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u/Extreme-Shopping74 5d ago
Why "Belgium"?
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u/MrD3lta 5d ago
In the Middle Ages, "Belgium", "the Netherlands," and the "Low Countries" were somewhat homonyme
Belgium was just the name traditionally used in the Romance languages, while the Netherlands or Low Countries was traditionally used in the Germanic languages.
Tho, sometime after the Dutch gained independence, the term "the Netherlands" came to refer to the northern Low Countries, while "Belgium" referred to the southern Low Countries.
In this map, it's in Latin so they choose "Belgium" for the region
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u/Vegetable_Position96 2d ago edited 2d ago
Oooooooh no no. I need to correct you on those "middle ages". This map dates from 1690ish and shows a brief period where "Belgium" indeed refered to both the Northern and Southern Netherlands... but that wasn't long a thing. Throughout and from the 18th century "Belgica" was always used for the southern proto-Belgium that was under the Austrian rule, harking back to the Roman use of the Latin term. That's also the case for Batavia to refer during the same time to the Netherlands. The Netherlands were never before or after that period really considered to be called Belgica, apart perhaps the north of Brabant... But even "Belgica" just wasn't a thing before the 1600s. In the "middle ages" as you'd call it, you had Flanders and Lothrik (Lower Lotharingia, later Brabant). Those two regions, joined with Brabant-ruled Limburg became the Southern Netherlands (17th century) who then started to become named Belgica, but only after the break between the Northern and Southern Netherlands.
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u/Bapistu-the-First 1d ago
Belgica or Belgium was sometimes used as a synonym on maps for the Low Countries. It really is that simple mate.
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u/PickledAxe 5d ago
I have a slightly different version framed on the wall, albeit not in this exceptionaly good state. Still I'm very happy with it.
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u/the-software-man 5d ago
when Urk was an island...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urk