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Belgium is a relatively young country, having gained its independence less than 200 years ago. Prior to that it was a region long fought over by already established European powers with ownership shifting with relative frequency.
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Following Charlemagne’s reign however, Belgium was once again split in two, with half falling to France and half to Germany. From here, the separation became marked with the Flanders region fostering prosperous cities such as Bruges, Ghent and Ypres while the south continued to develop in a less unified fashion.
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The progression of the medieval period, saw France attempt to take control of Belgium on a number of occasions but Europe’s other great powers were highly opposed to this and hence many battles were fought to preserve the country’s independence.
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In the 20th century, Belgium suffered the devastation of two world wars although the country recovered quickly enough to become a leading power in the establishment of the EU. The country also united with the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1957 to establish the Benelux Union.
