Belgium shares borders with the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea, and covers an area of 30,528 km². Its population of over 11.5 million people makes it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th in Europe. The nation's capital is Brussels, whereas other major cities include Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven. Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, divided into three highly autonomous regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region, and the Brussels-Capital Region. Each features unique cultural and linguistic characteristics, with the Flemish Community making up about 60 percent of the population and the French Community comprising roughly 40 percent.

The name Belgium originates from the Latin word 'Belgium', featured in Julius Caesar's 'Gallic Wars' to describe a region established around 55 BCE. The country has endured a complex and sometimes turbulent history, garnering the epithet 'Battlefield of Europe' due to being the site of both world wars. Today, Belgium shines as a developed nation with an advanced high-income economy and an exceptional standard of living. It is a founding member of the European Union, the Eurozone, NATO, OECD, and WTO, and it participates in the trilateral Benelux Union and the Schengen Area. Furthermore, Brussels hosts the headquarters of prominent international organisations such as NATO.