Page "Belgians" Paragraph 3

Belgians are primarily a nationality or citizen group, by jus soli ( Latin: right of the soil ), also known as birthright citizenship, and are not a homogeneous ethnic group.

Belgians are made up of two main linguistic and ethnic groups ; the Dutch-speaking Flemish and the French-speaking Walloons, as well as a third tiny but constitutionally recognized group from two small German-speaking areas.

These sometimes competing ethnic and linguistic priorities are governed by constitutionally designated " regions or communities ", depending on the constitutional realm of the topic, a complex and uniquely Belgian political construct.

Since many Belgians are at least bilingual, or even trilingual, it is common for business, social and family networks to include members of the various ethnic groups composing Belgium.