Ethnic Composition of Belgium

Topic: Ethnic diversity and power-sharing in Belgium and Sri Lanka

Belgium:

Belgium Ethnic Diversity and Composition

A small country in Europe with complex ethnic composition. Total population: a little over one crore.

Flemish region:

59% population speaks Dutch language.

Wallonia region:

40% population speaks French

German Region: 1% population speaks German

Capital city Brussels:

80% people speak French

20% are Dutch-speaking

• Tension between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities in the 1950s and 1960s.

• The Dutch-speaking community resented the relatively rich and powerful French-speaking community.

• Brussels presented a special problem as the Dutch-speaking people constituted a majority in the country but a minority in the capital.

• The country was on the brink of a serious civil war. How they prevented it, is lesson in history.