Flemings
The Dutch- speaking inhabitants of the Belgian region of Flanders and some of the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of the Brussels-Capital region call themselves Flemings (Dutch Vlamingen ) . Flemings make up almost 60 percent of all Belgians. Often, all are with the term Flemish Dutch-speaking Belgian residents meant even if not all Dutch-speaking Brussels understood as Flemish.
Historically, Flanders and Flanders only refers to the provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders and the former County of Flanders , i.e. the western part of today's Flanders region.
Flemings also live in the far north of France , in the arrondissement of Dunkerque , the northern part of French Flanders , although mostly only the older "Süd-" or "Westhoekflamen" speak their Flemish dialects , while the younger residents increasingly only speak the official French language despite the proximity to Belgian Flanders. However, despite the language change, the Flemish consciousness has not yet been lost. Some of the approximately 200,000 people do not see themselves as French, but as “Flemings” with French citizenship . Dutch is offered as an optional subject in schools where French is still the official language. For the so-called “Flemish French”, being able to communicate in Dutch has economic advantages, especially when looking for a job in Belgium.
Most Flemings speak at least one other language such as English , German or French in addition to their Flemish dialect or their Dutch mother tongue .
In the 12th and 13th centuries, many Flemings emigrated within the Holy Roman Empire and settled in newly developed areas east of the Elbe , as evidenced by the name of the Fläming region .