Flemish Region

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
Anthem: De Vlaamse Leeuw
Country Belgium
Seat Brussels (but not part of the Flemish Region)
Government
 • Executive Flemish Government
 • Governing parties (2014–2019) N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld
 • Minister-President Geert Bourgeois (N-VA)
 • Legislature Flemish Parliament
 • Speaker Jan Peumans (N-VA)
Area
 • Total 13,522 km2 (5,221 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)[1]
 • Total 6,477,804
 • Density 480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Demographics
 • Ethnic group Flemings
 • Languages Dutch
ISO 3166 code BE-VLG
Celebration Day 11 July
Website www.flanders.be

The Flemish Region (Dutch:  Vlaams Gewest ; French: Région flamande) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders. It occupies the northern part of Belgium and covers an area of 13,522 km2 (44.29% of Belgium). It is one of the most densely populated regions of Europe with around 470 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Politics

Immediately after its establishment in 1980, the region transferred all its constitutional competencies to the Flemish Community. Thus, the current Flemish authorities (Flemish Parliament and Flemish Government) 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 elected in the 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 five provinces, each consisting of administrative arrondissements that, in turn, contain municipalities (in total 308 municipalities in Flanders).

Brussels city, the seat of the Flemish parliament, is located within the Brussels-Capital Region, which is surrounded by the province of Flemish Brabant. Brussels contains both the Flemish Community and the French Community, both having their institutions in Brussels.

Province Capital city Administrative arrondissements Population (2015) Area Population density
1  Antwerp (Antwerpen) Antwerp (Antwerpen) Antwerpen, Mechelen, Turnhout 1,813,282 2,867 km² 633 / km²
2  Limburg (Limburg) Hasselt Hasselt, Maaseik, Tongeren 860,204 2,414 km² 356 / km²
3  East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen) Ghent (Gent) Aalst, Dendermonde, Eeklo, Gent, Oudenaarde, Sint-Niklaas 1,477,346 2,991 km² 494 / km²
4  Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant) Leuven Halle-Vilvoorde, Leuven 1,114,299 2,106 km² 529 / km²
5  West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen) Bruges (Brugge) Brugge, Diksmuide, Ieper, Kortrijk, Oostende, Roeselare, Tielt, Veurne 1,178,996 3,125 km² 377 / km²

Economy

Flanders is home to a diversified modern economy, with emphasis put on research and development. Many enterprises work closely with local knowledge and research centres to develop new products and services.[2]

Transport

Bus of "De Lijn"

"De Lijn" serves as the main 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 run by the NMBS, however, is a federal responsibility.

The Flemish 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 2015):[3]

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. The main dialect groups include 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 it was 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).

See also

References

  1. ↑ Population per municipality as of 1 January 2016 (XLS; 397 KB)
  2. ↑ "Flanders | Flanders fits you". Flanders.be.
  3. ↑ "kek_demo". Aps.vlaanderen.be.

External links

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

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