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23. Maps: What after Belgium?

How will the map of Western Europe look like when Belgium has disappeared? Maybe one of the maps below gives the answer. Most probably Figure 9 and Figure 14 show the most likely scenarios, but it is always interesting to go through the other possibilities and set them on the map.

It is often a good idea to split a problem into smaller problems in order to be able to handle it easier. The possible scenarios of what will happen when Belgium disappears can be categorized into five dimensions with each of them a number of possibilities, some of them more likely than the others. Here follows a systematic list:

Flanders
- Independence
- Part of the Netherlands
Brussels
- Part of Flanders
- Part of Wallonia
- Independent city-state (European district)
- Shared by Flanders and Wallonia
Wallonia
- Independence
- Part of France
German Community
- Part of Wallonia
- Part of Germany
- Part of the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg
- Independence
Province of Luxemburg
- Part of Wallonia
- Part of the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg

Notice that for simplicity, minor border corrections aren't considered in this list. Examples of such minor border corrections are a new switch for Voeren or Komen, or corrections to the borders of Brussels.

Figure 7 - Scenario 11111: Flanders and Brussels together in an independent state, Wallonia an independe state without Brussels

Figure 8 - Scenario 11112: Flanders and Brussels together in an independent state, Wallonia an independe state without Brussels, province of Luxemburg part of the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg

Figure 9 - Scenario 11211: Flanders and Brussels together in an independent state, Wallonia part of Fance

Figure 10 - Scenario 11212: Flanders and Brussels together in an independent state, Wallonia part of France, province of Luxemburg part of the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg

Figure 11 - Scenario 12111: Flanders an independent state without Brussels, Wallonia and Brussels together in an independent state

Figure 12 - Scenario 12211: Flanders an independent state without Brussels, Wallonia and Brussels both part of France

Figure 13 - Scenario 13111: Flanders and Wallonia both an independent state, Brussels an independent city-state or shared by Flanders and Wallonia

Figure 14 - Scenario 13211: Flanders an independent state, Wallonia part of France, Brussels an independent city-state or shared by Flanders and France

Figure 15 - Scenario 21211: Flanders and Brussels part of the Netherlands, Wallonia part of France

Figure 16 - Scenario 22211: Flanders part of the Netherlands, Wallonia and Brussels both part of France

Figure 17 - Scenario 23211: Flanders part of the Netherlands, Wallonia part of France, Brussels an independent city-state or shared by the Netherlands and France