Belgium Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands

The land of today's Belgium appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 14 different states, among them Belgium, Holy Roman Empire, Roman Empire, Luxembourg, Austrian Netherlands.

Belgium

Explore the history of Belgium in the interactive map

Compare 1000 with today

Who ruled the land of Belgium, map by map

Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.

Historic cities in Belgium

• Brussels
• Bruges
• Antwerp

Famous people of Belgium

Battles and historic sites

Questions

Which empires and states ruled the territory of Belgium?

On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Belgium belonged to Belgium, Holy Roman Empire, Roman Empire, Luxembourg, Austrian Netherlands, Neustria, along with 8 other states.

What was Belgium part of in 1000?

On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Belgium lay within Holy Roman Empire.

What was Belgium part of in 1500?

On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Belgium lay within Holy Roman Empire.

What was Belgium part of in 1900?

On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Belgium lay within Belgium.

Further reading

• History of Belgium in Encyclopaedia Britannica
• History of Belgium on Wikipedia

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.