Belgium

The first time I heard about Belgium was when I was 10 years old, after my uncle completed part of his medical training there. I encountered it again in high school while learning about Leopold II and his brutal exploitation of the Congo. Belgium is a small country in Western Europe, bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg. Despite its size, it plays an outsized role in European politics. Brussels is the capital and also serves as the headquarters of both the European Union and NATO.