The war in Europe, its causes and consequences; an authentic narrative of the immediate and remote causes of the war, with a descriptive account of the countries involved, including statistics of armies, navies, aeroplanes, dirigibles, &c., &c . Belgian Lancers, with Pennons Tattered by German Shells Belgium—The Kingdom of Belgium is one of the smaller coim-tries of Europe, although the most densely populated on the Conti-nent, having a pojjulation of 7,317,561 to a total area of 11,373 squaremiles, giving 636 inliabitants to a square mile. The whole countryis only 165 miles long and 120 miles
The war in Europe, its causes and consequences; an authentic narrative of the immediate and remote causes of the war, with a descriptive account of the countries involved, including statistics of armies, navies, aeroplanes, dirigibles, &c., &c . Belgian Lancers, with Pennons Tattered by German Shells Belgium—The Kingdom of Belgium is one of the smaller coim-tries of Europe, although the most densely populated on the Conti-nent, having a pojjulation of 7,317,561 to a total area of 11,373 squaremiles, giving 636 inliabitants to a square mile. The whole countryis only 165 miles long and 120 miles wide. On the east it is boundedby Germany, on the north by the North Sea and Holland, and on thewest and south by France. Belgium is comprised of nine provinces: Antwerp, Brabant,Flanders (East and West), Liege, Limburg, Luxemburg, Namur,and Hainaut. The people of these provinces belong to two differentnationalities, the Flemish (German) and the Walloon (French),each division occupying its own part of the territory and speaking itsown language. The Flemings (people of Flanders) use a form ofthat Low German of which the Dutch is a type, the main differencebetween the Flemish and the Dutch being in the spelling. The Wal-. 226 BELGIUM 227 loons, a mixed Italic-Teutonic-Celtic people, descended from theancient Gallic Belg«, with a mingling of Roman elements, speak apeculiar patois of the French tongue, which is nearly related to theold langue doil. The name Belgium is derived from the Celtic people, the Bel-g£e, or Belgi, mentioned in Csesars Commentaries, who occupiedthat region up to the sixth century. In the days of ancient Romanrule Belgium formed a part of Gaul, and later it hecame a possessionof the Franks (the name assumed in the third century by a confed-eration of German tribes). By the Treaty of Verdun, made in 843, the ancient provinces ofArtois and Flanders were annexed to France. Belgium proper wasdependent on the old German Fmpire, though ruled by Lothair, agrand
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectworldwar19141918
