Belgians

Belgians

Belgen (Dutch) Belges (French) Belgier (German)
Map of the Belgian diaspora in the world
Total population
c. 11–12 million
Regions with significant populations
Belgium 10,839,905 (Belgian nationality only, 1 January 2014)[1]
United States	384,244[2][3]
Canada	190,455[4]
France	145,118[5] [6][7][8]
Netherlands	117,495[9]
Italy	46,000[10]
Spain	31,796[11]
Germany	20,000–50,000[12]
United Kingdom	31,000[10]
Argentina	25,000[13]
Luxembourg	22,000[10]
Switzerland	17,000[10]
Turkey	12,000[10]
South Africa	10,000[10]
Australia	8,000[10]
Poland	7,000[10]
Portugal	6,088 [14]
Brazil	6,000[15]
Israel	6,000[10]
Romania	5,000[10]
Greece	5,000[10]
Bulgaria	3,000[10]
Austria	3,000[10]
Hungary	3,000[10]
Sweden	3,000[10]
Denmark	2,000[10]
Norway	2,000[10]
Ireland	2,000[10]
Morocco	2,000[10]
South Korea	1,252[16]
Japan	1,050[17]
Mexico	1,000[10]
Slovakia	1,000[10]
Malta	1,000[10]
Czech Republic	1,000[10]
Colombia	1,000[10]
Languages
Dutch, French, German (also other languages of Belgium)
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholicism and irreligious
Related ethnic groups
French, Dutch, Luxembourgers and Germans

Belgians (Dutch: Belgen [ˈbɛlɣə(n)] ^ⓘ; French: Belges [bɛlʒ] ^ⓘ; German: Belgier [ˈbɛlɡi̯ɐ] ^ⓘ) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic. The majority of Belgians, however, belong to two distinct linguistic groups or communities (Dutch: gemeenschap; French: communauté) native to the country, i.e. its historical regions: Flemings in Flanders, who speak Dutch, West Flemish and Limburgish; and Walloons in Wallonia, who speak French or Walloon. There is also a substantial Belgian diaspora, which has settled primarily in the United States, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.