Belgium: Flag and Facts
Belgium's flag is three equal vertical stripes of black, yellow, and red, with black next to the pole.
- Official name
- Kingdom of Belgium
- Capital
- Brussels
- Region
- Western Europe
- Population
- 12 million (2025)
- Languages
- German, French, Dutch
- Currency
- Euro
- Area
- 30,528 km² (11,787 sq mi)
- People
- Belgian
- Calling code
- +32
- Highest point
- Botrange 694 m
- Independence
- 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared…)
- National symbols
- golden rampant lion
- Borders
- France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands
About Belgium
The layout copies the vertical style of the French flag. The colors come from the old arms of the duchy of Brabant, which pictured a yellow lion on black, its claws and tongue painted red. A golden lion standing on its hind legs is still the national symbol.
On 4 October 1830 a temporary government announced a split from the Netherlands, and Leopold I took the throne the next year. Germany occupied the country in both World Wars. Since then Belgium has grown into a wealthy, tech-savvy member of NATO and the EU, and Brussels hosts both groups. Long-running friction between Dutch-speaking Flemish people in the north and French-speaking Walloons in the south led to constitutional changes that gave each region its own recognized powers.
Did you know?
- Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German.
- Botrange, in the Ardennes area, is the highest point in Belgium at 694 meters.
- Belgium is about the same size as Maryland.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Belgium
What is the capital of Belgium?
Brussels is the capital of Belgium.
When did Belgium become independent?
Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands on 4 October 1830.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.