Comments on: Miss Belgium Doesn’t Speak Dutch

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:43:56 +0000

The article states:

The Flemish community accounts for 60 percent of Belgium's 10.5 million people. A further 3.5 million live in Wallonia and one million in the largely Francophone, but officially bilingual Brussels.

That means, the population of Flander is about 6 million. Wallonia has 3.5 million, and the bi-lingual district of Brussels has 1 million, which brings the total Belgian population to 10.5 million. These numbers are not about linguistic communities but rather population in each geographic area.

By: Pasmoi

Pasmoi — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:05:15 +0000

I don't understand the number of people who speak Flemish vs. French vs. German in Belgium. According to the article 60% of 10.5 million speak Dutch (Flemish). Then it says an additional 3.5 million Flanderites live in Wallonia. That only leaves 700,000 people who speak French and/or German. Can anyone from Belgium or elsewhere clarify this because something smells fishy in Belgium.

By: dutchgirl

dutchgirl — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:20:56 +0000

Imagine if Miss America only spoke spanish? There'd be plenty of people upset about that. Same goes here. (And while Dutch and Flemmish are very similar, they are not the same. The pretty blond should learn Flemmish)

By: Boyd

Boyd — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:18:19 +0000

Finally, something I can agree with Tano about! :-)

And I could extend his comments, but being a retired sailor, they would probably violate James's site policies. And if they don't, they should.

By: The Beauty Blog » Alizee Poulicek Crowned Miss Belgium Amidst Scandal

The Beauty Blog » Alizee Poulicek Crowned Miss Belgium Amidst Scandal — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:36:17 +0000

[...] According to Outside the Beltway, the Flemish community accounts for 60 percent of Belgium’s 10.5 million people. [...]

By: Tano

Tano — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:13:23 +0000

Hmmm, who cares what language she speaks?

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:58:05 +0000

I lived in the French speaking part of Belgium, and it's true most of the Walloons can speak only French, though there are quite a few bilingual Flemish speakers also. In most of Flanders, many can speak English, though I'm not sure of their fluency in French.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:21:43 +0000

Anderson: Can you point me to a map about that?

By: Stupid Celebrities Gossip » Alizee Poulicek crowned Miss Belgium amidst scandal.

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:10:28 +0000

[...] OTB, [...]

By: Anderson

Anderson — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:45:48 +0000

Blonde Eurobimbos only speak 3 or 4 languages ....

By: Tlaloc

Tlaloc — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:22:29 +0000

Freddy, an intrepid staffer at Gone Hollywood, has found photos.

Yeah, well if my job consisted of looking for pictures of models on the internet I'd be pretty interipd, too! Instead I'm merely a highly ranked amateur.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:38:53 +0000

I never made it across to Belgium but certainly almost everyone in Amsterdam does. And that makes sense on the Czech.

By: Grewgills

Grewgills — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:34:32 +0000

It’s rather odd that she speaks Czech

Her father is Czech.

Obviously, the solution is for them to all speak English . . . .

Fortunately for your solution most do.