Having lived in both countries, and a few others in Europe, I'd say that Belgium is one of the most similar country to the UK, and especially to England.
Similarities between the two countries abound.
Apart from a common national liking for chips, beer and beef steak, from a geographic viewpoint, the climate of Belgium is the same as in Southern England, and so is the landscape (Flanders is flat like East Anglia, while Wallonia is more like the Downs).
Belgian people have a strong affinity for their house, so the saying "an Englsihman's house is his castle" could fit them perfectly too.
As for clothes, the fashion style in Belgium is much more similar to Britain than to almost any other countries (from English-style suits to youth fashion).
The political system is also similar. One big capital, with a lot of devolution of power to the states (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, vs England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK) and different parties for each state.
Apart that Belgium is also a parliamentary monarchy, the first king of Belgium (Leopold I) was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (who were first cousins).
Belgium was also the first country to industrialise on the continent, and
Ghent was called the Manchester of the continent. After WWII, Belgium's steel and coal industry also collapse like in Britain.
In the Middle Ages, England exported most of its wool to Flemish cities like
Bruges, Ghent and
Ypres, that made cloth and tapestries with it. Many cities in East Anglia (eg. King's Lynn) have had so close historical connections with Belgium in the late middle ages that it had an effect on the architecture as many Belgians settled there.
The first ever printed English book was printed in Bruges, while the legend of King Arthur and the Holy Grail developed from manuscripts taken by Abbot Dunstan of
Glastonbury to Ghent (after which French court poet Chretien de Troyes wrote his famous book). Also note that Edward III's two sons, Lionel of Antwerp and John of Gaunt, who respectively founded the houses of York and Lancaster of 'War of the Roses' fame, were born in Antwerp and Ghent, both in Belgium.
Linguistically, English comes from Anglo-Saxon/Old Norse and Old French/Latin. The two main languages in Belgium are Dutch (the closest modern relative of Anglo-Saxon) and French, and as many people are bilingual (esp. in Brussels) that makes it very easy for Belgians to learn English.
Similarities between Belgium and Britain
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