Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a Western European country located on the North Sea and bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. The country has an area of 30,689 km²[6] and a population of over 11.7 million inhabitants (over 6.8 million in the Flemish Region, 3.7 million in the Walloon Region and 1.2 million in the Brussels-Capital Region).[7] Brussels is the capital of Belgium and also the administrative centre of the European Union and NATO.The country has three official languages: almost sixty percent of the population speaks Dutch, mainly in Flanders, forty percent speaks French, mainly in Wallonia and Brussels, and less than one percent speaks German, in the East Cantons. The cultural and linguistic diversity of the country has led, through a succession of state reforms, to a complex political system, in which in principle the territorial powers – such as the economy, employment and infrastructure – lie with the Regions (Flemish, Walloon and Brussels), and the personal matters – such as education, culture and welfare – with the Communities (Flemish, French and German-speaking), with an overarching federal government for the entire territory, responsible for, among other things, defence, justice and social security. the national anthem is brabanconne