Situated to the South of Brussels, the Capital of Europe, between Flanders, Germany, Luxembourg and France, Wallonia, is the Southern State of the Federal Kingdom Belgium. Wallonia has some 3.2 million inhabitants, which represent 32 % of the Belgian population. The majority of the Walloons are French speaking.
Minority languages are Letzenburgs (spoken in Luxembourg) and German.

The Walloon language has almost completely disappeared from public usage. Only 2 % of the population speaks or understands still the old native language. The name Wallonia comes from "Walha," the name given by the German tribes for the people living on the left bank of the Rhine.

The national Walloon symbol and flag are the Red Rooster on a yellow field. It characterizes the Walloon personality: the pride and the bragging that brings them a long way, the natural desire to be on top, no fear to speak loudly for their cause. Until WW II, Wallonia was the dominant industrial power in Belgium based on its centuries old coal-mines and iron-mills.

Today, these industries are closed, but Wallonia's political and economic influence in Belgium is still very strong. The economic activities have shifted to more modern activities as telecommunications and research-centra focused on chemistry and pharmaceutics. The food-industry and tourism are the other two pillars of the country.

Serene countryside and wild uneven landscapes, impressive towers and humble steeples, a deep rooted folklore and undreamed of cultural inheritance, all these Wallonia offers to modern-day men and women in search of true joy and emotion. Wallonia is famous for their exceptional good food-products.

Not only beer, brewed along centuries old traditions, but also hams, patés, sausages, trout, cheeses, breads and cookies, mustards, natural spring-waters ... and a lot more. Spa, is actual a town in the Ardennes, who gave its name to all spring-resorts. Americans remember still the battle of the Bulge, fought on Walloon territory.

Two other interesting facts: the Saxophone was invented by Adolph Sax, a Wallonian citizen. Walloons were among the first settlers on Manhattan Island, even before the Dutch arrived.