Test: Power-sharing - 1 - UPSC

In Belgium total population divided as:

• 40% of the population belongs to French Community.
• 59% of the population belongs to the Flemish Community.
• 1% to the German-speaking Community.

In the horizontal distribution of power, it is shared among different organs of the government namely legislature, executive, and judiciary. In this system, each organ checks the other, and thus there exists a system of checks and balances.

Example: The distribution of power between the Indian Parliament (legislature), the council of ministers headed by chief ministers (executive), and the Courts of India (judiciary).

Due to the policy of majoritarianism Sri Lankan Tamilians were suppressed under the supremacy of sinhalese. So, they launched movements against this and demanded a separate Eelam.

People belonging to one language community such as French, German and Dutch irrespective of where they live elects the community government in Belgium.

A coalition is the association of political parties having the same ideologies or same interests for the purpose of political strength and maximum representation. The decision of coalition is taken by each and every political party part of the representation.

Belgium is a federal state located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea.

Belgium shares borders with: 

• France (556 km)
• Germany (133 km)
• Luxembourg (130 km)
• Netherlands (478 km)

The two languages are generally spoken in Belgium French and Dutch. 
Dutch is the official language of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region (merged to Flanders).
French, an official language of the Brussels-Capital Region.

The Community Government signifies:

• The powers of the government regarding law-making for the community.
• The powers of the government regarding cultural, educational, and language-related issues.
• The government enjoys privileges to safeguard the interest of a particular community.

The Sinhala language in the year 1956 was recognized as the official language of Sri Lanka. 

The Correct Option is B : French Speaking

• Belgium is a country with three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. The Dutch-speaking community, also known as the Flemish community, is the majority, comprising approximately 59% of the population. They are primarily located in the northern region of Flanders.
• The French-speaking community, also known as the Walloon community, is the minority, comprising approximately 40% of the population. They are primarily located in the southern region of Wallonia.
• The German-speaking community is the smallest, comprising less than 1% of the population, and is located in the east of the country.
• It's important to note that in the Brussels-Capital Region, French is the most spoken language, but since this region is officially bilingual and separate from both Flanders and Wallonia, it doesn't change the fact that French speakers are a minority in the country as a whole.