How the people live in Belgium

Most of the people of Belgium live in cities and work in large factories. The Belgians are famous for their lace, carpets, and glassware, which are bought by people all over the world. The Belgians also manufacture large quantities of woolen goods, machinery, leather, and chemicals. Many of the people in the cities own shops, and Belgium has sometimes been called a nation of shopkeepers. The owners usually live in rooms in back of the shops. They open for business very early in the morning, and stay open until late at night.

Other Belgians work in the rich coal mines in the central and northern parts of the country. Still others are farmers. Though there is a fertile region in central Belgium (Flanders), the soil is poor in the southern and eastern sections. The hardworking Belgian farmer has learned the latest and best ways to raise crops, and so he gets the most out of the soil. Everyone has to go to school between the ages of 6 and 14. There are also schools where boys and girls can learn various trades.

Two universities are run by the government at Liege and Ghent, and there are other important universities at Brussels and Louvain. Both grownups and children love sports in Belgium, though few sports are played in the schools. Football (which is what Europeans call soccer) is very popular throughout the country. The name of the national team is the "Red Devils." The most popular sport in Belgium is bicycle road-racing, and children follow the success of their racing heroes the way children in the United States follow the batting averages of their favorite players. Almost everybody owns a bicycle.