Concept:
- Belgium is used in the chapter on power sharing as an example of how a small and ethnically divided country can be governed peacefully.
- Its size and its location are both part of the standard description.
Step 1: Recall the description given in the chapter.
Belgium is a
small country in Europe, smaller in area than the state of Haryana. It shares borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.
Step 2: Recall its population and composition.
It has a population of a little over one crore, about half the population of Haryana. Of the total, fifty nine per cent live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch, forty per cent live in Wallonia and speak French, and the remaining one per cent speak German.
Step 3: Rule out the remaining options.
Belgium is neither in Asia nor in North America nor in Africa, so options (B), (C) and (D) are wrong on the count of continent alone. Two of them also wrongly call it big.
Step 4: Note why the size matters to the chapter.
Because it is small and its two main communities are close in number, the arrangement worked out between them is a striking example of accommodation. This is why Belgium is contrasted with Sri Lanka in the same chapter.
Final Answer: (A) Small country of Europe