Belgium (The Sun and The Eternal Sky)

United Empire of Belgium Verenigd Keizerrijk België
Motto:  Macht des eenheid ("Power of unity")
Capital		Salia
Largest city		Brussels
Official languages		Dutch
Regional languages		Limburgish • Walloon • Picard • Zeeuws • German • Old Low Franconian • French • Frisian
Ethnic groups		Flemings, Brabantians, Liègeoises, Limburgers, Antwerpians, Hollanders, Zeelanders, Tournaisis, Namuriennes, Hainutiennes etc
Religion		74% Christianity —65% Roman Catholicism —35% Protestantism 21% Irreligious 5% Other
Demonym		Belgian
Government		Federal constitutional monarchy in the form of a real union and composite state
-	Emperor	Steven III
-	President of the Assembly	Peter Van Beek
Legislature		Sovereign Congress
-	Upper house	Federal Senate
-	Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Establishment
-	First mention of a Tournai state	580
-	First definitive emergence of a member state (Flanders)	621
-	Fief granted to Baldwin of Flanders	862
-	First union	1191
-	Act of Confederacy	11 August 1387
-	Current state established	22 October 1813
-	Current constitution	18 May 1952
Population
-	2020 estimate	24,000,000
GDP (PPP)		2020 estimate estimate
-	Total	$3.87 trillion
-	Per capita	$50,704
GDP (nominal)		estimate
-	Total	$2.466 trillion
-	Per capita	$47,155
HDI (2020)		0.936 (very high) (7th)
Currency		Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone		CET (UTC+1)
Date formats		yyyy-mm-dd (CE)
Drives on the		Right
Internet TLD		.be
Calling code		+51

Belgium, fully the United Empire of Belgium (Dutch: Verenigd Keizerrijk België), is a federal state in the west of Europe, where it comprises the majority of the Low Countries. It borders France and Burgundy to its south, the United Provinces to its north, and the Holy Roman Empire to its east. The Empire has its roots within the principal counties of Flanders, Hainaut, Namur and Zeeland, which unified in 1191 to form the United Polities of Belgium as a confederal union.

Belgium became a major power in Europe and pioneered the Age of Discoveries, gaining itself several colonies. Apart from a civil war fought from 1654 to 1659, Belgium experienced great prosperity and continued to remain prominent. The 1700's became an area of decline, culminating in the highly destructive War of the Two Flanders in 1724, the result of which was a heavy blow to the Belgian state. In 1792, Revolutionary Sweden declared war on Belgium and later invaded it; despite the Belgians' best efforts, Sweden defeated them by 1799. In 1813, Belgium was liberated and re-stablished with help from the Allies. The revolutions of 1848 decreased the stability of Belgium once again, culminating in the Solar Coup by Bas Van Zon in 1872. Although a dictator, Van Zon introduced many liberal reforms and modernized the country's economy and social policies.

Following its defeat by Germany in World War I, the authoritarian Belgian State, as it was called, was overthrown by the Germans and replaced with a sattelite government. At the onset of World War II, Belgium fought a war of resistance against Germany, which it won with assistance by the Allies. Following the end of the war, Belgium's economy and significance skyrocketed, and today it is a great power in Europe.

Member states

Most of the Empire in the 15th century

The Belgian Empire is a federal state with elements of both a composite state and a real union. The member states are highly autonomous and may employ their own legislature and institutions; several of the federal institutions are, however, shared between all states. The subnational monarchs of the member states are responsible to the Imperial House of Ranson, which produces the monarchs of the entire empire.

The states are: (Currently wip)

Flag / Arms	Name	Governance	Capital	Regional languages	Admitted
	County of Flanders	Decentralized unitary constitutional monarchy Count: Arno VI House: Van Buc-Girardijn President: Carl Decaluwé	Bruges	French Flemish and West Flemish (co-official), French (regional)	1345 (Founder)
	Duchy of Brabant	Decentralized unitary constitutional monarchy Duke: Thomas VIII House: Reginar President: Lodewijk de Witte	Brussels	Dutch (Designated as Brabantian)	1336 (Founder)
	County of Hainaut	Decentralized unitary semi-constitutional monarchy Count: Andreas House: Avennes President: Thomas de Klerk	Mons	Walloon, Picard, French	1299 / 1345 (Founder)
	Margravate of Namur	Decentralized unitary near-absolute monarchy Margrave: Senne IV House: Dampierre President: Denis Mathen	Namur	Walloon, French, Old Low Franconian	1417