België: verschil tussen versies

Uit Wikivoyage
Verwijderde inhoud Toegevoegde inhoud
(WT-nl) Episteme (overleg | bijdragen)
k +eo (Import from wikitravel.org/nl)
→‎Geschiedenis: (Import from wikitravel.org/nl)
Regel 63: Regel 63:


===Geschiedenis===
===Geschiedenis===
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II and has many war graves near the battle zones. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.
Belgium werd onafhankelijk van Nederland in 1830. Het was veroverd door Duitsland in wereldoorlog I en II en heeft vele oorlogsgraven in de gevechtszones. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.


===Elektriciteit===
===Elektriciteit===

Versie van 28 okt 2006 21:48

Vlag
Belgische vlag
Snel feiten
HoofdstadBrussel
RegeringFederale Parlementaire democratie met een constitutionele monarch
Munteuro (EUR)
Oppervlaktetotaal: 30,510 vierkante km
land: 30,230 vierkante km
water: 280 vierkante km
Bevolking10,274,595 (Juli 2002)
TaalNederlands 60%, Frans 39%, Duits 1%
ReligieRooms katholiek 75%, Protestant of andere 25%
inbelcode32
Internet TLD.be
TijdszoneUTC +1


België is een laag gelegen land aan de noordzeekust in West-Europa. In Brussel zetelen zowel de Europese Unie als de NATO. België ligt in nabijheid van bijna alle Westeuropese landen. De onmiddellijke buren zijn Frankrijk in het zuidwesten, Luxemburg in het zuidoosten, Duitsland in het oosten en Nederland in het noorden

Regio's

Er zijn drie gewesten in België, van noord naar zuid:

Vlaanderen en Wallonië zijn elk opgedeeld in 5 provincies.

Steden

Dit zijn de grotere steden in België.

Andere bestemmingen

Algemene informatie

België is een zeer dicht bevolkt land dat balanceert tussen de conflicten van verhoogde vraag naar urbanisatie, transport, industrie, commerciële en intensieve landbouw. Er worden veel ruwe grondstoffen geïmporteerd en bewerkt geëxporteerd naar voornamelijk de EU.

Klimaat

Gematigd; Koude winters, zachte zomers; regenachtig, nat en vaak bewolkt.

Ligging

Vlak kustgebied in het noordwesten. Centrale lage heuvels, beboste heuvels en de valeien van de Ardense bossen in het zuidoosten.

Geschiedenis

Belgium werd onafhankelijk van Nederland in 1830. Het was veroverd door Duitsland in wereldoorlog I en II en heeft vele oorlogsgraven in de gevechtszones. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

Elektriciteit

Het elektriciteitsnet geeft stroom tussen 220V en 230V (50 Hz). Stopcontacten zijn het europese standaard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" of "Schuko" of het compatibele maar niet geaarde CEE 7/16 "Europlug" type. Mensen die uit Amerika komen zullen een speciale adaptor moeten meenemen.

Aankomst

Per vliegtuig

In Zaventem (Brussel) is er een internationale luchthaven, - Brussels National Airport (IATA code BRU), op ongeveer 25 minuten van het centrum met de trein of luchthavenbus nummer 12.

Er zijn ook kleinere luchthavens in Charleroi - Brussels South (IATA code CRL, 1 uur naar Brussel, 10 euro voor de bus) , Oostende (IATA code OST, Tel: 059/55.12.11 - Fax: 059/51.32.51) en Deurne - Antwerpen (Tel: 00 32 (0)3 285 65 00).

De meeste luchtvaartmaatschappijen gebruiken Zaventem, Ryanair gebruikt het moeilijk te bereiken Charleroi, KLM gebruikt in mindere mate Deurne.

Per trein

  • Nationaal: Als je vaak met de NMBS gaat reizen kun je best een Rail Pass (vanaf 26 jaar) kopen of een Go Pass (tot 26 jaar). Voor 44 euro (Go Pass) kun je 10 ritten maken in België ongeacht de bestemming. Voor korte afstanden is dit minder voordelig, maar vanaf dat je tussen twee grote steden reist kan dit voordelig zijn. (Denk er wel aan dat je korting krijgt voor een heen-en-terug ticket, maar niet op 2 ritten in je Go Pass).
  • Internationaal: Er zijn hogesnelheidstreinen tussen Brussel, Keulen, Parijs (Thalys) en Londen (Eurostar) zowel als normale treinen tussen alle steden.

Met de auto

Een paar van de belangrijke verkeersaders van Europa doorkruisen België zoals de E-19, E-17 en de E313.

Per bus

België heeft een zeer druk netwerk van openbaar vervoer met bussen, trams, metros, ... Internationaal zijn er een paar maatschappijen die vanuit grote steden vertrekken, zo vertrekt Eurolines vanuit elke grote Vlaamse stad naar een heel pak bestemmingen.

per boot

Er zijn boot-verbindingen van en naar Engeland en Ierland vanuit onder andere Oostende. Uit Gent kun je naar Zweden zeilen.

Rondreizen

Being such a small country (300 km as its maximum distance), you can get anywhere in a couple of hours. Public transport is fast and comfortable, but rather expensive. Between larger cities, there are frequent train connections, with buses covering smaller distances.

To do some local sightseeing, especially in Flanders, a lot of infrastructure is prepared for bikes.

Per trein

Go Pass: 45 euro's for ten rides from any station to any other station within Belgium, within one year. Only <26 can use the Go Pass (Dutch/French). The senior variant is called Rail-pass (62 euros).

Taal

Er zijn drie oficiele talen in België: Nederlands (Vlaams), Frans en Duits, dat slechts in klein gedeelte in het oosten van de provincie Luik wordt gesproken door ongeveer 50,000 mensen.

Winkelen

  • Belgian chocolate: A long tradition has given the belgian chocolate a superior refinement process, that is world wide recognized.
  • Textiles in Bruges

Eten

Belgium is Famous for its good cuisine and Belgians like to go to restaurant frequently. However as a small country in the centre of western Europe, the cuisine is influenced not only by the surrounding countries, but also by many others. This is also emphasized by many foreigners coming to this country to make a living here, for instance by starting a restaurant. You can find all types of restaurants:

  • French/Belgian: A traditional Belgian restaurant serves the kind of food you will also find in the best French restaurants. Of course there are local differences: at the coast (in France as well as in Belgium) you have a better chance to find some good seafood, like mussels, turbot, sole or the famous Nord sea shrimps. In the southern woods of the Ardennes (remember the battle of the Bulge?), you are better off choosing game or local fish like trout.
  • English/German/Dutch: You won't find them in Belgium.
  • American: There are McDonald's or look-alikes in every town. The belgian variant is called "Quick". You may also find a local booth serving sausages, hot dogs or hamburgers. Try it: the meat tastes the same, but the bread is much better. And what about real American restaurants? See the previous chapter.
  • Mexican: Only in the cities and rather costly for medium quality.
  • Chinese: They have a long tradition of restaurants in Belgium. Rather cheap, but for an acceptable level of quality.
  • Greek/Spanish/Italian: Like all over the world, nice, rather cheap, with a good atmosphere and typical music (Greek: Choose meat, especially lamb) (Spanish: Choose paella and tapas) (Italian: Choose anything).
  • Japanese/Thai: You usually only find them in the cities and they are rather expensive. But they give you great quality.
  • Arabic/Turkish/Moroccan: Rather cheap, with a variety of local dishes, especially with lamb, no fish or pork or beef.
  • And many, many others! Belgium offers a wide selection of international restaurants.
  • Belgian "French fries" (from the verb to french [1]). These are called frites (meaning "fries" in French), and they are world-renowned. Belgium proudly claims the title of inventor of the French fry. Whether or not this is true, they certainly have perfected it.

General rules:

  • Belgium is a country which understands what eating is all about, and can be a real gastronomic paradise. You can have a decent meal in about every tavern, from small snacks to a complete dinner. Just pop into one of those and enjoy it. You really are going to ask, why isn't this possible in other countries?
  • If you want to eat really well for not too much money, ask the local people or the hotel manager (that is, supposing he does not have a brother restaurant-manager) to give some advice for a good restaurant.
  • There is a price for everything: expensive food like lobster or turbot will always cost a lot of money at any restaurant. But you can also find some local and simple dishes, rather cheap and still very tasty (e.g. sausages, potatoes and spinach).

Drinken

Belgium offers an incredible diversity of beers. The most well known are Stella Artois, Duvel (literally: the Devil, beware, 8.5%!), Leffe, Jupiler (plain standard beer), Hoegaarden (white beer). The names given to some beers are pretty imaginative: eg Verboden Vrucht (Forbidden Fruit), Judas, Delirium Tremens. Some really exquisite ones are the beers that are still brewed in monasteries of the Trappist monks, such as the West-Vleteren, rated best beer in the world! Warmly recommended are also Kriek (sweet cherry beer) and, for the christmas season, Stille Nacht (Silent night).

Slapen

Belgium has many fine hotels, but the best are located in Antwerp, Brussels and the Ardennes region of Belgium.

Onderwijs

The level of Belgian education and universities rank among the highest of the world. The other side of the medal is that Belgian students have to study for long periods.

Economie

Having one of the highest labour taxes in Europe, Belgium is struggling to reposition itself as a high-tech country. In that struggle, Flanders is quite ahead of Wallonia, in contrast to the previous decades, where Wallonia's steel industry was the main export of Belgium.

Highly skilled people will have the most chance to find work, and knowing multiple languages (Dutch, French, English and/or German) is almost a standard requirement. Interim offices providing temporary jobs are flourishing in a search to avoid the high labour taxes.

The upside of the high taxes is that Belgium has a very good social security system, with compulsory health insurance, unemployment wages and pension for all citizens.

Veiligheid

Except for certain neighbourhoods in Charleroi, Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium is a safe country. Being aggressive or even unhelpful towards strangers is very unnatural for Belgians in general. One exception: when driving a car, don't annoy other drivers with more expensive cars.

Also be aware of a mild form of resentment towards Muslims and North African ethnicities.

Always use your common sense, of course. Don't walk in empty streets in the middle of the night, showing off your expensive equipment or jewelry.

Gezondheid

In de winter, zoals in de meeste landen, kan influenza veel ongemak veroorzaken. Er zijn geen inentingen nodig om België binnen te komen.

Respect

The Belgian attitude towards life is one of humility, and not being proud of what's given to you. A real Belgian patriot is very hard to find.

A few sensitive points:

  • Belgium has a catholic history but is easily as open minded as e.g. the Netherlands, foreigners are easily forgiven for their wrongdoings.
  • Most Belgians do not like to discuss their wages or their political preferences.
  • Depending on who you talk to, talking about right-wing politics may spark heated discussions.

Communicatie

Belgie heeft een modern telefoonsysteem met een nationaal dekkend GSM netwerk, en meerdere internet access points in alle steden.

Externe links

Dit artikel is een beginnetje en heeft uw aandacht nodig. Het heeft geen sjabloon. Duik erin en verbeter het!