Waasland
The Waasland is a region in Flanders, Belgium, although without any administrative functions. It is also called the Land van Waas (Land of Waas); Waas most likely refers to the soggy soil of the region even though the exact etymology is unknown - one possibility is a connection to the English word 'wasteland'. The swamps that characterized it are however mostly long drained even though many fields are still noticeably convex - the result of many years of plowing the topsoil towards the middle to improve drainage.
It is part of the provinces of East Flanders and Antwerp. In the north, it borders with the Netherlands. The other borders of the Waasland are with the Scheldt and Durme rivers. The (informal) capital and major city of the region is Sint-Niklaas.
Historically, on account of its waterlogged, poor soils the region was thinly populated in comparison to the rest of Flanders and agriculture was by necessity based on smallholder farms using techniques not usually applied elsewhere even if the farmers had ready markets nearby in the towns of Ghent and Antwerp. Charles Townshend, one of the proponents of the early agricultural revolution was an explicit advocate of agricultural practices first developed here, such as the use of turnips in crop rotation and the region for some time attracted study trips by early agriculturists in his wake.
The epic Middle Dutch tale of the fox Reynard is set in the region.
The surname "Waas" and variants thereof is quite common in Belgium and refers to this region.
[edit] Communities in the Waasland
In East Flanders:
In Antwerp:
