The World Business Angels Association (WBAA) was an international, not-for-profit organization whose mission was to stimulate the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the field of global angel capital financing for high-growth and innovative startups. It was closed around 2017.
132-598: It was based in Brussels and the WBAA was formed by the leaders of twelve national business angel federations to create an international community of business angel networks and leaders for the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship through the financing of high-growth start-up companies with the support of business angels worldwide. The organizational meeting of the WBAA was in Estoril , Portugal , on October 10, 2007 and
264-537: A Habsburg Empire "on which the sun never sets" with Brussels serving as one of his main capitals. It was in the Coudenberg Palace that Charles V was declared of age in 1515, and it was there in 1555 that he abdicated all of his possessions and passed the Habsburg Netherlands to King Philip II of Spain . This palace, famous all over Europe, had greatly expanded since it had first become
396-426: A bridge language , common language , trade language , auxiliary language , link language or language of wider communication ( LWC ), is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups of people who do not share a native language or dialect, particularly when it is a third language that is distinct from both of the speakers' native languages. Linguae francae have developed around
528-518: A federal district . The Brussels-Capital Region is governed by a parliament of 89 members (72 French-speaking, 17 Dutch-speaking—parties are organised on a linguistic basis) and an eight-member regional cabinet consisting of a minister-president , four ministers and three state secretaries . By law, the cabinet must comprise two French-speaking and two Dutch-speaking ministers, one Dutch-speaking secretary of state and two French-speaking secretaries of state. The minister-president does not count against
660-785: A vernacular language is the native language of a specific geographical community, a lingua franca is used beyond the boundaries of its original community, for trade, religious, political, or academic reasons. For example, English is a vernacular in the United Kingdom but it is used as a lingua franca in the Philippines , alongside Filipino . Likewise, Arabic , French , Standard Chinese , Russian and Spanish serve similar purposes as industrial and educational lingua francas across regional and national boundaries. Even though they are used as bridge languages, international auxiliary languages such as Esperanto have not had
792-525: A common language, and spread across the Arab and Muslim worlds. In Djibouti and parts of Eritrea , both of which are countries where multiple official languages are spoken, Arabic has emerged as a lingua franca in part thanks to the population of the region being predominantly Muslim and Arabic playing a crucial role in Islam. In addition, after having fled from Eritrea due to ongoing warfare and gone to some of
924-671: A few neighbouring municipalities have been merged into the City of Brussels , including Laeken , Haren and Neder-Over-Heembeek in 1921. These comprise the northern bulge in the municipality. To the south-east is a strip of land along the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan that, in addition to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos , was annexed from Ixelles in 1864. Part of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)'s Solbosch campus
1056-531: A great degree of adoption, so they are not described as lingua francas. The term lingua franca derives from Mediterranean Lingua Franca (also known as Sabir ), the pidgin language that people around the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean Sea used as the main language of commerce and diplomacy from the late Middle Ages to the 18th century, most notably during the Renaissance era . During that period,
1188-855: A minority language in the Baltic states and some other states in Eastern Europe, as well as in pre- opening China. It remains the official language of the Commonwealth of Independent States . Russian is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union , its use has declined in post-Soviet states. Parts of the Russian speaking minorities outside Russia have emigrated to Russia or assimilated into their countries of residence by learning
1320-777: A national legislative act, in the field of the welfare powers of the communities: in the Brussels-Capital Region, both the French Community and the Flemish Community can exercise powers in the field of welfare, but only in regard to institutions that are unilingual (for example, a private French-speaking retirement home or the Dutch-speaking hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel ). The Common Community Commission
1452-551: A native language. In medical practices and hospitals, nurses typically communicate with other professionals in English as a lingua franca. This occurrence has led to interest in researching the consequences of the medical community communicating in a lingua franca. English is also sometimes used in Switzerland between people who do not share one of Switzerland's four official languages , or with foreigners who are not fluent in
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#17328022728991584-810: A number of NATO Summits have been held in Brussels, the most recent taking place in June 2021. The organisation's political and administrative headquarters are located on the Boulevard Léopold III / Leopold III-laan in Haren , on the north-eastern perimeter of the City of Brussels . A new €750 million headquarters building begun in 2010 and was completed in 2017. Lingua franca A lingua franca ( / ˌ l ɪ ŋ ɡ w ə ˈ f r æ ŋ k ə / ; lit. ' Frankish tongue ' ; for plurals see § Usage notes ), also known as
1716-664: A process of change the lingua franca and Portuguese lexicon was replaced with the languages of the people in contact. Portuguese remains an important lingua franca in the Portuguese-speaking African countries , East Timor , and to a certain extent in Macau where it is recognized as an official language alongside Chinese though in practice not commonly spoken. Portuguese and Spanish have a certain degree of mutual intelligibility and mixed languages such as Portuñol are used to facilitate communication in areas like
1848-498: A simplified version of mainly Italian in the eastern Mediterranean and Spanish in the western Mediterranean that incorporated many loanwords from Greek , Slavic languages , Arabic , and Turkish came to be widely used as the "lingua franca" of the region, although some scholars claim that the Mediterranean Lingua Franca was just poorly used Italian. In Lingua Franca (the specific language), lingua
1980-591: A variant spoken in Riau specifically as the basis for " Indonesian " for national use despite Javanese having more native speakers; this standard is the sole official language spoken throughout the vast country despite being the first language of some Indonesians. Swahili developed as a lingua franca between several Bantu -speaking tribal groups on the east coast of Africa with heavy influence from Arabic. The earliest examples of writing in Swahili are from 1711. In
2112-607: A variety of fields and international organizations to communicate with one another. English is the most spoken language in the world, primarily due to the historical global influence of the British Empire and the United States . It is a co-official language of the United Nations and many other international and regional organizations and has also become the de facto language of diplomacy , science , international trade , tourism , aviation , entertainment and
2244-710: A widely studied language in Central Europe and the Balkans, especially in former Yugoslavia . It is recognized as an official language in countries outside of Europe, specifically Namibia . German is also one of the working languages of the EU along English and French, but it is used less in that role than the other two. Today, Standard Mandarin Chinese is the lingua franca of China and Taiwan , which are home to many mutually unintelligible varieties of Chinese and, in
2376-736: Is 57 m (187 ft) above sea level , varying from a low point in the valley of the almost completely covered Senne , which cuts the Brussels-Capital Region from east to west, up to high points in the Sonian Forest , on its southeastern side. In addition to the Senne, tributary streams such as the Maalbeek and the Woluwe , to the east of the region, account for significant elevation differences. Brussels' central boulevards are 15 m (49 ft) above sea level. Contrary to popular belief,
2508-577: Is a bilingual enclave in the monolingual Flemish Region. Regions are one component of Belgium's institutions; the three communities being the other component. Brussels' inhabitants deal with either the French Community or the Flemish Community for matters such as culture and education, as well as a Common Community for competencies which do not belong exclusively to either Community, such as healthcare and social welfare . Since
2640-794: Is also a national and international hub for rail, road and air traffic, and is sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as Europe's geographic, economic and cultural crossroads. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country. Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomic offer (including its local waffle , its chocolate , its French fries and its numerous types of beers ), as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Principal attractions include its historic Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square), Manneken Pis ,
2772-573: Is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken widely and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well. Brussels grew from a small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe. Since the end of the Second World War , it has been a major centre for international politics and home to numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants . Brussels
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#17328022728992904-473: Is also part of the City of Brussels, partially accounting for the bulge in the south-eastern end. The largest municipality in area and population is the City of Brussels, covering 32.6 km (12.6 sq mi) and with 145,917 inhabitants; the least populous is Koekelberg with 18,541 inhabitants. The smallest in area is Saint-Josse-ten-Noode , which is only 1.1 km (0.4 sq mi), but still has
3036-569: Is attested across a wide geography beyond South Asia. Inscriptions and literary evidence suggest that Sanskrit was already being adopted in Southeast Asia and Central Asia in the 1st millennium CE, through monks, religious pilgrims and merchants. Until the early 20th century, Literary Chinese served as both the written lingua franca and the diplomatic language in East Asia, including China, Korea , Japan , Ryūkyū , and Vietnam . In
3168-462: Is composed of the members of the regional parliament, and its board are the ministers—not the secretaries of state—of the region, with the minister-president not having the right to vote. This commission has two capacities: it is a decentralised administrative public body, responsible for implementing cultural policies of common interest. It can give subsidies and enact by-laws . In another capacity, it can also enact ordinances, which have equal status as
3300-482: Is controversial, and which have sometimes been identified with each other. These are: Ajem-Turkic functioned as lingua franca in the Caucasus region and in southeastern Dagestan , and was widely spoken at the court and in the army of Safavid Iran . English is sometimes described as the foremost global lingua franca, being used as a working language by individuals of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in
3432-569: Is equally applicable to a non-creole language native to one nation (often a colonial power) learned as a second language and used for communication between diverse language communities in a colony or former colony. Lingua francas are often pre-existing languages with native speakers, but they can also be pidgins or creoles developed for that specific region or context. Pidgins are rapidly developed and simplified combinations of two or more established languages, while creoles are generally viewed as pidgins that have evolved into fully complex languages in
3564-522: Is from the Italian for 'a language'. Franca is related to Greek Φρᾰ́γκοι ( Phránkoi ) and Arabic إِفْرَنْجِي ( ʾifranjiyy ) as well as the equivalent Italian—in all three cases, the literal sense is ' Frankish ', leading to the direct translation: 'language of the Franks '. During the late Byzantine Empire , Franks was a term that applied to all Western Europeans. Through changes of
3696-477: Is one of the three federal regions of Belgium , along with Flanders and Wallonia , and has bilingual status. The yellow iris is the emblem of the region (referring to the presence of these flowers on the city's original site) and a stylised version is featured on its official flag. In recent years, Brussels has become an important venue for international events. In 2000, it was named European Capital of Culture alongside eight other European cities. In 2013,
3828-727: Is pronounced / s / , as in English , and the final s is silent) and in Dutch, Brussel is pronounced [ˈbrʏsəl] . Inhabitants of Brussels are known in French as Bruxellois (pronounced [bʁysɛlwa] ) and in Dutch as Brusselaars (pronounced [ˈbrʏsəlaːrs] ). In the Brabantian dialect of Brussels (known as Brusselian , and also sometimes referred to as Marols or Marollien), they are called Brusseleers or Brusseleirs . Originally,
3960-765: Is related to different conceptions in the two communities, one focusing more on the Communities and the other more on the Regions, causing an asymmetrical federalism . Because of this devolution, the French Community Commission can enact decrees , which are legislative acts. A bi-communitarian public authority, the Common Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire commune , COCOM, Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie , GGC) also exists. Its assembly
4092-413: Is responsible for policies aiming directly at private persons or at bilingual institutions (for example, the centres for social welfare of the 19 municipalities). Its ordinances have to be enacted with a majority in both linguistic groups. Failing such a majority, a new vote can be held, where a majority of at least one third in each linguistic group is sufficient. Brussels serves as de facto capital of
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4224-546: Is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave ) and the Walloon Region , located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the majority language and lingua franca . Brussels
4356-659: Is the de facto capital of the European Union , as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions , including its administrative-legislative , executive-political , and legislative branches (though the judicial branch is located in Luxembourg , and the European Parliament meets for a minority of the year in Strasbourg ). Because of this, its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe
4488-526: Is the preferred and dominant language used for inter-communication between different ethnic groups of Pakistan. Malay is understood across a cultural region in Southeast Asia called the " Malay world " including Brunei , Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand , and certain parts of the Philippines. It is pluricentric , with several nations codifying a local vernacular variety into several national literary standards: Indonesia notably adopts
4620-519: Is the primary medium of education and serves as the lingua franca among citizens. Even in countries not associated with the English-speaking world , English has emerged as a lingua franca in certain situations where its use is perceived to be more efficient to communicate, especially among groups consisting of native speakers of many languages. In Qatar , the medical community is primarily made up of workers from countries without English as
4752-766: Is used as a lingua franca in Switzerland to some extent; however, English is generally preferred to avoid favoring it over the three other official languages. Middle Low German used to be the Lingua franca during the late Hohenstaufen till the mid-15th century periods, in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea when extensive trading was done by the Hanseatic League along the Baltic and North Seas. German remains
4884-463: The Atlantic Ocean . Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements in the period 1981–2010), there are approximately 135 days of rain per year in the Brussels-Capital Region. Snowfall is infrequent, averaging 24 days per year. The city also often experiences violent thunderstorms in summer months. Despite its name, the Brussels-Capital Region is not
5016-680: The Atomium , and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie/De Munt and the Museums of Art and History . Due to its long tradition of Belgian comics , Brussels is also hailed as a capital of the comic strip . The most common theory of the origin of the name Brussels is that it derives from the Old Dutch Bruocsella , Broekzele or Broeksel , meaning ' marsh ' ( bruoc / broek ) and ' home, settlement ' ( sella / zele / sel ) or ' settlement in
5148-588: The Belgian Revolution began in Brussels, after a performance of Auber's opera La Muette de Portici at the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie . The city became the capital and seat of government of the new nation. South Brabant was renamed simply Brabant , with Brussels as its administrative centre. On 21 July 1831, Leopold I , the first King of the Belgians , ascended the throne, undertaking
5280-609: The Brussels International Exposition of 1935 and the 1958 Brussels World's Fair ( Expo 58 ). During World War I , Brussels was an occupied city, but German troops did not cause much damage. During World War II , it was again occupied by German forces , and spared major damage, before it was liberated by the British Guards Armoured Division on 3 September 1944. Brussels Airport , in the suburb of Zaventem , dates from
5412-490: The Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale ; Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest ), is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities , including the City of Brussels , which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community , but
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5544-793: The Carpathian Mountains , the Danube and the Black sea , corresponding to Wallachia and Moldavia . Nowadays, the Cyrillic writing system is used for various languages across Eurasia, and as the national script in various Slavic, Turkic , Mongolic , Uralic , Caucasian and Iranic -speaking countries in Southeastern Europe , Eastern Europe, the Caucasus , Central, North, and East Asia. The Mediterranean Lingua Franca
5676-775: The Council of Ministers holds its meetings. The Court of Cassation , Belgium's main court, has its seat in the Palace of Justice . Other important institutions in the City of Brussels are the Constitutional Court , the Council of State , the Court of Audit , the Royal Belgian Mint and the National Bank of Belgium . The City of Brussels is also the capital of both the French Community of Belgium and
5808-434: The European Union (EU), and many modern offices were built. Development was allowed to proceed with little regard to the aesthetics of newer buildings, and numerous architectural landmarks were demolished to make way for newer buildings that often clashed with their surroundings, giving name to the process of Brusselisation . The Brussels-Capital Region was formed on 18 June 1989, after a constitutional reform in 1988. It
5940-472: The European Union (EU), hosting the major political institutions of the Union . The EU has not declared a capital formally, though the Treaty of Amsterdam formally gives Brussels the seat of the European Commission (the executive branch of government) and the Council of the European Union (a legislative institution made up from executives of member states). It locates the formal seat of European Parliament in Strasbourg , where votes take place, with
6072-435: The Flemish Community . The Flemish Parliament and Flemish Government have their seats in Brussels, and so do the Parliament of the French Community and the Government of the French Community . The 19 municipalities (French: communes , Dutch: gemeenten ) of the Brussels-Capital Region are political subdivisions with individual responsibilities for the handling of local level duties, such as law enforcement and
6204-467: The French Caribbean , French is the lingua franca in professional sectors and education, even though it is not the native language of the majority. French continues to be used as a lingua franca in certain cultural fields such as cuisine , fashion , and sport . As a consequence of Brexit , French has been increasingly used as a lingua franca in the European Union and its institutions either alongside or, at times, in place of English. German
6336-423: The French Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire française or COCOF) and the Flemish Community Commission (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie or VGC). These two bodies each have an assembly composed of the members of each linguistic group of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region . They also have a board composed of the ministers and secretaries of state of each linguistic group in
6468-431: The Grand-Place/Grote Markt and Tomberg in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert , for example). During late antiquity , the region was home to Roman occupation, as attested by archaeological evidence discovered on the current site of Tour & Taxis , north-west of the Pentagon (Brussels' city centre). Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire , it was incorporated into the Frankish Empire . According to local legend,
6600-452: The Internet . When the United Kingdom became a colonial power, English served as the lingua franca of the colonies of the British Empire . In the post-colonial period, most of the newly independent nations which had many indigenous languages opted to continue using English as one of their official languages such as Ghana and South Africa . In other former colonies with several official languages such as Singapore and Fiji , English
6732-448: The Kingdom of Germany , Brussels became a commercial centre specialised in the textile trade. The town grew quite rapidly and extended towards the upper town (Treurenberg, Coudenberg and Sablon/Zavel areas), where there was a reduced risk of floods. As the town grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. In 1183, the Counts of Leuven became Dukes of Brabant . Brabant, unlike
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#17328022728996864-578: The Mediterranean Basin from the 11th to the 19th centuries. A world language —a language spoken internationally and by many people—is a language that may function as a global lingua franca. Any language regularly used for communication between people who do not share a native language is a lingua franca. Lingua franca is a functional term, independent of any linguistic history or language structure. Pidgins are therefore lingua francas; creoles and arguably mixed languages may similarly be used for communication between language groups. But lingua franca
6996-403: The Royal Palace of Laeken , the official home of the Belgian royal family ). The Palace of the Nation is located on the opposite side of this park, and is the seat of the Belgian Federal Parliament . The office of the Prime Minister of Belgium , colloquially called Law Street 16 (French: 16, rue de la Loi , Dutch: Wetstraat 16 ), is located adjacent to this building. It is also where
7128-406: The Seventeen Provinces . After the death of Mary in 1482, her son Philip the Handsome succeeded as Duke of Burgundy and Brabant. Philip died in 1506, and he was succeeded by his son Charles V who then also became King of Spain (crowned in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula ) and even Holy Roman Emperor at the death of his grandfather Maximilian I in 1519. Charles was now the ruler of
7260-456: The Silk Road , which is why native speakers of Sogdian were employed as translators in Tang China . The Sogdians also ended up circulating spiritual beliefs and texts, including those of Buddhism and Christianity , thanks to their ability to communicate to many people in the region through their native language. Old Church Slavonic , an Eastern South Slavic language, is the first Slavic literary language . Between 9th and 11th century, it
7392-452: The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Spanish sovereignty over the Southern Netherlands was transferred to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg. This event started the era of the Austrian Netherlands . Brussels was captured by France in 1746, during the War of the Austrian Succession , but was handed back to Austria three years later. It remained with Austria until 1795, when the Southern Netherlands were captured and annexed by France, and
7524-410: The World Customs Organization and Eurocontrol , as well as international corporations, have their main institutions in the city. In addition, the main international trade union confederations have their headquarters there: the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). Brussels is third in
7656-454: The boroughs in London or arrondissements in Paris , to keep politics close enough to the citizen. In the 2010s, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean gained international attention as the base for Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both Paris and Brussels . The Brussels-Capital Region is one of the three federated regions of Belgium, alongside the Walloon Region and the Flemish Region . Geographically and linguistically, it
7788-416: The largest in Belgium . It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards the cities of Ghent , Antwerp , and Leuven , known as the Flemish Diamond , as well as the province of Walloon Brabant , in total home to over 5 million people. As Belgium's economic capital and a top financial centre in Western Europe with Euronext Brussels , Brussels is classified as an Alpha global city . It
7920-477: The 12th century AD. Tamil was used for inscriptions from the 10th through 14th centuries in southern Karnataka districts such as Kolar , Mysore , Mandya and Bangalore . Latin , through the power of the Roman Republic , became the dominant language in Italy and subsequently throughout the realms of the Roman Empire. Even after the Fall of the Western Roman Empire , Latin was the common language of communication, science, and academia in Europe until well into
8052-416: The 18th century, when other regional vernaculars (including its own descendants, the Romance languages) supplanted it in common academic and political usage, and it eventually became a dead language in the modern linguistic definition. Classical Māori is the retrospective name for the language (formed out of many dialects, albeit all mutually intelligible) of both the North Island and the South Island for
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#17328022728998184-473: The 800 years before the European settlement of New Zealand . Māori shared a common language that was used for trade, inter- iwi dialogue on marae , and education through wānanga . After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi , Māori language was the lingua franca of the Colony of New Zealand until English superseded it in the 1870s. The description of Māori language as New Zealand's 19th-century lingua franca has been widely accepted. The language
8316-407: The Burgundian duke Charles the Bold perished in the Battle of Nancy . Through the marriage of his daughter Mary of Burgundy (who was born in Brussels) to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I , the Low Countries fell under Habsburg sovereignty. Brabant was integrated into this composite state, and Brussels flourished as the Princely Capital of the prosperous Burgundian Netherlands , also known as
8448-496: The EU and its institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels. Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium, and although it has the highest GDP per capita , it has the lowest available income per household. The Brussels Region covers 162 km (63 sq mi) and has a population of over 1.2 million. Its five times larger metropolitan area comprises over 2.5 million people, which makes it
8580-426: The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region. The French Community Commission also has another capacity: some legislative powers of the French Community have been devolved to the Walloon Region (for the French language area of Belgium) and to the French Community Commission (for the bilingual language area). The Flemish Community, however, did the opposite; it merged the Flemish Region into the Flemish Community. This
8712-437: The Parliament. Nowadays, the presence has increased considerably, with the Commission alone occupying 865,000 m (9,310,000 sq ft) within the European Quarter (a quarter of the total office space in Brussels). The concentration and density has caused concern that the presence of the institutions has created a ghetto effect in that part of the city. However, the European presence has contributed significantly to
8844-430: The Portuguese Empire, Africa, South America and Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries. When the Portuguese started exploring the seas of Africa, America, Asia and Oceania, they tried to communicate with the natives by mixing a Portuguese-influenced version of lingua franca with the local languages. When Dutch, English or French ships came to compete with the Portuguese, the crews tried to learn this "broken Portuguese". Through
8976-908: The WBAA was to raise global awareness of the importance and practice of business angel investment, stimulate the exchange of best practices in angel investing, and enhance the development of cross-border angel investing. It did this by promoting the professionalization of the angel market through the fostering of angel groups and associations; coordinating research produced on the angel market worldwide; standardizing terminology at an international level regarding angel investing; organizing in-person meetings and conferences for international angel investors; and developing online resources for information about, and access to, local, regional and cross-border angel investing resources. Brussels Brussels ( French : Bruxelles , pronounced [bʁysɛl] or [bʁyksɛl] ; Dutch : Brussel [ˈbrʏsəl] ), officially
9108-520: The border area between Brazil and Uruguay. The Hindustani language , with Hindi and Urdu as dual standard varieties, serves as the lingua franca of Pakistan and Northern India . Many Hindi-speaking North Indian states have adopted the three-language formula in which students are taught: "(a) Hindi (with Sanskrit as part of the composite course); (b) Any other modern Indian language including Urdu and (c) English or any other modern European language." The order in non-Hindi speaking states is: "(a)
9240-405: The breakup of much of the empire in the Americas, its function as a lingua franca was solidified by the governments of the newly independent nations of what is now Hispanic America . While its usage in Spain's Asia-Pacific colonies has largely died out except in the Philippines , where it is still spoken by a small minority, Spanish became the lingua franca of what is now Equatorial Guinea , being
9372-435: The capital of Belgium . Article 194 of the Belgian Constitution establishes that the capital of Belgium is the City of Brussels , the municipality in the region that is the city's core. The City of Brussels is the location of many national institutions. The Royal Palace of Brussels , where the King of the Belgians exercises his prerogatives as head of state, is situated alongside Brussels Park (not to be confused with
9504-483: The case of Taiwan, indigenous Formosan languages . Among many Chinese diaspora communities, Cantonese is often used as the lingua franca instead, particularly in Southeast Asia, due to a longer history of immigration and trade networks with southern China, although Mandarin has also been adopted in some circles since the 2000s. Arabic was used as a lingua franca across the Islamic empires, whose sizes necessitated
9636-758: The centre of activities, as the Commission and Council based their activities in what has become the European Quarter , in the east of the city. Early building in Brussels was sporadic and uncontrolled, with little planning. The current major buildings are the Berlaymont building of the commission, symbolic of the quarter as a whole, the Europa building of the Council and the Espace Léopold of
9768-696: The city became the chef-lieu of the department of the Dyle . The French rule ended in 1815, with the defeat of Napoleon on the battlefield of Waterloo , located south of today's Brussels-Capital Region. With the Congress of Vienna , the Southern Netherlands joined the United Kingdom of the Netherlands , under King William I of Orange . The former Dyle department became the province of South Brabant , with Brussels as its capital. In 1830,
9900-628: The city was the site of the Brussels Agreement . In 2014, it hosted the 40th G7 summit , and in 2017, 2018 and 2021 respectively the 28th , 29th and 31st NATO Summits . On 22 March 2016 , three coordinated nail bombings were detonated by ISIL in Brussels—two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem and one at Maalbeek/Maelbeek metro station —resulting in 32 victims and three suicide bombers killed, and 330 people were injured. It
10032-486: The council was subject to many difficulties caused by the linguistic and socio-economic tensions between the two communities. After the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Brussels Agglomeration was never formally abolished, although it no longer has a purpose. The French Community and the Flemish Community exercise their powers in Brussels through two community-specific public authorities:
10164-635: The council, on the proposals made by the commission. However, meetings of political groups and committee groups are formally given to Brussels, along with a set number of plenary sessions. Three quarters of Parliament sessions now take place at its Brussels hemicycle . Between 2002 and 2004, the European Council also fixed its seat in the city. In 2014, the Union hosted a G7 summit in the city. Brussels, along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, began to host European institutions in 1957, soon becoming
10296-534: The county of Flanders, was not fief of the king of France but was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire . In the early 13th century, the first walls of Brussels were built and after this, the city grew significantly. Around this time, work began on what is now the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (1225), replacing an older Romanesque church. To let the city expand, a second set of walls
10428-799: The course of adaptation by subsequent generations. Pre-existing lingua francas such as French are used to facilitate intercommunication in large-scale trade or political matters, while pidgins and creoles often arise out of colonial situations and a specific need for communication between colonists and indigenous peoples. Pre-existing lingua francas are generally widespread, highly developed languages with many native speakers. Conversely, pidgins are very simplified means of communication, containing loose structuring, few grammatical rules, and possessing few or no native speakers. Creole languages are more developed than their ancestral pidgins, utilizing more complex structure, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as having substantial communities of native speakers. Whereas
10560-569: The destruction of the city walls and the construction of many buildings. Following independence, Brussels underwent many more changes. It became a financial centre, thanks to the dozens of companies launched by the Société Générale de Belgique . The Industrial Revolution and the opening of the Brussels–Charleroi Canal in 1832 brought prosperity to the city through commerce and manufacturing. The Free University of Brussels
10692-558: The development of the Art Nouveau style in the 1890s and early 1900s. The architects Victor Horta , Paul Hankar , and Henry van de Velde , among others, were known for their designs, many of which survive today. During the 20th century, the city hosted various fairs and conferences, including the Solvay Conference on Physics and on Chemistry, and three world's fairs : the Brussels International Exposition of 1910 ,
10824-549: The early 19th century the use of Swahili as a lingua franca moved inland with the Arabic ivory and slave traders. It was eventually adopted by Europeans as well during periods of colonization in the area. German colonizers used it as the language of administration in German East Africa , later becoming Tanganyika , which influenced the choice to use it as a national language in what is now independent Tanzania . Swahili
10956-784: The early 20th century, vernacular written Chinese replaced Classical Chinese within China as both the written and spoken lingua franca for speakers of different Chinese dialects, and because of the declining power and cultural influence of China in East Asia, English has since replaced Classical Chinese as the lingua franca in East Asia. Koine Greek was the lingua franca of the Hellenistic culture. Koine Greek (Modern Greek : Ελληνιστική Κοινή , romanized : Ellinistikí Kiní , lit. 'Common Greek'; Greek: [elinistiˈci ciˈni] ), also known as Alexandrian dialect, common Attic, Hellenistic, or Biblical Greek,
11088-531: The entire history of Brussels. The Grand-Place was destroyed, along with 4,000 buildings—a third of all the buildings in the city. The reconstruction of the city centre , effected during subsequent years, profoundly changed its appearance and left numerous traces still visible today. During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1708, Brussels again sustained a French attack , which it repelled. Following
11220-420: The former being first-listed or only-listed in major dictionaries. The use of lingua francas has existed since antiquity. Akkadian remained the common language of a large part of Western Asia from several earlier empires, until it was supplanted in this role by Aramaic . Sanskrit historically served as a lingua franca throughout the majority of South Asia. The Sanskrit language's historic presence
11352-616: The highest point (at 127.5 m (418 ft)) is not near the Place de l'Altitude Cent / Hoogte Honderdplein in Forest , but at the Drève des Deux Montages / Tweebergendreef in the Sonian Forest. Brussels experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with warm summers and cool winters. Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from
11484-400: The highest population density in the region, with 20,822/km (53,930/sq mi). Watermael-Boitsfort has the lowest population density in the region, with 1,928/km (4,990/sq mi). There is much controversy on the division of 19 municipalities for a highly urbanised region, which is considered as (half of) one city by most people. Some politicians mock the "19 baronies" and want to merge
11616-562: The importance of Brussels as an international centre. Brussels has, since World War II , become the administrative centre of many international organisations. The city is the political and administrative centre of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO's Brussels headquarters houses 29 embassies and brings together over 4,500 staff from allied nations, their militaries, and civil service personnel. Many other international organisations such as
11748-539: The language of communication between European academics, merchants, and diplomats. With the expansion of Western colonial empires, French became the main language of diplomacy and international relations up until World War II when it was replaced by English due the rise of the United States as the leading superpower . Stanley Meisler of the Los Angeles Times said that the fact that the Treaty of Versailles
11880-544: The language quota, but in practice every minister-president has been a bilingual francophone. The regional parliament can enact ordinances (French: ordonnances , Dutch: ordonnanties ), which have equal status as a national legislative act. Nineteen of the 72 French-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament are also members of the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium , and, until 2004, this
12012-454: The lingua franca for most of ancient Tamilakam and Sri Lanka . John Guy states that Tamil was also the lingua franca for early maritime traders from India. The language and its dialects were used widely in the state of Kerala as the major language of administration, literature and common usage until the 12th century AD. Tamil was also used widely in inscriptions found in the southern Andhra Pradesh districts of Chittoor and Nellore until
12144-486: The local language and using it preferably in daily communication. In Central European countries that were members of the Warsaw Pact , where Russian was only a political language used in international communication and where there was no Russian minority, the Russian language practically does not exist, and in schools it was replaced by English as the primary foreign language. Portuguese served as lingua franca in
12276-591: The local language. In the European Union , the use of English as a lingua franca has led researchers to investigate whether a Euro English dialect has emerged. In the fields of technology and science, English emerged as a lingua franca in the 20th century. The Spanish language spread mainly throughout the New World , becoming a lingua franca in the territories and colonies of the Spanish Empire , which also included parts of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. After
12408-537: The main language of government and education and is spoken by the vast majority of the population. Due to large numbers of immigrants from Latin America in the second half of the 20th century and resulting influence, Spanish has also emerged somewhat as a lingua franca in parts of the Southwestern United States and southern Florida , especially in communities where native Spanish speakers form
12540-433: The main royal courts of Europe, and among intellectuals. This lasted from the 14th century to the end of the 16th, when French replaced Italian as the usual lingua franca in northern Europe. Italian musical terms, in particular dynamic and tempo notations, have continued in use to the present day. Classical Quechua is either of two historical forms of Quechua , the exact relationship and degree of closeness between which
12672-697: The major language of the state or region; (b) Hindi; (c) Any other modern Indian language including Urdu but excluding (a) and (b) above; and (d) English or any other modern European language." Hindi has also emerged as a lingua franca in Arunachal Pradesh , a linguistically diverse state in Northeast India. It is estimated that nine-tenths of the state's population knows Hindi. Urdu is the lingua franca of Pakistan and had gained significant influence amongst its people, administration and education. While it shares official status with English, Urdu
12804-434: The majority of the population. At present it is the second most used language in international trade, and the third most used in politics, diplomacy and culture after English and French. It is also one of the most taught foreign languages throughout the world and is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations . French is sometimes regarded as the first global lingua franca, having supplanted Latin as
12936-533: The many indigenous languages spoken in their territory. Notably, in most Francophone West and Central African countries, French has transitioned from being only a lingua franca to the native language among some communities, mostly in urban areas or among the elite class. In other regions such as the French-speaking countries of the Maghreb ( Algeria , Tunisia , Morocco , and Mauritania ) and parts of
13068-459: The marsh ' . Saint Vindicianus , the Bishop of Cambrai , made the first recorded reference to the place Brosella in 695, when it was still a hamlet . The names of all the municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region are also of Dutch origin, except for Evere , which is possibly Celtic or Old Frankish . In French , Bruxelles is pronounced [bʁysɛl] (the x
13200-412: The municipalities under one city council and one mayor. That would lower the number of politicians needed to govern Brussels, and centralise the power over the city to make decisions easier, thus reduce the overall running costs. The current municipalities could be transformed into districts with limited responsibilities, similar to the current structure of Antwerp or to structures of other capitals like
13332-533: The nearby Arab countries, Eritrean emigrants are contributing to Arabic becoming a lingua franca in the region by coming back to their homelands having picked up the Arabic language. Russian is in use and widely understood in Central Asia and the Caucasus , areas formerly part of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. Its use remains prevalent in many post-Soviet states . Russian has some presence as
13464-468: The number of international conferences it hosts, also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has, for example, led to there being more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than in Washington, D.C. The city hosts 120 international institutions, 181 embassies ( intra muros ) and more than 2,500 diplomats , making it
13596-472: The occupation. After World War II, Brussels underwent extensive modernisation. The construction of the North–South connection , linking the main railway stations in the city, was completed in 1952, while the first premetro (underground tram) service was launched in 1969, and the first Metro line was opened in 1976. Starting from the early 1960s, Brussels became the de facto capital of what would become
13728-417: The organization in other ways and participate actively in its programs. Countries whose national business angel federations are represented in the organization include Australia , Chile , China, France , Germany , India , Italy , New Zealand , Panama , Portugal, Scotland , Spain , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom , and the United States , as well as the European Union . The primary mission of
13860-526: The origin of the settlement which was to become Brussels lies in Saint Gaugericus ' construction of a chapel on an island in the river Senne around 580. The official founding of Brussels is usually said to be around 979, when Duke Charles of Lower Lorraine transferred the relics of the martyr Saint Gudula from Moorsel (located in today's province of East Flanders ) to Saint Gaugericus' chapel. When Holy Roman Emperor Otto II appointed
13992-419: The particular language) was first recorded in English during the 1670s, although an even earlier example of the use of it in English is attested from 1632, where it is also referred to as "Bastard Spanish". The term is well established in its naturalization to English and so major dictionaries do not italicize it as a "foreign" term. Its plurals in English are lingua francas and linguae francae , with
14124-544: The prestige language of politics, trade, education, diplomacy, and military in early modern Europe and later spreading around the world with the establishment of the French colonial empire . With France emerging as the leading political, economic, and cultural power of Europe in the 16th century, the language was adopted by royal courts throughout the continent, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Russia, and as
14256-457: The pronunciations [bʁyksɛl] and [bʁyksɛlwa] (for bruxellois ) are often heard, but are rather rare in Belgium. The history of Brussels is closely linked to that of Western Europe . Traces of human settlement go back to the Stone Age , with vestiges and place-names related to the civilisation of megaliths , dolmens and standing stones (Plattesteen near
14388-460: The reign of King Leopold II . The International Exposition of 1897 contributed to the promotion of the infrastructure. Among other things, the Palace of the Colonies , present-day Royal Museum for Central Africa , in the suburb of Tervuren , was connected to the capital by the construction of an 11 km-long (6.8 mi) grand alley . Brussels became one of the major European cities for
14520-547: The same Charles to become Duke of Lower Lotharingia in 977, Charles ordered the construction of the city's first permanent fortification, doing so on that same island. Lambert I of Leuven , Count of Leuven , gained the County of Brussels around 1000 by marrying Charles' daughter. Because of its location on the banks of the Senne, on an important trade route between the Flemish cities of Bruges and Ghent , and Cologne in
14652-534: The seat of the Dukes of Brabant, but it was destroyed by fire in 1731. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Brussels was a centre for the lace industry. In addition, Brussels tapestry hung on the walls of castles throughout Europe. In 1695, during the Nine Years' War , King Louis XIV of France sent troops to bombard Brussels with artillery . Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in
14784-402: The second centre of diplomatic relations in the world (after New York City ). International schools have also been established to serve this presence. The "international community" in Brussels numbers at least 70,000 people. In 2009, there were an estimated 286 lobbying consultancies known to work in Brussels. Finally, Brussels has more than 1,400 NGOs . The Treaty of Brussels , which
14916-409: The shift in the meaning of Lingua Franca from a single proper noun to a common noun encompassing a large class of pidgin languages. As recently as the late 20th century, some restricted the use of the generic term to mean only mixed languages that are used as vehicular languages, its original meaning. Douglas Harper's Online Etymology Dictionary states that the term Lingua Franca (as the name of
15048-540: The split of Brabant in 1995, the Brussels Region does not belong to any of the provinces of Belgium , nor is it subdivided into provinces itself. Within the Region, 99% of the areas of provincial jurisdiction are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions and community commissions. Remaining is only the governor of Brussels-Capital and some aides, analogously to provinces. Its status is roughly akin to that of
15180-567: The tenure of the city's then-mayor , Jules Anspach , its entire course through the urban area was completely covered over . This allowed urban renewal and the construction of modern buildings of Haussmann -esque style along grand central boulevards , characteristic of downtown Brussels today. Buildings such as the Brussels Stock Exchange (1873), the Palace of Justice (1883) and Saint Mary's Royal Church (1885) date from this period. This development continued throughout
15312-451: The term in literature, lingua franca has come to be interpreted as a general term for pidgins, creoles, and some or all forms of vehicular languages. This transition in meaning has been attributed to the idea that pidgin languages only became widely known from the 16th century on due to European colonization of continents such as The Americas, Africa, and Asia. During this time, the need for a term to address these pidgin languages arose, hence
15444-450: The upkeep of schools and roads within its borders. Municipal administration is also conducted by a mayor, a council, and an executive. In 1831, Belgium was divided into 2,739 municipalities, including the 19 currently located in the Brussels-Capital Region. Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium, the ones now located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975. However,
15576-436: The world throughout human history, sometimes for commercial reasons (so-called "trade languages" facilitated trade), but also for cultural, religious, diplomatic and administrative convenience, and as a means of exchanging information between scientists and other scholars of different nationalities. The term is taken from the medieval Mediterranean Lingua Franca , a Romance -based pidgin language used especially by traders in
15708-497: The written x noted the group / k s / . In the Belgian French pronunciation as well as in Dutch, the k eventually disappeared and z became s , as reflected in the current Dutch spelling , whereas in the more conservative French form , the spelling remained. The pronunciation / k s / in French only dates from the 18th century, but this modification did not affect the traditional Brussels usage. In France ,
15840-543: Was also the case for six Dutch-speaking members, who were at the same time members of the Flemish Parliament . Now, people voting for a Flemish party have to vote separately for 6 directly elected members of the Flemish Parliament. Before the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, regional competences in the 19 municipalities were performed by the Brussels Agglomeration. The Brussels Agglomeration
15972-432: Was an administrative division established in 1971. This decentralised administrative public body also assumed jurisdiction over areas which, elsewhere in Belgium, were exercised by municipalities or provinces. The Brussels Agglomeration had a separate legislative council, but the by-laws enacted by it did not have the status of a legislative act. The only election of the council took place on 21 November 1971. The working of
16104-897: Was co-organized by Portuguese Business Angels Federation (FNABA), European Business Angels Network (EBAN) and US Angel Capital Association (ACA). A follow-up meeting of the organization's Charter Members was held on April 19, 2009 in Dubai , leading to the Inaugural World Business Angels Association Global Conference in Beijing , China on December 5–6, 2009. WBAA was an NGO whose direct members are national federations, which in turn represent business angel groups and networks in their respective countries. Neither business angel groups themselves, nor individual business angel investors, are members of WBAA, although they may be involved with
16236-560: Was erected between 1356 and 1383. Traces of these walls can still be seen; the Small Ring , a series of boulevards bounding the historical city centre, follows their former course. In the 14th century, the marriage between heiress Margaret III of Flanders and Philip the Bold , Duke of Burgundy , produced a new Duke of Brabant of the House of Valois , namely Antoine , their son. In 1477,
16368-421: Was established in 1834 and Saint-Louis University in 1858. In 1835, the first passenger railway built outside England linked the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean with Mechelen . During the 19th century, the population of Brussels grew considerably; from about 80,000 to more than 625,000 people for the city and its surroundings. The Senne had become a serious health hazard , and from 1867 to 1871, under
16500-556: Was initially vital for all European and Chinese migrants in New Zealand to learn, as Māori formed a majority of the population, owned nearly all the country's land and dominated the economy until the 1860s. Discriminatory laws such as the Native Schools Act 1867 contributed to the demise of Māori language as a lingua franca. Sogdian was used to facilitate trade between those who spoke different languages along
16632-529: Was largely based on Italian and Provençal . This language was spoken from the 11th to 19th centuries around the Mediterranean basin, particularly in the European commercial empires of Italian cities ( Genoa , Venice, Florence , Milan, Pisa , Siena ) and in trading ports located throughout the eastern Mediterranean rim. During the Renaissance , standard Italian was spoken as a language of culture in
16764-775: Was originally used at both schools, though the Cyrillic script was developed early on at the Preslav Literary School , where it superseded Glagolitic as the official script in Bulgaria in 893. Old Church Slavonic spread to other South-Eastern, Central, and Eastern European Slavic territories, most notably Croatia , Serbia , Bohemia , Lesser Poland , and principalities of the Kievan Rus' while retaining characteristically South Slavic linguistic features. It spread also to not completely Slavic territories between
16896-613: Was signed on 17 March 1948 between Belgium, France , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and the United Kingdom , was a prelude to the establishment of the intergovernmental military alliance which later became the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Nowadays, the alliance consists of 32 independent member countries across North America and Europe. Several countries also have diplomatic missions to NATO through embassies in Belgium . Since 1949,
17028-636: Was the common supra-regional form of Greek spoken and written during the Hellenistic period , the Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire . It evolved from the spread of Greek following the conquests of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC, and served as the lingua franca of much of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East during the following centuries. Old Tamil was once
17160-556: Was the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium. Brussels lies in the north-central part of Belgium, about 110 km (68 mi) from the Belgian coast and about 180 km (110 mi) from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about 45 km (28 mi) south of Antwerp ( Flanders ), and 50 km (31 mi) north of Charleroi ( Wallonia ). Its average elevation
17292-501: Was the lingua franca of a great part of the predominantly Slavic states and populations in Southeast and Eastern Europe , in liturgy and church organization, culture, literature, education and diplomacy, as an Official language and National language in the case of Bulgaria . It was the first national and also international Slavic literary language (autonym словѣ́ньскъ ѩꙁꙑ́къ , slověnĭskŭ językŭ ). The Glagolitic alphabet
17424-401: Was written in English as well as French was the "first diplomatic blow" against the language. Nevertheless, it remains the second most used language in international affairs and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations . As a legacy of French and Belgian colonial rule, most former colonies of these countries maintain French as an official language or lingua franca due to
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