Wallonia, Administrative region in southern Belgium
Wallonia is a region in the southern part of Belgium that extends across five provinces with Namur as its capital. This administrative unit uses French as its main language and covers areas from the Ardennes to the river valleys of the Meuse and Sambre.
The territory evolved during the 19th century from a collection of medieval principalities into an industrial center that helped shape continental European industrialization. This economic transformation changed the landscape and society fundamentally and created the foundation for the current regional structure.
The region carries a French-speaking identity visible in street signs, newspapers and daily life. Visitors experience this linguistic character in cafés, markets and conversations with locals who mostly speak French as their native language.
The region is accessible through a network of highways and train connections linking larger cities with smaller towns. Information in French dominates signage and public notices, so basic knowledge of this language helps with orientation.
Near the border with Germany lives a German-speaking community with its own administrative structures and cultural institutions. This linguistic peculiarity shows in bilingual town signs and regional media that use both French and German.
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