'Belgium' = renaissance Latin for 'the Netherlands'

Example 1

Title page of 1648 tourist guide says it all: Belgium i.e. The Netherlands.

Example 2

1635 map of 'New Netherlands', better known as 'New Holland'

Top of this map heads WEST. On the left: Manhattan and Long Island; the main 'horizontal' river is the Hudson, the main 'vertical' river the St. Lawrence.

Diagonally printed in capitals: NIEV NEDERLANDT (in nowadays English 'New Holland'); above that, in smaller capitals, the Latin translation: NOVUM BELGIUM.

'Belga' = renaissance Latin for 'Dutchman'

Example

PRAELIUM NAVALE INTER BELGAS ET SUECOS
(Sea battle between the Dutch and the Swedes)

'Belgicus' = renaissance Latin for 'Dutch'

Example

LUDOLPHUS A COLLEN, MATHESEOS BELGICUS PROFESS.
(Ludolf van Ceulen, Dutch professor of mathematics)

'Belgick' = renaissance English for 'Dutch'

Example

'belgique' = French for 'Dutch'

Example

First illustration: (in French) ..., artillery general of the 'ETATS BELGIQUES UNIS'
second illustration: (in Dutch) heading of the 1790 treaty creating these short-lived 'VEREENIGDE NEDERLANDSCHE STAETEN' (United Dutch States)

'Belg' = 18th-century Dutch for 'Dutch'

In 1784, a monument was designed for Joan Derck, Baron van de Capellen tot den Pol, the inscription adressing the Dutchman as 'Belg':

Hier rust, o Belg, zijn asch!

Belgium's device = the Dutch device

Belgium's lion = the Dutch lion

When Belgium was formed as an independent nation, in 1830, it chose the device EENDRACHT MAAKT MACHT (Unity yields strength). This had been the device of the United Seven Provinces which, in 1579, formed the union later to become the independent nation known as 'the Netherlands'. (It is highly ironical that the Belgian state, whose existence is the very denial of Dutch unity, should choose exactly this device.) Moreover, in its first constitution, the new state declared to choose for its heraldic symbol LE LION BELGIQUE. This 'lion belgique' ('leo belgicus' in Latin and 'belgick lion' in English) was the 'Dutch lion', well established for centuries (see 1665 text above with the 'Belgick Lion couchant').

Example

The 1637 STATENBIJBEL (Dutch Authorized Version) displays on its the title page the device EENDRACHT MAECKT MACHT around the Dutch lion holding seven arrows.

Eendracht maakt macht, 1637

Another example

In 1807, Lodewijk Napoleon, king of Holland, approved his newly designed Royal Arms with the device EENDRAGT MAAKT MAGT.

Eendracht maakt macht, 1807.