{{infobox ethnic group |group =Belgian Brazilian <br><small>''Bélgico-brasileiro''</small> |flag = {{flagicon|Belgium}} {{flagicon|Brazil}} |population = '''6,059'''<ref>[https://www.nepo.unicamp.br/observatorio/bancointerativo/numeros-imigracao-internacional/sincre-sismigra/ Belgians in Brazil]</ref> |popplace = [[Brazil]]: Mainly [[Southern Brazil|Southern]] and [[Southeastern Brazil]] |langs = Predominantly [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]. Minority speak [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[French language|French]] and [[German language|German]] as first language. |rels = [[Christianity]] (mostly [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]], [[Judaism]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://avotaynuonline.com/2020/03/genealogy-and-the-settlement-of-jews-in-brazil/|title=Genealogy and the Settlement of Jews in Brazil|date=22 March 2020}}</ref> and [[Protestantism]]), and [[Religion in Brazil|others]] |related = Other [[Brazilian people|Brazilian]] and [[Belgian people]]<br>other [[White Brazilian]] as [[Luxembourg Brazilian|Luxembourger]], [[German Brazilian|German]], [[Dutch Brazilian|Dutch]], [[French Brazilian|French]], [[Spanish Brazilian|Spanish]], [[Portuguese Brazilian|Portuguese]], [[Irish Brazilian|Irish]], [[English Brazilian|British]], [[Scandinavian Brazilian|Scandinavian]], [[Polish Brazilian|Polish]], [[Czech Brazilian|Czech]], [[Austrian Brazilian|Austrian]], [[Croatian Brazilian|Croat]] and [[Italian Brazilian]]s<br><br>[[Flemish people]], [[Walloon people]], [[Dutch people]], [[French people]], [[Luxembourgers]] }}
'''Belgian Brazilian''' ({{langx|pt|bélgico-brasileiro, belga brasileiro}}) is a Brazilian person of full, partial, or predominantly Belgian ancestry, or a Belgian-born immigrant in Brazil.
==History==
Belgians have been in Brazil since colonial times. Some of the early settlers and [[bandeirantes]] from São Paulo were Belgians or had Belgian forefathers (most of them were [[Flemish people|flemings]]), like Cornélio de Arzam,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arvore.net.br/Paulistana/Arzam.htm|title=Genealogia Paulistana Título Arzam|website=www.arvore.net.br|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> Pedro Taques (his father was a merchant from [[Flemish Brabant|Brabant]]),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arvore.net.br/Paulistana/Taques_1.htm|title=Genealogia Paulistana Título Taques Pompeus Parte 1|website=www.arvore.net.br|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> Fernão Dias Pais Leme<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arvore.net.br/Paulistana/Lemes_1.htm|title=Genealogia Paulistana Título Lemes Parte 1|website=www.arvore.net.br|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> (the Leme family established itself in Portugal in the late 15th century through a merchant named Martim Leme; his descendants came to [[São Vicente, São Paulo|São Vicente]] in the beginning of the colonization of Brazil), and probably Jacques Félix (it is likely that his father was also named Jacques Félix, nicknamed "the Flemish", who was from Flanders and established himself in [[Santos, São Paulo|Santos]] in the early 16th century). All these settlers and their relatives had huge descent, spanning the southern and central parts of Brazil. Today it is still common to find these surnames (Leme, Taques etc.) in the interior of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo state]] and neighboring states, through people who are descendants of those settlers.
With the independence of the country in 1822, Belgians kept coming through immigration. Many colonies were founded during the 19th century, especially in [[Southern Brazil]], but also in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo and Rio de Janeiro.{{cn|date=June 2022}}
==Belgian Colonies== *[[Botucatu]] ([[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] – 1960); *[[Taubaté]] ([[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] – 1889);<ref>DI LORENZO, Ana Lúcia. "Os italianos em Taubaté: o núcleo colonial do Quiririm – 1890/1920", Tese, São Paulo, 2002. p. 34</ref> *[[Porto Feliz]] ([[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] – 1888) *[[Ilhota]] ([[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]] – 1845);
==Notable Belgian Brazilians== {{Unsourced|section|date=May 2024}} *[[Matheus Nachtergaele]], actor *[[Eric Maleson|Eric Leme Walther Maleson]], Bobsleigh athlete, 2002 Olympian *[[Fernanda Paes Leme]], actress *[[Gregório Duvivier]], actor, comedian and poet *[[João Havelange]] former president of [[FIFA]] *[[José Maria Eymael]] politician *[[Igor de Camargo]] *[[George Santos]], Brazilian-American congressman and indicted alleged fraudster *[[Luís Oliveira]], former Belgian international footballer *[[Andreas Pereira]], Brazilian international footballer
==See also== {{Portal|Belgium|Brazil}} * [[Immigration to Brazil]] * [[White Brazilians]] * [[Belgian Americans]] * [[Flemish people]] * [[Dutch Brazilians]] * [[French Brazilians]] * [[German Brazilians]] * [[Luxembourgish Brazilians]] ==References== <references />{{Ancestry and ethnicity in Brazil}} {{Brazil topics}} {{Belgian diaspora}} {{Portal bar|Belgium|Brazil}} [[Category:Brazilian people of Belgian descent| ]] [[Category:European diaspora in Brazil]] [[Category:Belgian diaspora|Brazil]]