Belgium, also called the kingdom of Belgium, is located in Western Europe. This federal state is a founding member of the European Union and has the headquarters of the EU, NATO and some other well-known organisations. Belgium’s capital city is Brussels, its official languages are Dutch (60 per cent), French (39 per cent) and German (1 per cent) and it has a population of just over 11 million. The currency used in Belgium is the Euro (EUR).The Belgians have made great scientific breakthroughs over the years; it was Belgian scientist Georges Lemaître in 1927 who proposed the Big Bang theory as the beginning of the universe. Belgians have also been awarded Nobel Prizes in Physiology, Medicine and Chemistry. The country is famous for beer, waffles, chocolate and French fries – the latter of which it invented! Belgium’s national dishes are “steak, fries and salad” and “mussels with fries”. In terms of sport, Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx is regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Also, Jean-Marie Pfaff is said to have been one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football.