Multilinguistic skills are a great advantage
In the competition with other European regions, East Belgium offers a very rare advantage: the multilinguistic skills of its population. East Belgium is located at the joint of the Roman and German cultures and the majority of the population is fluent in German, French, and Dutch.
German and French are the official languages.
German Speaking CommunityFor the most part, the inhabitants use standard German in public administration, in schools, religious life, and interpersonal relations. Aside from this, dialects have always played a role in social relations and continue to do so:
- Canton Eupen (Kelmis, Lontzen, Eupen and Raeren): Low Franconian (Low German) and Rhine Franconian
- Canton St. Vith ((Bütgenbach, Büllingen, Amel, St. Vith and Burg-Reuland): Moselle Franconina and Rhine Franconian (both Standard German)
A minority, chiefly in the northern communities Kelmis, Lontzen and Eupen, speaks French. However, based on the territory principal, which is valid and Belgium, an official census comparing the ratio between German language and French language inhabitants is not permitted.
Canton Malmedy (Malmedy and Waimes)
Here, French is the official language, German is the official second language. A German language minority is located chiefly in Waimes, but also in Malmedy. In the tourist and Horeca industry, as well as business life, most employees are multilingual: French-German-Dutch. The population is part of the East Walloon dialect group. In Malmedy, street signs are written in French and Walloon.
