Belgian Culture and Trivia

The Adventures of Tintin was created by Belgian cartoonist Hergé (Georges Remi) in 1929 and became one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. Archies is American, Dilbert is American, and Garfield is also American - none originated in Belgium.

Antwerp has been the world's diamond capital for over 500 years, handling approximately 80% of the world's rough diamonds and 50% of cut diamonds. Brussels is the capital but not known for diamond trading, while Ghent and Liège are other major Belgian cities without significant diamond industries.

Brussels hosts the headquarters of both NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the European Union. The World Bank is headquartered in Washington D.C., while the United Nations and WHO are based in New York and Geneva respectively - none of these alternatives are correct for Brussels.

Herman Van Rompuy served as the first President of the European Council (2010-2014) and was previously the Prime Minister of Belgium (2008-2009). Jean-Luc Dehaene, Yves Leterme, and Guy Verhofstadt were also Belgian Prime Ministers but never served as European Council President.

Belgian National Day is celebrated on July 21st, commemorating the day in 1831 when Leopold I took the oath as the first King of the Belgians. December 6th, January 5th, and August 15th are not associated with Belgium's national holiday.

Eddy Merckx, the Belgian cyclist, won the Tour de France five times (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974) and is considered one of the greatest cyclists of all time. Lance Armstrong (American), Alberto Contador (Spanish), and Thor Hushovd (Norwegian) are not Belgians and none won five Tours.

The saxophone was invented by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. He patented this new instrument which combines elements of the clarinet, oboe, and flute. The piano was invented in Italy, the flute has ancient origins, and the violin evolved from earlier string instruments in Italy.