Partition of Belgium Belgian identity was not defined on racial, ethnic or linguistic lines, but in the civilizational community of the Belgian people. Supporters of a partition of Belgium argue that the synchronized attempts to forge a national identity and culture have been unable to forestall ethno-linguistic rivalries. French was the only official language of Belgium until 1898, even though Flanders was and still is predominantly Dutch-speaking. The government's long refusal to acknowledge Dutch as an official language led to hostilities between Flanders and the French-speaking bourgeoisie who held both political and economic power. These hostilities gave rise to the Flemish movement, which
Swedish-speaking population of Finland be recognized as such. In speaking Swedish, Swedish-speaking Finns predominantly use the Swedish word "finländare" (approximately translatable as "Finlanders") when referring to all Finnish nationals. The purpose is to use a term that includes both themselves and Finnish-speaking Finns because the Swedish word "finnar", in Finland-Swedish usage, implies a Finnish-speaking Finn. In Sweden, this distinction between "finländare" and "finnar" is not widely understood and often not made. In literature regarding to international law and minority rights, a view that the Swedish-speakers in Finland not only constitute an ethnic minority but a distinct nationality has also been presented. Marriages between Swedish-