What country in Europe is divided by a language boundary between a Germanic and a Romance language, and was founded in 1830?
History of Belgium The history of Belgium predates the founding of the modern state of that name in 1830. Belgium's history is intertwined with those of its neighbours: the Netherlands, Germany, France and Luxembourg. For most of its history, what is now Belgium was either a part of a larger territory, such as the Carolingian Empire, or divided into a number of smaller states, prominent among them being the Duchy of Brabant, the County of Flanders, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and County of Luxembourg. Due to its strategic location and the many armies fighting on its soil, since the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), Belgium has often been called the "battlefield of Europe" or the "cockpit of Europe". It is also remarkable as a European nation which contains, and is divided by, a language boundary between Latin-derived French and Germanic Dutch.
Western studies (Germany) Western studies or western research (German: "Westforschung" ) in Germany traditionally refers to area studies concerned with the countries and areas on Germany's western and southwestern borders, including France (particularly its eastern and northern parts), the Benelux countries and Switzerland, as well as the westernmost "border areas" within Germany, i.e. areas near the Dutch, Belgian, Luxembourgish, French and Swiss borders. The concept of western studies arose during the First World War, and like other forms of area studies, it was often motivated by geostrategic considerations. The traditional concept of western studies was largely abandoned with the onset of the Cold War, West Germany's western alignment and the western European integration process. It has largely been succeeded by the broader field of European studies.