Waterloo, Belgium
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  Waterloo, Belgium
Location in Belgium
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| Sovereign state |  Belgium |
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| Region |  Wallonia |
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| Community | French Community |
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| Province |  Walloon Brabant |
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| Arrondissement | Nivelles | ||
| Coordinates | 50°43′0″N 04°23′0″E / 50.716667°N 4.383333°ECoordinates: 50°43′0″N 04°23′0″E / 50.716667°N 4.383333°E | ||
| Area | 21.03 km² | ||
| Population – Males – Females – Density |
29,315 (2006-01-01) 47.54% 52.46% 1394 inhab./km² |
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| Unemployment rate | 10.57% (1 January 2006) | ||
| Mean annual income | €14,866/pers. (2003) | ||
| Mayor | Serge Kubla | ||
| Governing parties | MR | ||
| Postal codes | 1410 | ||
| Area codes | 02 | ||
| Website | www.waterloo.be | ||
Waterloo (in Walloon: Waterlô) (Flemish pronunciation: [watəʀˈloː]) is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Waterloo had a total population of 29,315. The total area is 21.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,394 inhabitants per km².
One quarter of the current registered population are non-Belgian, most of whom work for institutions in Brussels, the capital of the European Union. Waterloo is home to St. John's International School, one of the largest and oldest international schools in Belgium. The European headquarters of MasterCard International is also located in Waterloo.
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[edit] Battle of Waterloo
Waterloo's claim to fame is the Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815) between the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Alliance of the Seventh Coalition (the United Kingdom, Prussia, Austria and others), under the main allied commanders, the Duke of Wellington and General von Blücher. There is a memorial in the form of a statue of a lion (looking towards France) on a hill, with 226 stairs, called La Butte du Lion. Other attractions related to the battle are the Wellington Museum and the Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph, where Wellington is said to have prayed before going into battle and where British and Dutch plaques commemorating the fallen are now to be seen.
[edit] Modern-day Waterloo
Today, Waterloo contains two Carrefour hypermarkets, a Delhaize store, an Ibis Hotel, a Fortis Bank branch, numerous office parks to the east of the town and two international schools: St. John's International School and the Scandinavian School. As a result Waterloo is a polyglot and multicultural town, the Commune offers services in French, Dutch, and English. A row of shops, called Petit Paris is along the Chaussée de Bruxelles (which becomes Chaussée de Waterloo or Waterloose Steenweg when nearing Brussels) from the church to the intersection with Dreve Richelle. There are also numerous gay bars which are very popular at the weekends.
[edit] Etymology
The placename, of Dutch origin, is most likely derived from "water", and lo(o), an ancient word for "forest." The early settlement may have been located near marshy woods.
[edit] External links
- Waterloo's official website
- Waterloo's official Web TV
- The Scandinavian School of Brussels
- St. John's International School
- Site about the history of Waterloo
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