Q and A about Belgium

Grote Markt

Knowledge about Belgium in Australia is very limited, so whenever we tell people we are moving to Belgium we get a host of questions. The regular questions - how big is Belgium? (twice the size of Sydney), how many people? (10 million), what languages do they speak? (Flemish, French, German and Walloon), what is the national dish? (steamed mussels and fries). Other questions range from the geographically limited (does Belgium have a coastline? Is it near France?) to the geographically confused (what country is Belgium in?), or from the culturally limited (is it okay to wear bikinis in Belgium?) to the culturally confused (do you get danger pay for working in Belgium?).

(for the geographically and culturally limited/confused - yes, yes, it is its own country, no but only because it is too cold, no).