Wallonian

Wallonian refers to anything relating to Wallonia, the predominantly French‑speaking region of southern Belgium. Wallonia, including the provinces of Walloon Brabant, Namur, Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, and part of the Belgian Ardennes, lies to the east and south of the Dutch‑speaking Flemish region. Its capital is Namur, while Liège and Charleroi serve as major economic centres.

Approximately 4.2 million residents live in Wallonia, constituting about 55 % of Belgium’s population. French is the official language, with regional varieties such as Walloon and the Moselle Franconian dialects also spoken. The region observes the Central European Time zone and uses the euro as currency.

Wallonia’s economy has historically been driven by heavy industry, especially coal mining, steel production, and railway manufacturing. Although these sectors declined in the late twentieth century, the region has diversified into chemicals, pharmaceuticals, high‑tech manufacturing, agro‑food, and tourism, particularly in the historic towns of Dinant, Sélestat, and the Burgundian offerings of the Liège Basin. The Ardennes forest provides outdoor recreation and a growing eco‑tourism base.

Politically, Wallonia is a co‑diagonal region of the federal Belgian state. It has its own Parliament and Government, responsible for areas such as economy, environment, local government and public works, while national matters remain with the federal authorities. The region operates a system of regional languages and cooperates closely with Luxembourg‑Belgian cross‑border initiatives, reflecting its position at a linguistic and economic frontier.