Walloons

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1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Walloons offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Walloons at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Walloons? Wrong! If the Walloons is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Walloons then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Walloons? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Walloons and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Walloons wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Walloons then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Walloons site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Walloons, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Walloons, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

The term Walloons (French language: Wallons, Walloon language: Walons) refers, in daily speech, to Belgium from Wallonia, roughly the southern half of the country. Walloons are one of the three ethnological groups in Belgium, the others being the Dutch language Flemish people and the German language inhabitants of the "eastern counties" ("Cantons de l'est").

Wallonia As with any part of the world where languages are spoken that have no physical barrier between them, the extent of Wallonia has shifted through the ages; the more so in that through history the low-lying area of Flanders and the hilly region of the Ardennes have been under the control of many city-states and external powers; all of which have brought variations to the borders, culture, and language. The Walloon language itself, widespread up till the Second World War, has been dying out of common use owing to growing internationalisation, official education that does not include it as a language, and the efforts of the French government to support the use of French within the "Francophonie" commonwealth. This is made more complex by the federal structure of Belgium, that splits Belgium into three language groups - French language (though not Walloon), Dutch language and German language - with privileges to use their own tongues in official correspondence, but into two semi-autonomous regions, known as "Vlaanderen" (Flanders) and "la région wallonne" (Walloon region).

Brussels - not Walloon but French-speaking Many non-French-speaking observers (over)generalize Walloons as a term of convenience for all (even born and living in the Brussels-Capital Region) Belgian French-speakers. While the mixing of the population for economic and practical reasons over the centuries means that most families can trace ancestors on both sides of the linguistic divide, the fact that the Brussels region is around ¾ French-speaking as mother tongue but lying geographically in Flanders has led to friction between the regions and communities. The local dialect in Brussels, "Brusselaar", is a mix of French, Latin, Spanish and Flemish, reflecting its cosmopolitan heritage.

In relatively modern history, Brussels has been the major town or the capital of the region. Under the long Spanish and French rule, it ended up that the sole official language was French; after independence in 1830 this was maintained, and the Walloon region, being a major coal and steel producing area, developed very quickly into the economic powerhouse of the country. Walloons were therefore politically dominant, and many Flemish immigrants came to work in Wallonia. Between the 1930's and the 1970's, the gradual decline of steel and more especially coal mining, coupled with the imbalance in investment in service industries and light industry which came to predominate in Flanders, started to tip the balance in the other direction and Flanders became gradually politically dominant, and in their turn Walloon families have moved to Flanders in search of jobs. Sadly, this evolution has not been without political repercussions.

Walloon identity The heartland of Walloon culture is the Meuse Valley, Dinant, Namur (city) (the regional capital), Huy and Liège (city). Its Walloon language could be considered as an element of Walloon identity. However, not the entire French-speaking population of Wallonia can be culturally considered as Walloons, since a significant portion in the west (around Tournai and Mons) and smaller portions in the extreme south (around Arlon) belong to other languages (namely Picard language, Champenois, Luxembourgish, and Lorrain language) as mother tongues. Furthermore, Walloon and those other languages are mostly spoken by elderly people nowadays, and all of them can speak French as well or better. The younger can usually understand only bits and pieces of their ancestors' language. On the other hand, Givet commune, several villages in Ardennes département in France and a few villages in Luxembourg are historically Walloon-speaking.

The Wallonia institutionally comprises also the German-speaking community of Belgium around Eupen, in the east of the region, next to Germany which ceded the area to Belgium after the World War I. Many of the about 60,000 inhabitants of this very small community fiercely reject being considered as Walloon and – with their community executive leader Karl-Heinz Lambertz – demand separation from Wallonia and recognition as a separate region in Belgium.

Starting from 1620s, a considerable number of Walloon miners and their families had settled in Sweden. They were originally led by entrepreneur Louis De Geer (1587-1652) who commissioned them to work in the iron mines of Uppland and Östergötland. The wave of migration continued substantially into 18th century. Walloons became gradually integrated into Swedish society. However, Walloon ancestry is still traceable through Walloon surnames and people of Walloon descent are organised in Sällskapet Vallonättlingar (Society of Walloon Descendants).

Etymology The name is derived from "walhaz", which was a term used by the ancient Germanic Tribes to refer to non-Germanic people. (Other modern derivatives of "walhaz" include "Wiktionary:Welsh", "Valais", and "Wallachia".) A more modern popular interpretation attributed to "Wallonia" is "the land of the valleys" (i.e., reading "wal-" as cognate with French "vallée", etc.), which has been used by the ministry of tourism in touristic road signs, typically in French as "pays des vallées". The part of Wallonia south and east of the Meuse River is indeed remarkably hilly.

Famous Walloons

Baldwin I of Constantinople, Count of Flanders and County of Hainaut, first emperor of the Latin Empire
Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the First Crusade and first European Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Peter Minuit, who purchased the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans and founded what would become New York City.
Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.
Ernest Solvay, inventor of the Solvay process and founder of the Solvay Business School.
Zénobe Gramme, inventor of the Gramme machine.
Georges Simenon, author of Maigret and other novels.
Jean-Michel Saive, table tennis champion.
Justine Henin, tennis champion.
Hercule Poirot, fictional detective of many of Agatha Christie's famous novels.
Louis De Geer, merchant and industrialist.
Georges Lemaître, founder of the "big bang" theory of the Universe

See also

External links The term Walloons (French language: Wallons, Walloon language: Walons) refers, in daily speech, to Belgium from Wallonia, roughly the southern half of the country. Walloons are one of the three ethnological groups in Belgium, the others being the Dutch language Flemish people and the German language inhabitants of the "eastern counties" ("Cantons de l'est").

Wallonia As with any part of the world where languages are spoken that have no physical barrier between them, the extent of Wallonia has shifted through the ages; the more so in that through history the low-lying area of Flanders and the hilly region of the Ardennes have been under the control of many city-states and external powers; all of which have brought variations to the borders, culture, and language. The Walloon language itself, widespread up till the Second World War, has been dying out of common use owing to growing internationalisation, official education that does not include it as a language, and the efforts of the French government to support the use of French within the "Francophonie" commonwealth. This is made more complex by the federal structure of Belgium, that splits Belgium into three language groups - French language (though not Walloon), Dutch language and German language - with privileges to use their own tongues in official correspondence, but into two semi-autonomous regions, known as "Vlaanderen" (Flanders) and "la région wallonne" (Walloon region).

Brussels - not Walloon but French-speaking Many non-French-speaking observers (over)generalize Walloons as a term of convenience for all (even born and living in the Brussels-Capital Region) Belgian French-speakers. While the mixing of the population for economic and practical reasons over the centuries means that most families can trace ancestors on both sides of the linguistic divide, the fact that the Brussels region is around ¾ French-speaking as mother tongue but lying geographically in Flanders has led to friction between the regions and communities. The local dialect in Brussels, "Brusselaar", is a mix of French, Latin, Spanish and Flemish, reflecting its cosmopolitan heritage.

In relatively modern history, Brussels has been the major town or the capital of the region. Under the long Spanish and French rule, it ended up that the sole official language was French; after independence in 1830 this was maintained, and the Walloon region, being a major coal and steel producing area, developed very quickly into the economic powerhouse of the country. Walloons were therefore politically dominant, and many Flemish immigrants came to work in Wallonia. Between the 1930's and the 1970's, the gradual decline of steel and more especially coal mining, coupled with the imbalance in investment in service industries and light industry which came to predominate in Flanders, started to tip the balance in the other direction and Flanders became gradually politically dominant, and in their turn Walloon families have moved to Flanders in search of jobs. Sadly, this evolution has not been without political repercussions.

Walloon identity The heartland of Walloon culture is the Meuse Valley, Dinant, Namur (city) (the regional capital), Huy and Liège (city). Its Walloon language could be considered as an element of Walloon identity. However, not the entire French-speaking population of Wallonia can be culturally considered as Walloons, since a significant portion in the west (around Tournai and Mons) and smaller portions in the extreme south (around Arlon) belong to other languages (namely Picard language, Champenois, Luxembourgish, and Lorrain language) as mother tongues. Furthermore, Walloon and those other languages are mostly spoken by elderly people nowadays, and all of them can speak French as well or better. The younger can usually understand only bits and pieces of their ancestors' language. On the other hand, Givet commune, several villages in Ardennes département in France and a few villages in Luxembourg are historically Walloon-speaking.

The Wallonia institutionally comprises also the German-speaking community of Belgium around Eupen, in the east of the region, next to Germany which ceded the area to Belgium after the World War I. Many of the about 60,000 inhabitants of this very small community fiercely reject being considered as Walloon and – with their community executive leader Karl-Heinz Lambertz – demand separation from Wallonia and recognition as a separate region in Belgium.

Starting from 1620s, a considerable number of Walloon miners and their families had settled in Sweden. They were originally led by entrepreneur Louis De Geer (1587-1652) who commissioned them to work in the iron mines of Uppland and Östergötland. The wave of migration continued substantially into 18th century. Walloons became gradually integrated into Swedish society. However, Walloon ancestry is still traceable through Walloon surnames and people of Walloon descent are organised in Sällskapet Vallonättlingar (Society of Walloon Descendants).

Etymology The name is derived from "walhaz", which was a term used by the ancient Germanic Tribes to refer to non-Germanic people. (Other modern derivatives of "walhaz" include "Wiktionary:Welsh", "Valais", and "Wallachia".) A more modern popular interpretation attributed to "Wallonia" is "the land of the valleys" (i.e., reading "wal-" as cognate with French "vallée", etc.), which has been used by the ministry of tourism in touristic road signs, typically in French as "pays des vallées". The part of Wallonia south and east of the Meuse River is indeed remarkably hilly.

Famous Walloons

Baldwin I of Constantinople, Count of Flanders and County of Hainaut, first emperor of the Latin Empire
Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the First Crusade and first European Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Peter Minuit, who purchased the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans and founded what would become New York City.
Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.
Ernest Solvay, inventor of the Solvay process and founder of the Solvay Business School.
Zénobe Gramme, inventor of the Gramme machine.
Georges Simenon, author of Maigret and other novels.
Jean-Michel Saive, table tennis champion.
Justine Henin, tennis champion.
Hercule Poirot, fictional detective of many of Agatha Christie's famous novels.
Louis De Geer, merchant and industrialist.
Georges Lemaître, founder of the "big bang" theory of the Universe