Brussels sprouts, variety (gemmifera) of cabbage producing small edible heads (sprouts) along the stem. It is cultivated like cabbage and was first developed in Belgium and France in the 18th cent. Brussels sprouts are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Capparales, family Cruciferae.

Brussels griffon, breed of sturdy toy dog developed in Belgium in the 18th and 19th cent. It stands about 8 in. (20.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 6 to 12 lb (2.7-5.5 kg). There are two varieties, the wirehaired and the smooth. The coat of the former is dense and wiry with a fringe of hair around the eyes, nose, cheeks, and chin. Its color is reddish brown, black, or a combination of these two. The smooth variety, called Brabançon, has a short, finely textured coat and may be reddish brown or black marked with reddish brown, but not solid black. Believed to have been produced by crossing affenpinschers with the pug, and possibly the toy spaniels, the Brussels griffon is popular as a companion and house pet. See dog.

Brussels carpet: see carpet.

Brussels, Fr. Bruxelles, Du. Brussel, city and region (1995 pop. 948,122), 63 sq mi (162 sq km), capital of Belgium, central Belgium, on the Senne River and at the junction of the Charleroi-Brussels and Willebroek canals. The city lies within, but is not part of, Flemish Brabant. It is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), although French is more widely spoken. Brussels is an important administrative, financial, cultural, commercial, and industrial center and a major rail junction. Much of the administration of the European Union takes place in Brussels, and it is the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Among its varied manufactures are pharmaceuticals, electronics equipment, machine tools, paper, processed food, and lace.

Points of Interest

The historical nucleus of the city, the medieval and Renaissance Grand' Place, a large square, is the site of the Gothic city hall (15th cent.); the Renaissance-style Maison du Roi or Broodhuis (13th cent.), meeting place of the old States-General of the Netherlands; and a number of rebuilt Gothic guildhalls. Near the Grand' Place is the famous fountain of a small boy urinating, Mannekin-Pis (1619). Other noteworthy buildings include the Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudule (founded in the 11th cent. and rebuilt in the 13th-15th cent.), which contains many noted Flemish paintings; the Palais de la Nation (parliament building); the Palais de Justice; and the Palais du Roi (royal palace). Brussels is the seat of a university (founded 1834), which in 1970 was divided into two separate institutions, one French-speaking and the other Dutch. There are also excellent art museums and a botanical garden. The rest of Brussels is mostly modern, with contemporary office buildings and broad boulevards that circle the city along its former ramparts.

History

The city was inhabited by the Romans and later (7th cent. A.D.) by the Franks; an oratory was founded there (c.600) by the bishop of Cambrai on an island in the Senne. The city was fortified (c.1100) and became (late 12th cent.) a commercial center on the trade route from Bruges and Ghent to the Rhineland. It developed into a center of the wool industry in the 13th cent.

In the 15th cent. the arts flourished and many stately mansions (some still standing) were built. Brussels became (1430) the seat of the dukes of Burgundy and later (1477) of the governors of the Spanish (after 1714, Austrian) Netherlands and was renowned for the luxury and gaiety of its life. In 1561 the Willebroek Canal, connecting Brussels with the Scheldt River, was completed. In the late 16th cent. the city was the center of the duque de Alba's reign of terror.

The city suffered heavily in the wars fought in the Low Countries in the 16th to 18th cent. Brussels changed hands several times in the French Revolutionary Wars; later, during the Waterloo campaign (1815), it was Wellington's headquarters. From 1815 to 1830 it was, with The Hague, the alternate meeting place of the Netherlands parliament. In 1830 it became the capital of independent Belgium. Brussels was occupied by the Germans in World Wars I and II. In 1958 it was the site of a World's Fair. Following constitutional reforms in 1989 and 1993, Brussels became a separate region within a federalized Belgium.

Small cabbage-related plant (Brassica oleracea, Gemmifera group). A member of the mustard family, Brussels sprouts are widely grown in Europe and the U.S. In early stages of growth, the plant closely resembles the common cabbage, but the main stem grows to a height of 2–3 ft (60–90 cm) and the axillary buds along the stem develop into small heads (sprouts) similar to heads of cabbage but measuring only 1–1.6 in. (25–40 mm) in diameter. The plant requires a mild, cool climate and is harmed by hot weather. Highly nutritious, Brussels sprouts are a particularly good source of vitamins A and C.

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French Bruxelles Flemish Brussel

City (pop., 2006 est.: 145,717), capital of Belgium. Part of the Brussels-Capital Region (pop., 2006 est.: 1,024,492), one of the three regions into which Belgium is divided, it lies on the Senne River, a tributary of the Schelde. The village began on an island in the Senne and ultimately became a holding of the dukes of Brabant. In 1530 it became the capital of the Netherlands, which was then under Habsburg control. It became part of the United Kingdom of The Netherlands in 1815. A centre of Belgian rebellion, it became the capital of Belgium in 1830. An important industrial and commercial city, it is the headquarters of both NATO and the European Union.

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