5 Facts of Belgium

The capital of Belgium is Brussels

 

5 Facts You Might Not Know

1

The Royal Palace of Brussels is bigger than Buckingham Palace. Although no one lives there, it serves as the setting for government functions and other public events. The structure as it is seen today is relatively new, dating from the early twentieth century.

2

In 2002, Belgium became the second country in the world to legalize euthanasia. A patient can only be euthanized if he is experiencing chronic emotional or physical pain that cannot be treated by any other means. He must be conscious when the request is made. People cannot seek euthanasia if they are not terminally ill or if they are merely unable to afford medications that would alleviate their pain.

3

The Festival of Cats, or Kattenstoet, occurs every third year in Ypres. The parade is the festival's main event. In the Middle Ages, real cats were thrown from the belfry tower, but now stuffed cats are dropped instead. Townspeople enjoy dressing like witches or cats to celebrate the festivities.

4

The Smurfs first appeared in a Belgian comic strip illustrated by Peyo. Peyo was born Pierre Culliford in Brussels in 1928. He later chose to go by Peyo because it was a common mispronunciation of his nickname, Pierrot. Similarly, he developed his Smurf language based on the made-up words he would use to replace words he did not know when he was speaking in French.

5

Even though Audrey Hepburn is more commonly identified as British, she was actually born in Brussels. She moved between England, the Netherlands and Belgium as a child, staying in the Netherlands and adopting a false name during World War II in order to avoid the Germans. She did not return to Belgium to live, although her work with UNICEF was inspired by her childhood experiences during the war and her flight from Belgium.