Flemish people

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The terms Fleming and Flemings (Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people, and the Flemings or the Flemish (always de Vlamingen) or the Flemish people (het Vlaamse volk) the population forming a community of more than six million people and the majority of all Belgians, of Flanders, the northern half of the country.

Modern Flanders however, does not correspond closely to the former County of Flanders, which included parts of present-day France and the Netherlands and did not include the central and eastern parts of present-day Flanders, which were part of other Holy Roman fiefs, chiefly the Duchy of Brabant and the County of Loon. Within proper context, the term 'Fleming' may still refer specifically to a native of West Flanders or East Flanders, the two provinces in Belgium that were part of the former county, or rarely to a native of other parts of that county who speaks a Dutch dialect from the Flemish county or the standard Dutch language. This original usage may similarly occur for the plural forms.

Culture and identity

The native Flemings descend from Germanic tribes, predominantly Franks, and mixed Celtic-Germanic "Gaulish" tribes who had lived in the same region even before Roman times. In the first instance, Flemish culture is defined by its West Germanic language, Dutch, shared with most people in the Netherlands, as opposed to the Francophone compatriots within Belgium. Contrary to popular belief, a Flemish literature does exist, though Flemish literary schools are also present within the Dutch literature as a whole. Books written by Flemings and by Dutch people are read by Dutch-speakers worldwide. It does not make a difference that most readers are able to distinguish fine differences, mainly in vocabulary. In a wider sense, Flemings read many books written in other languages: not only English (dominating scientific and professional literature), but also French or German, and reasonable quantities of other literary production.

For students, the intellectual norm in Flanders means learning two or even three foreign languages (at least two are obligatory in most secondary school programs, generally French and English, but also German and/or a languages chosen from a supplementary list) to a higher standard than in most countries. Cosmopolitanism is a historical constant in Flanders' very open economy, while the mainly Anglo-Saxon orientation is a rather recent phenomenon as, until the 1960s, Flanders was heavily dominated by French culture (as long enforced by the Belgian state), which now only is an honorable second. Proficiency in English has greatly improved during the last half century, whereas proficiency in French and German has decreased somewhat. Proficiency in other languages widened, and improved, although some companies complain about a seemingly eternal lack of sufficient German-speakers.

Related ethno-linguistic groups

The Flemish once formed a single ethnic group with what are currently the Dutch. When the split occurred is a matter of debate; in fact, there are people who dispute whether the Flemish form a distinct ethnic group at all. For a fuller treatment, see the Flemish section of the article about the Dutch.

Official language

The official language of Flanders is Dutch (at the Belgian - federal - level at par with French, and to a lesser extent German; the language legislation is complex and politically extremely sensitive). Though many Flemish people also commonly refer to their language as Flemish.

Dialects tended to be very strong, almost particular to every locality. Since World War II, the influence of radio, television, and with more people moving out of their region of birth, the use of the original dialects tends to decrease. Differences between the regional dialects erode and new types of intermediate dialects appear, including a non-standardized mix of standard Dutch with 'cleaned-up' dialect. This is often called 'tussentaal' ('language-in-between') or, derogatorily, 'verkavelingsvlaams' (speech as where Flemish people from diverse locations and dialects become neighbours in a newly built-up out of town quarter). In Brussels, the local dialect is heavily influenced by French, both in pronunciation, as in vocabulary. Only a small number (c. 150,000) of the inhabitants of French Flanders can speak or understand Dutch or the local dialect.

Religion

Approximately 75% of the Flemish people are by baptism assumed Roman Catholic, though a still diminishing minority of less than 8% attends mass on a regular basis. Nearly half of the inhabitants of Flanders are Agnostic or Atheist. Islam, the Jewish religion, the Orthodox religion, Protestantism, and Buddhism are in Belgium recognized religions found mainly among minority ethnic groups. A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, showed 55% chose to call themselves religious, 36% believe that God created the world. (See also Religion in Belgium.)

Flemish movement

The confrontational nature of Flemish politics is related to the communal tension between Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. These ultimately resulted in the federalisation of Belgium, and the Flemish movement includes secessionist tendencies and groups. Functions continue to devolve away from the Belgian state to the institutional regions and communities.

Until the 1960s the Belgian state was Francophone. Not only the Walloons were Francophone but also the nobility, since Burgundian times, and the Flemish bourgeoisie since the early 19th century. Use of French was mandatory in all aspects of public life: government, the courts, academia, and industry. Until the 1930s, for example, the Flemish majority was educated only in French; courts were conducted in French (with notorious examples of Flemish peasants tried and judged in a language they did not comprehend). During the First World War there were tensions between Flemish soldiers and French speaking officers. Since the falling-off of its traditional coal mining and steel industries at the beginning of the 60', Wallonia, the French-speaking southern half of Belgium, which was the leading economic force in Belgium and the strongest contributor to its wealth, has become more and more subsidized by the more economically robust Flemish north, an issue that remains unresolved.

Within the Flemish Movement, the demand for outright independence grew stronger in the last decades. There are three political parties strongly advocating secession from Belgium: the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New Flemish Alliance), the Vlaams Belang (or 'VB') and the new Lijst Dedecker. VB is considered by all other Flemish political parties to be far right. Its identification of the Flemings as a separate 'people' (volk) is controversial. It associates that claim with rejection of a Belgian national identity, and describes itself as a Flemish nationalist party, seeking a separate and sovereign state for the Flemish people, which is claimed to be a nation, and to have its own national identity. It seeks the dissolution of Belgium.

The viewpoints of the Vlaams Belang, which is the continuation of the after a court conviction for racism dissolved Vlaams Blok, are not shared by Flemish mainstream parties. With the elected smaller and the French Community parties they continued the cordon sanitaire around the Vlaams Belang, which is an agreement not to form a coalition or to cooperate at any level with that party. The large Flemish mainstream Christian-Democrat party CD&V forms an alliance with the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie.

Both Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie and Lijst Dedecker have a slightly different priority. They are not against Belgium out of principle, but more out of dissatisfaction. They think that the Belgian state will never recognize the rights of Flanders and the Flemings, and that therefore, it is better, and more democratic for the Flemish people to aim for independance.

The Flemish Community is one of the three institutional Communities of Belgium, not identical to the Flemish Region, though both have a single body of parliament, government and administration.

Symbols

The official flag and coat of arms of the Flemish Community represents a black lion with red claws and tongue on a yellow field (or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules). A flag with a completely black lion had been in wide use before 1991 when the current version was officially adopted by the Flemish Community. That older flag was at times recognized by government sources (alongside the version with red claws and tongue). Both flags can still be seen in popular use, though only the modern one is recognised by law. The Flemish authorities also use two logos of a highly stylized black lion which show the claws and tongue in either red or black.

Origin of the Flemish lion

The first documented use of the Flemish lion was on the seal of Philip d'Alsace, count of Flanders of 1162. As of that date the use of the Flemish coat of arms (or a lion rampant sable) remained in use throughout the reigns of the d'Alsace, Flanders (2nd) and Dampierre dynasties of counts. After the acquisition of Flanders by the Burgundian dukes the lion was only used in escutcheons. It was only after the creation of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that the coat of arms (surmounted by a chief bearing the Royal Arms of the Netherlands) once again became the official symbol of the new province East Flanders.

Flanders the Lion

The motto "Vlaenderen die Leu" (Flanders the lion) was according to Eug. Sanders present on the arms of Pieter de Coninck at the Battle of the Golden Spurs on July 11, 1302. Some three hundred nobles supposedly also used the motto "Vlaenderen den Leeuw" as their battlecry when they fought in the Flemish ranks to avoid being confused for the enemy. In Spiegel Historiael, Louis van Velthem also refers to the lion in a song describing the battle of Blangys-Guinegatte (which took place in August 1472). Later, Hendrik Conscience used the motto in his Lion of Flanders.

The Flemish diaspora

The Flemish diaspora consists of Flemish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the present Netherlands, France, the United States, Britain, Canada, India (Sri Lanka), Indonesia, Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Latin America.

During the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, when the territory of present-day Flanders formed the setting for an impressive economic and cultural boom as well as certain internal problems, many artists and craftsmen sought refuge elsewhere. Flemish settlers introduced the first printing presses into Spain and Portugal. The Flemish contribution to the exploitation as well as the population of the Azores was so conspicuous, that for a long time the archipelago was referred to as the Flemish islands.

Following in the wake of the explorers, Flemish missionaries such as Pieter van Gent in Mexico, Joos de Rijcke in Ecuador, Ferdinand Verbiest in China, Constant Lievens in India, Pierre-Jean DeSmet in the United States and Jozef de Veuster in Molokai built up a reputation in various overseas countries that continues even to this day.

A combination of a demographic explosion and inadequate economic growth resulted in an emigration from Flanders that continued up to the First World War. It was something that every family faced sooner or later. Not only did it involve the so-called lower classes of the population, but also members of the better classes who found a future overseas in teacher-training colleges and colleges of engineering and agriculture. Louis Cruis, for example, was a Flemish engineer who led expeditions to lay down the boundaries of Brazil and the city limits of the capital Brasilia.

About 400,000 Flemings settled in France. They often had to start afresh in poor villages, from where they breathed new life into agriculture. There are an estimated 1,250,000 people with a Flemish surname in France. The Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments however, were parts of historic Flanders before France annexed the region in 1656 (and other additions until the last permanent boundary change in the 1790s after the French Revolution).

Similar to the Netherlands, many Flemish families also emigrated to South Africa due to the relative closeness of culture and language.

In the United States and Canada today, there are Americans with Flemish roots.