[...]の方ですか

Japanese Language Grammar
1

Does somebody know where to learn about that 「の方」in this context?
I was able to understand it with the help of Google Translate but I’ve never seen it used to ask for the nationality.
All I can find is the 「の方が」grammar to say something thing is better/more but I don’t know if it’s the same.

ベルギーの方ですか？
ベルギーに住んでる日本の方？
どちらにしても 2カ国以上解るのは尊敬します✨

2

It’s different! 方 is simply a more polite/formal way to say 人. It follows the whole “deferential = polite” pattern.

3

Oh, ok. Thanks a lot! ^^

4

Also, when used in that sense it’s read as かた.