Belgique, Missouri

Since a town already existed in Missouri which bore the name of Belgium, the Flemish residents opted to use the French name for their homeland. ==History==

File:The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Belgique Missouri 10.jpg|Belgique, 19th century The town was originally settled by Catholic Flemings from Belgium. A Catholic church, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, existed in Belgique from 1884 to 1992. A post office was established in 1890, but as the name "Belgium" had already been taken, the French name for Belgium "Belgique" was used instead. Its post office has closed and its mail now comes from Perryville. Since the flood of 1993 there is no longer an existing town. ==Geography==

Belgique was located on the flat alluvial plain of the Bois Brule Bottom situated in the northern part of Perry County. Floods Of the many floods over the centuries, the most devastating flood was the Great Flood of 1993. The subsequent flood destroyed the village, leaving only a handful of residents to return to the area following the flood. File:The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Belgique Missouri 9.jpg|Flooded Church - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary File:Belgique, Missouri Flood 1993 store.jpg|Flooded store ==Demographics==

The municipality of Belique was incorporated over a span of seven decades, and its most recent census was in 1970. ==See also==