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Flemish people

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Peoples

   The term Flemings (Dutch: Vlamingen) is currently mostly used to refer
   to the ethnic group native to Flanders (the northern half of Belgium,
   historically part of the Southern Netherlands), which in total numbers
   about 6 million people in Belgium (the majority of all Belgians) . The
   term also designates, not only the native inhabitants of that Flemish
   region, but also those ethnic Flemings of French Flanders
   (Frans-Vlaanderen)(mainly in the département of Nord of present-day
   France), the southern part of the Dutch province of Zeeland known as
   Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and other Flemish communities around the world.
   French Flanders and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen are former parts of the countship
   of Flanders, which gave its name to the whole, although a small
   majority of Belgian Flanders was in other principalities, the major one
   being the Duchy of Brabant. The Flemish are often considered part of,
   or closely intertwined with, the Dutch people.
   Flemings
   Total population c. 9 million (est.)
   Regions with significant populations Belgium:
      6,100,000 (low est.)

   United States:
      1,000,000
   France:
      780,000 - 1,300,000
   Canada:
      116,000
   Netherlands:
      101,000
   Democratic Republic of the Congo:
      92,000
   South Africa:
      55,200
   Australia:
      15,130
   Language Dutch, French (minority)
   Religion Predominantly Roman Catholic or Atheist/Non-religious; other.
   Related ethnic groups Dutch, Afrikaners and other Germanic peoples.

Culture and identity

People and Language

   It is generally believed, based of historical linguistics, that the
   Flemings mainly descend from the invading Germanic tribes, rather than
   from the Gaulish (mixed Celtic-Germanic) tribes who lived in the same
   region even before Roman times. At first sight, Flemish culture is
   defined via its West Germanic language, Dutch, shared with most people
   in the Netherlands, as opposed to the mostly Francophone compatriots
   within Belgium. Contrary to popular belief, a Flemish literature does
   exist, though Flemish literary schools are also present within the
   Dutch literature as a whole. Books written by Flemings and by Dutch
   people are read by Dutch-speakers worldwide. It does not make a
   difference that most readers are able to distinguish fine differences,
   mainly in vocabulary. In a wider sense, Flemings read many books
   written in other languages: not only English (dominating scientific and
   professional literature), but also French, and reasonable quantities of
   other literary production.

   For students, the intellectual norm in Flanders means learning two or
   even three foreign languages (at least two are obligatory in most
   secondary school programs, generally French and English, sometimes also
   German and/or a languages chosen from a supplementary list) to a higher
   standard than in most countries. Cosmopolitanism is a historical
   constant in Flanders' very open economy, while the mainly Anglo-Saxon
   orientation is a rather recent phenomenon as, until the 1960s, Flanders
   was heavily dominated by French culture (as long imposed by the Belgian
   state), which now only is an honorable second. Proficiency in English
   has greatly improved during the last half century, whereas proficiency
   in French and German has decreased somewhat. Proficiency in other
   languages widened, and improved, although some companies complain about
   a seemingly eternal lack of sufficient German-speakers.

   Looking more closely, one notes some other typical cultural
   characteristics: On average, Flemings have a greater respect for
   authority than most Dutch, Englishmen and Nordic peoples, although
   Belgians in general have little confidence in political authorities.

   In terms of intellectual discourse, Flemings appear more Anglo-Saxon
   again, preferring a down-to-earth, factual style. One might say the
   Flemings prefer a Cartesian discourse more than contemporary France.

   The somewhat more confrontational nature of Flemish politics is
   probably related to the fact that until the 1960s Belgium's Flemings
   were oppressively discriminated against by the official Belgian
   institutions dominated by the French-speaking Walloon minority.
   Walloons and the Francophone Flemings who had deliberately chosen to
   use French made the use of French mandatory in all aspects of public
   life: government, the courts, academia, and industry. Until the 1930s,
   for example, the Flemish majority was forcibly educated only in French;
   courts were conducted in French (with notorious examples of Flemish
   peasants tried and judged in a language they did not comprehend);
   Flemish soldiers were shot for not comprehending orders given in French
   by Walloon officers (which led to mutinies by the Flemish majority
   during the First World War).

   Although most overt discrimination has since disappeared, Flemings
   still bristle at the remaining injustices - such as the widespread
   discrimination in service against Flemings by the medical emergency
   services in Brussels which has recently been acknowledged for the first
   time by a prominent French-speaking minister, Rudy Demotte. Even today,
   Walloons, less than one third of Belgium's population, are guaranteed
   half of all government positions and retain a veto on actions that
   govern the entire country. Wallonia, the French-speaking southern half
   of Belgium, is in fact subsidized by the more economically robust
   Flemish north, an issue that remains unresolved and feeds a sense of
   injustice for Flemings in Belgium.

   Consequently, a movement for Flemish independence, has gathered steam
   over the post-war period. As more functions continue to devolve away
   from the Belgian state to the three regions, it is increasingly likely
   that a Flemish Republic may one day emerge from the current Belgian
   state.

   The Vlaams Belang political party is the strongest advocate of a
   Flemish Republic. The party is considered far right by all other
   Flemish political parties and they refuse any political snow with it.

Language

   The official language of Flanders is Dutch (at the Belgian -federal-
   level at par with French, and to a lesser extent German; the linguistic
   legislation is complex and politically extremely sensitive). The local
   Dutch dialects are diverse. A common error is to exaggerate differences
   between dialects in Flanders and in the Netherlands, but in fact
   neither country has a consistent group of dialects, there are several,
   including cross-border ones; in this respect the term 'Holland' is not
   always a pars pro toto for the Dutch kingdom, as usual in foreign
   languages, but can refer to the dominant group of dialects in and
   around North- and South Holland provinces.

   Dialects tended to be very strong, almost particular to every locality.
   Since World War II, the influence of radio, television, and with more
   people moving out of their region of birth, the use of the original
   dialects tends to decrease. Differences between the regional dialects
   erode and new types of intermediate dialects appear, including a
   non-standardized mix of standard Dutch with 'cleaned-up' dialect. This
   is often called 'tussentaal' ('language-in-between') or, derogatorily,
   'verkavelingsvlaams' (speech as where Flemish people from diverse
   locations and dialects become neighbours in a newly built-up out of
   town quarter). In Brussels, the local dialect is heavily influenced by
   French, both in pronunciation, as in vocabulary. Only a small number
   (c. 150,000) of the inhabitants of French Flanders can speak or
   understand Dutch or the local Flemish dialect.

   Read more about Flemish language.

Religion

   Approximately 75% of Flemings are Roman Catholic, though a still
   growing majority of these rarely practice. The remainder is mostly
   Atheist; there are small groups of Protestant Flemings, as well as
   Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic and other minorities among other ethnic
   groups.

Symbols

   Flag of the Flemish Region
   Flag of the Flemish Movement

   The official flag of Flanders is yellow with a black lion outlined in
   white and with red claws and tongue. The flag with a completely black
   lion is unofficial, although very popular within groups of Flemish
   nationalists.

Origin of the Flemish lion

   The motto Vlaenderen die Leu (Flanders the lion) was according to Eug.
   Sanders present on the arms of Pieter de Coninck at the Battle of the
   Golden Spurs on July 11, 1302. Some three hundred noble people shouted
   it too when they saw, having fought in the French rows, that chances
   were turning in favour of the Flemish. In Spiegel Historiael, Louis van
   Velthem also refers to the lion in a song describing the battle of
   Blangys-Guinegatte (which took place in August 1472). Later, Hendrik
   Conscience used the motto in his Lion of Flanders.

The Flemish diaspora

   The Flemish diaspora consists of Flemish emigrants and their
   descendants in countries such as France, the United States, Britain,
   Canada, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa and Latin America.

   During the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, when the territory of
   present-day Flanders formed the setting for an impressive economic and
   cultural boom as well as certain internal problems, many artists and
   craftsmen sought refuge elsewhere, particularly in southern Europe.
   Flemish settlers introduced the first printing presses into Spain and
   Portugal. The Flemish contribution to the exploitation as well as the
   population of the Azores was so conspicuous, that for a long time the
   archipelago was referred to as the Flemish islands.

   Following in the wake of the explorers, Flemish missionaries such as
   Pieter van Gent in Mexico, Joos de Rijcke in Ecuador, Ferdinand
   Verbiest in China, Constant Lievens in India, Pierre-Jean DeSmet in the
   United States and Jozef de Veuster in Molokai built up a reputation in
   various overseas countries that continues even to this day.

   A combination of a demographic explosion and inadequate economic growth
   resulted in an emigration from Flanders that continued up to the First
   World War. It was something that every family faced sooner or later.
   Not only did it involve the so-called lower classes of the population,
   but also members of the better classes who found a future overseas in
   teacher-training colleges and colleges of engineering and agriculture.
   Louis Cruis, for example, was a Flemish engineer who led expeditions to
   lay down the boundaries of Brazil and the city limits of the capital
   Brasilia.

   About 400,000 Flemings settled in France. They often had to start
   afresh in poor villages, from where they breathed new life into
   agriculture. In the United States and Canada today, there are more than
   1 million Americans who clearly have Flemish roots. In Detroit, the
   publishing of the Gazette van Detroit is still in the hands of
   Flemings.

   The destination of the majority of Flemish emigrants was France. There
   are an estimated 1,250,000 people with a Flemish surname in France. The
   Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments however, were parts of historic
   Flanders before France annexed the region in 1656.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_people"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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