbons and lace. Traditional food is vegetable and cereal dishes, salted fish, mainly herring, and chicken soup. On holidays, pies and buns are baked, and for each holiday - a special type of cookies in special forms, decorated with ornaments and inscriptions.
Flemish families are larger (3-4 or more children) and patriarchal than Walloon families. Adult children usually live with their parents. For a long time, the remnants of communal relations remained: the customs of mutual assistance, annual common dinners, the position of an elected elder. In cities, guilds and clubs dating back to medieval societies and brotherhoods are preserved, organizing street processions on holidays. The most popular holiday is kermes (day of the patron of a city or village), lasts several days and is accompanied by fairs, archery competitions, torchlight processions and processions with giant dolls depicting heroes of folk tales and legends.
How the Flemings see the Walloons

National problem in Spain

The presence of national minorities in the country (almost 6 million Catalans, near 2 million Basques), complex historical development and geographical conditions predetermined the desire of some areas, especially those inhabited by the Basques and Catalans, to independence. Independence Basque Country was first legalized in 1425, although the Basques subsequently lost this right. During the Second Republic (1931-1939), the autonomy of the Basque Country was restored - it had its own government and parliament. However, in 1937, the dictator Francisco Franco The autonomy of this region was again eliminated. During the 40 years of his reign, it was not allowed to display the Catalan and Basque flags, speak the national language, or even perform national dances. The national problem was declared non-existent. But it existed, and after the end of the Francoist regime, Spain in 1978 adopted a new constitution for the country, in which great attention is paid to the national issue. 17 autonomous regions were established in the country, including Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country. This largely removed the former tensions in interethnic relations. But in the Basque Country, which occupies an area of ​​17.5 thousand km2 with a population of 2.5 million people, which until the end of the 19th century. maintained independence, it still remains. Here the vast majority of nationalist parties demand greater autonomy from the government (the greatest support is Basque Nationalist Party).

And extreme nationalists and separatists insist on the formation of their own state called Euskadi (Euskal is the self-name of the Basques), and not only as part of the northern provinces of Spain, but also in the border territory of France. The main armed force of the extreme Basque separatists is an organization called THIS(Euskadi ta askata-suna, which means “Euskadi and freedom”), which arose during the reign of Franco. Despite the fact that there is currently some political calm in the Basque Country, it still remains one of the main “hot spots” in foreign Europe.

The national emblem of Belgium bears the motto: “There is strength in unity.” But such unity has not been achieved for many decades. Belgium is a binational and bilingual country, inhabited mainly by Flemings and Walloons, with a small proportion of the population in the east of the country speaking German. The Flemings live in the north of the country, in Flanders. Their language is very close to that spoken in the neighboring Netherlands. The Walloons live in the southern half of the country, in Wallonia, and their native language is French. But Belgium has long had linguistic inequalities that reflect differences in the socio-economic development of its two parts.

During the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Wallonia was the economic core of the country. Flanders served as an agricultural appendage to the rapidly developing industrial south. Its population was subjected to cultural and national discrimination. But after World War II, Flanders took the lead in economic indicators due to the development of new industries. The importance of Flemish Antwerp, Ghent and other cities also increased. Thanks to its higher birth rate, Flanders increased its dominance over Wallonia in the country's population. All this again sharply aggravated the contradictions between the Walloons and the Flemings.

To overcome the crisis, it was decided to make a transition to a federal government system, which was carried out in several stages and ended in early 1993, when the Belgian parliament approved the constitutional reform. From now on, the central (federal) government retains powers in the field of external relations, defense, security, financial and monetary policy, all other issues are under the jurisdiction of Flanders and Wallonia. At the same time, Flemish became the official language in Flanders, and French in Wallonia. In addition, in the east of the country there is a small area with a German-speaking population, which also enjoys equal rights with the Flemings and Francophones (as French speakers are called here).

But this did not solve all the problems of this long-standing ethnic conflict. The main stumbling block remains the question of the right to independently dispose of taxes collected on one’s territory. This is beneficial to Flanders and extremely disadvantageous to poor Wallonia. Another pressing issue remains the division of the country's last bilingual constituency, Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde, which includes the French-speaking Belgian capital and its Dutch-speaking suburbs. Some Flemish politicians still insist on self-determination or at least a transition from federation to confederation. In 2008, this conflict again escalated so much that it threatened to divide Belgium into three parts. There is currently an ongoing political crisis in the country. Since the summer of 2010, a new government has still not been formed.

FLEMINGS, a people in the north of Belgium (provinces of East and West Flanders; number 5.1 million people), in the south of the Netherlands (1,720 thousand people) and in the north of France (in the so-called French Flanders - the areas of Dunkirk and Hazebrouck; 250 thousand. Human). They also live in other countries of Western Europe, America, Africa and Australia. The total number is 7230 thousand people. They speak southern Dutch. Believers are mostly Catholics.

The Flemings are related to the Dutch. The ethnic basis of the Flemings was made up of Frankish, Frisian and Saxon tribes. The Flemings formed the main population of the county of Flanders, one of the most economically developed regions of Europe in the Middle Ages. The formation of the Flemish ethnic group took place in the 15th-16th centuries. After the Dutch Revolution of the 16th century, the Flemings found themselves separated: the northern part of Flanders became part of the United Provinces, liberated from Spanish rule, most of Flanders remained under the rule of Spain, from 1714 - Austria, and in 1797 annexed to France. By decision of the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, both parts of Flanders were included in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As a result of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the Flemings, together with the Walloons, created the independent state of Belgium; some Flemings remained part of the population of the Netherlands. The development of industry in Belgium, which affected Flanders to a lesser extent, led to the suppression of Flemish culture by Walloon culture. In the 1840s. the Flemish national movement is born, aimed at reviving the national culture; National literature develops, the Flemish language becomes the official language of Belgium. Since the second half of the 20th century, in the conditions of the rapid economic development of Flanders, the contradictions that arose in the mid-19th century between the Flemings and Walloons on the national-linguistic problem and on the issue of introducing a federal state structure in Belgium have intensified. Since 1993 Belgium has been a federation of the regional communities of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.

In Flanders, artistic crafts are traditionally highly developed - the production of fine linen fabrics, the famous Flemish lace, and metal processing. Traditional settlements are closely located farmsteads. A common type of house is the so-called house with a long gable, combining residential and utility rooms into one elongated building. There is also a house with an enclosed courtyard (cf. Walloons). Unlike Walloon houses, Flemish houses are usually plastered and painted white, pink or yellow. Wooden roof ridge decorations in the form of swan heads are typical. Women's traditional clothing is similar to the Dutch one: a linen shirt with hangers, a linen jacket, a dark bodice, several wide skirts, an apron, a long jacket with a peplum, a large plain or checkered shawl with fringe, a black silk scarf with fringe (fali) that covered the head and top. part of the body (reminiscent of a Spanish mantilla), lush lace caps with decorations made of artificial flowers, beads, ribbons and lace. Traditional food is vegetable and cereal dishes, salted fish, mainly herring, and chicken soup. On holidays, pies and buns are baked, and for each holiday - a special type of cookies in special forms, decorated with ornaments and inscriptions.

Flemish families are larger (usually 3-4 or more children) and patriarchal than Walloon families. Adult children usually live with their parents. For a long time, the remnants of communal relations remained: the customs of mutual assistance, annual common dinners, the position of an elected elder. In cities, guilds and clubs dating back to medieval societies and brotherhoods are preserved, organizing street processions on holidays. The most popular holiday is kermes (day of the patron of a city or village), lasts several days and is accompanied by fairs, archery competitions, torchlight processions and processions with giant dolls depicting heroes of folk tales and legends. Wedding customs are similar to Dutch ones. Rich folklore - songs and legends - has been preserved.