Netherlands vs Belgium
The Netherlands and Belgium were part of the same kingdom until 1830, when Belgium broke away in a revolution driven largely by religious and linguistic tension with the Dutch-dominated north.
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Amsterdam | Brussels |
| Continent | Europe | Europe |
| Population | 17,700,000 | 11,700,000 |
| Area | 41,850 km² | 30,528 km² |
| Currency | Euro | Euro |
| Main language | Dutch | Dutch |
Netherlands's population is roughly 2× Belgium's.
Belgium itself is split between Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia in the south, which is why northern Belgians can generally read Dutch news and converse with the Netherlands with little difficulty, while the split within Belgium has at times strained the country's own politics more than the border with its neighbour ever has.
Both are among the most densely populated countries in Europe and share a low-lying, partly reclaimed landscape — the Netherlands more famously so, with roughly a quarter of its land below sea level and protected by an extensive system of dikes.