These questions and answers are based on the chapter Power Sharing in the Class 10 NCERT text book on politics – Democratic Politics.

1. Belgium is located in the continent of ………………….

Ans: Europe

2. Belgium shares its borders with which countries?

Ans: France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg

3. Which language is spoken by Belgians living in the Flemish region?

Ans: Dutch language

4. Which language is spoken by Belgians living in the Wallonia region?

Ans: French language

5. Ninety-nine percent of the Belgians live in the ……………………………

Ans: Flemish and Wallonia regions

6. Which languages are spoken in Belgium?

Ans: Dutch, French and German

7. The majority of Belgians speak …………………………

Ans: Dutch language

8. Which is the capital city of Belgium?

Ans: Brussels

9. What was the cause of conflicts between the Dutch speaking and the French speaking communities of Belgium in the 1950s and 1960s?

Ans: Although the French speaking people account for only 40% of the total population of Belgium, they were richer and more powerful than the Dutch speaking majority. This was resented by the Dutch speakers who got education and economic development much later. This resentment eventually led to conflicts between the two communities. The situation was more complex in Brussels where the rich and influential French speaking community accounted for 80% of the total population of the city. Although the Dutch speakers were a majority in the country, they were a minority in Brussels.