Belgium Research Paper

Denmark is a country located in Europe with the capital being Copenhagen. It is comprised of land located on the peninsula known as Jutland, as well as several islands and hundreds of even smaller Islands, all of which are located east of Jutland in the Baltic Sea. Denmark shares its southern border with Germany, while Norway and Sweden are located to the north and east respectively. In addition to the mainland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands are territories of Denmark. However, they exercise home rule and govern themselves.

• There is also a problem of religion. Most Belgians are Catholic while William of Orange (Dutch king) and his people are Calvinists. Ie austere Protestant.

The economic history of the Dutch had always been successful and one of the main reasons was due to trade. The Spice trade refers to the trade between historical civilizations in Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe. These spices consisted of cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper, and turmeric which were used for commerce. Another trade that triggered the start for rapidly expanding markers as well as the development of a variety of industries in the western and southern Europe was known as the Baltic grain trade. During the sixteenth century the urban populations had increased in the Low Countries which thus fueled the market for imported grain. Grain and other Baltic products such as tar, hemp, flax, and wood were not only needed in the

First of all the Belgians put up unexpected resistance. Although the Belgian army was only a tenth the size of the German army, it still delayed the Germans for nearly a month, defending fortresses and cities. The Germans used their "Big Bertha" artillery to destroy Belgian forts in Liege, Namur and Antwerp, but the Belgians still fought back, creating a constant threat on German supply lines in the North. In addition, the German attack on neutral Belgium and reports and propaganda about German atrocities turned public opinion in many neutral countries against Germany and Kaiser Wilhelm.

Germany is a country in Central Europe that borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. It is located between Poland and the Netherlands. Germany is a dominant country in Europe, and is one of the most well known countries around the world. The country is known for the Berlin Wall that provided the separation between West and East Germany. It was not until the end of the Cold War in Europe that the Berlin Wall was torn down by the people of both West and East Germany. Although the Berlin Wall is a huge part of Germany’s history, most people know about the conflicts Germany has with many other countries, and some would assume Germany is not a dominant country in the world. The country was a part of two world wars, and was a part of the Axis powers.

The culture of France has been molded by its geography and historical events. The French have a strong sense of country pride, which is very present in their art, food, and government. France has a mixed economy of capitalist and socialist characteristics where businesses are privately or partially owned. There is more government regulation in economic activities, and welfare is provided to its citizens because they have a socialist economy. The government is called the French Republic and is governed by the head of the state, President Francois Hollande, and the Prime Minister, Manuel Vauls. The government practices civil law versus common law.

Denmark is situated in Scandinavia and northern Europe. It is surrounded by the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat. Denmark’s is physical characteristics consist of flat lands with very little elevation excluding the hilly central area on the Jutland Peninsula (Worldatlas). The population density in Denmark as of 2015 was 134.48 (people per sq. km) according to the World Bank.

Dr. Wilfried Swenden, a professor at Edinborough University in his research paper called “Belgian Federalism: Basic Institutional Features and Potential as a Model for the European Union“, argues that there are positive as well as negative aspects as Belgium as a federal state. The good things about it is that it managed to lower the amount of tension between the different language speaking groups. He supports it by stating that the amount of demonstrations has gone down since federalization of the country and that that can be linked to the success of the government. One of the critiques that is often raised that it is very costly. Certainly, the process itself costs money, however, it could lower the expenses by stopping “some of the costly proto-federal practices aimed at concealing disputes between the two Communities in a unitary context” (Swenden, 2003). He also argues that the state of public finance is better nowadays than in was before the reforms. One of his strongest arguments is that people have actually started identifying more with Belgium than before when they allowed to identify with their region too. Swenden calls it the “Moreno question - the share of citizens who have been willing to shift their identity to the Belgian end of the continuum has increased, rather than decreased over time” (Swenden, 2003).

Norway is a country located in northern Europe in a region called Scandinavia. Norway is situated on the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula. Norway’s broad coastline is bathed on three sides by the seas. To the north lies the Barents Sea, an extension of the Arctic Ocean. To the south sits the Skagerrak, a strait separating Norway from Denmark and the North Sea. To the west is the Norwegian Sea, an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean. Aside from Norway’s geographic intrigue, the country has had a long resounding history. The migratory patterns of the earliest inhabitants were primarily dictated by practical logistics and environmental constraints, whereas, political shifts and foreign affairs are the current defining factors. The chronicles

The country of Netherlands is lowland and a lot of it is water. The size of Netherlands is 41,526 square kilometers. The highest point there is Vaalserberg and is 321 meters (Amsterdam guide, 2003). Sea storms and floods are natural disasters there but there are now dikes to control them better. The climate in Netherlands is mild (Amsterdam guide, 2003).

Belgium is located north of France and south of the Netherlands. It covers an area of 11,780 sq. miles. There are two major rivers in Belgium, the Schelde and Meuse, both start in France and flow north towards Netherlands. The land in the southern Belgium, which is called Wallonia, is hillier than the northern part of Belgium, a region called Flanders. Brussels is the capital city in Belgium, located in the center of the country, and it has more than a million residents. “ Belgium is one of the most urbanized and densely inhabited countries in the world with about 97 percent of the 10 million inhabitants living in cities in 2000.”(1) Not many people live outside of the cities in Belgium. There are many medium and smaller sized cities in Belgium. Many people in Belgium live in a city and have their job in another.

With the biggest population of all the European Union countries, Germany’s population density is one of the highest in all of Europe at over 230 persons per square kilometer. The UK, Netherlands, and Belgium are the only countries in Europe with a higher population density.

Switzerland is best described by conveying an understanding of its geography, political, economic, cultural and social environments. The geography of the country has had a significant impact on its way of life. Switzerland is bordered by Germany in the north, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. This represents many significant European cultures converging on Switzerland – the German speaking region, the French and the Italian. Two thirds of the Swiss population lives in the Plateau, between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance, in 30 percent of the country's surface area. There are 450 people to every 1 km2 (1,166 per square mile). This makes the country one of the most densely

Also there are lots of artists like the Golden Boy Rembrandt and lots more, but a very big difference between our artists and the artists in France is that our artists can paint for more people not only the church, they could paint for the Regenten or for people with enough money to pay them, of course that doesn’t assure you to become some kind of superstar for appearing in a Rembrandt painting because you might not appear in the front or even be seen. The Dutch Republic is also widely known for the smartness and intelligence of the Dutch and their people, they most probably have a very high IQ :). They are very smart because they really like learning and they learn a lot and their intelligence and open mindedness makes them learn faster and more things in the same time as other people might learn half what they learn in the same time because they are really open minded and they are also very intelligent and creative. Also people really like each other in the Dutch Republic and they get really well with each other, they don’t care if they are jewish or muslim or christian or of any religion, they treat them the same way as they treat their

Switzerland is best described by conveying an understanding of its geography, political, economic, cultural and social environments. The geography of the country has had a significant impact on its way of life. Switzerland is bordered by Germany in the north, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. This represents many significant European cultures converging on Switzerland – the German speaking region, the French and the Italian. Two thirds of the Swiss population lives in the Plateau, between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance, in 30 percent of the country’s surface area. There are 450 people to every 1 km2 (1,166 per square mile). This makes the country one of