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Flemish Region

Coordinates: 51°00′N 4°30′E / 51.000°N 4.500°E / 51.000; 4.500
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This article is about the present-day region of Belgium also known as Flanders. For a wider context, see Flanders.
Flemish Region
Vlaams Gewest
Region of Belgium
Flag of Flemish Region
Flag
Coat of arms of Flemish Region
Coat of arms
Anthem: De Vlaamse Leeuw
Location of Flemish Region
CountryBelgium
Seat of the ParliamentBrussels
Government
 • Minister-PresidentKris Peeters
Area
 • Total13,522 km2 (5,221 sq mi)
Population
 (2010-01-01)[1]
 • Total6,251,983
 • Density460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Demographics
 • LanguagesDutch
ISO 3166 codeBE-VLG
Celebration DayJuly 11
Websitewww.flanders.be

The Flemish Region (Dutch: Vlaams Gewestⓘ) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. It occupies the northern part of Belgium and has a surface area of 13,522 km² (44.29% of Belgium). It is one of the most densely populated regions of Europe with around 455 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Politics

Immediately after its establishment, the region transferred all its constitutional competencies to the Flemish Community. The current Flemish authorities (Flemish Parliament, Flemish Government) therefore represent all the Flemish people, including those living in the Brussels-Capital Region. Hence, the Flemish Region is governed by the Flemish Community institutions. However, members of the Flemish Community parliament who were elected in Brussels-Capital Region, have no right to vote on Flemish regional affairs.

Administrative divisions

Further information: Provinces of Flanders
Provinces in the Flemish Region

The Flemish Region comprises 5 provinces, each consisting of administrative arrondissements which in turn contain municipalities (in total 308 municipalities in Flanders).

Brussels has its own region, the "Brussels-Capital Region", which is surrounded by the province of Flemish Brabant. However, because Brussels is historically a Dutch-speaking city in Brabant (now largely frenchified), it is often considered a part of Flanders. Brussels contains both the Flemish Community and the French Community, both having their institutions in Brussels.


Province Capital city Administrative arrondissements Population Area Population density
1  Antwerp (Antwerpen) Antwerp (Antwerpen) Antwerpen, Mechelen, Turnhout 1,715,707 2,867 km² 587 / km²
2  Limburg (Limburg) Hasselt Hasselt, Maaseik, Tongeren 826,690 2,414 km² 333 / km²
3  East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen) Ghent (Gent) Aalst, Dendermonde, Eeklo, Gent, Oudenaarde, Sint-Niklaas 1,408,484 2,991 km² 459 / km²
4  Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant) Leuven Halle-Vilvoorde, Leuven 1,060,232 2106 km² 493 / km²
5  West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen) Bruges (Brugge) Brugge, Diksmuide, Ieper, Kortrijk, Oostende, Roeselare, Tielt, Veurne 1,150,487 3,125 km² 362 / km²

Economy

Transport

Bus of "De Lijn"

"De Lijn" serves as public transport company, run by the Flemish government. It consists of buses and trams. TEC is the equivalent company in Wallonia, and MIVB-STIB in Brussels. The railway network, however, is run nationally, by the NMBS.

The government is also responsible for about 500 kilometers of regional roads (Dutch: gewestwegen) and about 900 kilometers of highways in the territory of the Flemish Region. Other types of roads are provincial roads and municipal roads.

Demographics

Cities

Largest cities in the region include (with population figures in 2007):[2]

The Flemish Diamond (Dutch: Vlaamse Ruit) is the name of the central, populous area in Flanders and consists of several of these cities, such as Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen. Approximately 5,500,000 people live in the area.

Language

The official language is Dutch, sometimes colloquially referred to as Flemish. Dialects are West Flemish, East Flemish, Brabantian and Limburgish.

The municipalities with language facilities near Brussels

French may be used for certain administrative purposes in a limited number of the so-called "municipalities with language facilities" around the Brussels-Capital Region and on the border with Wallonia.

"Rim municipalities" (around Brussels) are Drogenbos, Kraainem, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode (French: Rhode-Saint-Genèse), Wemmel and Wezembeek-Oppem. Brussels was originally a Dutch-speaking city, but has been frenchified in the 19th and 20th century and is now largely French-speaking. A few municipalities in the Flemish agglomeration of Brussels are now also frenchified.

Municipalities with language facilities on the border with Wallonia are Bever (French: Biévène), Herstappe, Mesen (French: Messines), Ronse (French: Renaix), Spiere-Helkijn (French: Espierres-Helchin), Voeren (French: Fourons)

Education

Education in Belgium is regulated by the communities. In Flanders this is done by the Flemish Community and in Brussels by both the Flemish and French Community.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Residerende wettelijke bevolking per jaar op 1 januari, 1990-2010" (XLS) (in Dutch). Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy—Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  2. ^ http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=gamelan&dat=200&srt=pnan&col=aohdqcfbeimg&geo=-30

51°00′N 4°30′E / 51.000°N 4.500°E / 51.000; 4.500

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