Walloons

Walloons (French, Wallons), French-speaking people of central and southern Belgium inhabiting the provinces of Liège, Hainaut, Luxembourg, Namur, and southern Brabant; collectively these provinces are known as Wallonia. The Walloons constitute one of two principal ethnic groups found in Belgium, the other being the Flemings, a people of the northern provinces who speak Flemish. The Walloons are chiefly descended from the Romanized Celts of northern Gaul, the so-called Belgae described by Julius Caesar in his Commentaries. Traditionally, they speak the Wallon (or Walloon) dialect—thought of as a language by some—of French (which has some subdialects) although most today speak Standard French alone or as well as Wallon.

Since the early Middle Ages the Walloons and the Flemings have been characterized by social and economic differences, and the division was intensified during the 19th century. The Walloon region is a centre of mining and heavy industry, while the northern Flemings are chiefly engaged in agriculture and the manufacture of textiles. During the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, members of the few Protestant Walloon communities emigrated to the Netherlands and to America. Fleming collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II has contributed to continuing political, religious, and economic tension between the two groups. Even in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Fleming and Walloon nationalism remained a problem for the Belgian central government.