Citizendia

For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation).
"Flandre" redirects here. For the ship, see SS Flandre. Flandre, also known as Carla C, Carla Costa, and Pallas Athena, was an Ocean liner and Cruise
Vlaanderen
Flanders
Flag of Flanders
Flag
Anthem: De Vlaamse Leeuw
(The Flemish Lion)
Location of Flanders
Location of Belgian Flanders in Europe
Location of Flanders
CapitalBrussels
50°54′N 4°32′E / 50.9, 4.533
Official languagesDutch (Brussels: French and Dutch)
GovernmentParliamentary Democracy
 - PresidentKris Peeters
Area
 - Total13,522 km² (161)
5,221 sq mi 
Population
 - 2007 [1] census6,117,440 
 - Density448/km² (23)
1,160. This is a list of flags used in Belgium. National Flag Royal Standard Government Military A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's De Vlaamse Leeuw ( English: The Flemish Lion) is the official anthem of Flanders, a Region in the federal kingdom of Belgium The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The Minister-President of Flanders is the Head of government of the Flemish region and community which is a federal state of Belgium. Kris Peeters ( 18 May, 1962) is a Flemish politician and member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party who is currently Minister-President Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² 3/sq mi
Location of Flanders

Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen, French: Flandre, German: Flandern) has historically been a region overlapping parts of modern Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Today, Flanders designates either the Flemish Community, which includes Dutch-speaking residents of the Brussels-Capital Region, or the Flemish Region, which does not. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region The parliament and government govern both the Community and the Region, even though they are not co-extensive. The Flemish Parliament ( Dutch: Vlaams Parlement, and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the legislative power The Flemish Government (Dutch Vlaamse Regering) is the executive branch of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. [2]

West Flanders and East Flanders are two of the five provinces of the Flemish Region, both located in its western part. West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. East Flanders ( Oost-Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre orientale in French) is a province of Flanders, one of the three French Flanders may designate the département called Nord ("North") or the larger Nord-Pas de Calais region in which Nord is located. French Flanders (La Flandre française Frans-Vlaanderen is a part of the historical originally Dutch-speaking region Flanders in present-day France. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Nord (North is a department in the far north of France. It is the country's most populated department Nord-Pas de Calais (French Nord-Pas de Calais; Dutch Noord-Nauw van Kales) is one of the 26 regions of France. Zeelandic Flanders, in Dutch Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, refers to a part of the Netherlands located in Zeeland. Zeelandic Flanders (Nl-Zeeuws-Vlaanderenogg|Zeeuws-Vlaanderen]] is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in southwestern Netherlands. Zeeland ( also called Zealand in English and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands.

Contents

The term "Flanders"

In Belgium

The term "Flanders" has several main meanings:

In France

Main articles: French Flanders and Nord (department)

In the Netherlands

Main article: Zeelandic Flanders

Evolution of the term

Landscape of Bachten de Kupe, in West Flanders
Landscape of Bachten de Kupe, in West Flanders

Vlaanderen literally means Flooded Land or Lowland. French Flanders (La Flandre française Frans-Vlaanderen is a part of the historical originally Dutch-speaking region Flanders in present-day France. Nord (North is a department in the far north of France. It is the country's most populated department Zeelandic Flanders (Nl-Zeeuws-Vlaanderenogg|Zeeuws-Vlaanderen]] is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in southwestern Netherlands. West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. The name appeared first around the 8th century. The precise geographical area denominated by "Flanders" has evolved a great deal over the centuries.

In the Middle Ages, the term Flanders was applied to an area in western Europe, the County of Flanders, spread over:

The significance of the County and its counts eroded through time, but the designation remained in a very broad sense. Zeeland ( also called Zealand in English and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Zeelandic Flanders (Nl-Zeeuws-Vlaanderenogg|Zeeuws-Vlaanderen]] is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in southwestern Netherlands. counts of Flanders were the Rulers over the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the Countship by the French revolutionaries In the Early Modern, the term Flanders was associated to the southern part of the Low Countries, the Southern Netherlands. The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe) The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish During the 19th and 20th centuries, it became increasingly commonplace to refer to the area from De Panne to Maasmechelen, including the Belgian parts of the Duchy of Brabant and Limburg, as "Flanders". De Panne is a Municipality located along the North Sea coast of the Belgian province of West Flanders. Maasmechelen is a municipality located on the Meuse river in the Belgian province of Limburg. The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries.

The ambiguity between this eastwardly much wider area and that of the Countship (or the Belgian parts thereof), still remains. In most present-day contexts however, the term Flanders is generally taken to refer to either the political, social, cultural and linguistic community (and the corresponding official institution, the Flemish Community), or the geographical area, one of the three institutional regions in Belgium, namely the Flemish Region. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region

In history of art, the adjectives Flemish, Dutch and Netherlandish are commonly used to designate all the artistic production in this area. The history of art usually refers to the History of the Visual arts, such as Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. For examples, Flemish Primitives is synonym for early Netherlandish painting, Franco-Flemish School for Dutch School, and it is not uncommon to see Mosan art categorized as Flemish art. Early Netherlandish painting is the work of those painters who were active in the Low Countries during the 15th and early 16th century Northern renaissance In Music, the Franco-Flemish School refers somewhat imprecisely to the style of polyphonic Vocal music composition in Europe in the 15th Mosan art or Rheno-Mosan art is a regional style of Romanesque art from the valleys of the Meuse and Rhine, in present-day Belgium

History

Early history

Main article: Origins of the Belgae

The area roughly encompassing the later geographical meanings of Flanders, had been inhabited by Celts till a Germanic people had been immigrating by crossing the Rhine either gradually driving them south- or westwards, or rather merging with them. The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC and later also attested in Britain. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge By the first century BCE Germanic languages had become prevalent, and the inhabitants were called Belgæ while the area was the coastal district of Gallia Belgica, the most northeastern province of the Roman Empire at its height. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC and later also attested in Britain. Gallia Belgica was a Roman province located in what is now the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, northeastern The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The boundaries were the Marne and Seine in the West, with Brittany, and the Rhine in the East, with Frisia. Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the Marne River which flows through the department The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Frisia ( West Frisian: Fryslân; North Frisian: Fraschlönj, Freesklöön, Freeskluin, Fresklun, and This changed upon the Count of Rouen's settlement with the King of France, which made a cession of western Flanders and eastern Brittany to the Normans. Rollo, occasionally known as Rollo the Viking, (c 860 - c 932 was the founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France.

Historical Flanders: County of Flanders

Main article: County of Flanders

Created in the year 862 as a feudal fief in West Francia, the County of Flanders was divided when its western districts fell under French rule in the late 12th century. The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries. Events By Place Asia Rurik gains control of Novgorod. Fan Chuo finishes his Manchu ( Book Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing West Francia or the West Frankish Kingdom was a short-lived kingdom encompassing the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire that came under the undisputed The remaining parts of Flanders came under the rule of the counts of neighbouring Hainaut in 1191. This article deals with the historical county of Hainaut for other meanings see Hainaut. The entire area passed in 1384 to the dukes of Burgundy, in 1477 to the Habsburg dynasty, and in 1556 to the kings of Spain. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The western districts of Flanders came finally under French rule under successive treaties of 1659 (Artois), 1668, and 1678.

During the late Middle Ages Flanders' trading towns (notably Ghent, Bruges and Ypres) made it one of the most urbanised parts of Europe, weaving the wool of neighbouring lands into cloth for both domestic use and export. Ghent (ˈɡɛnt Gent ʝɛnt in Dutch, Gand in French, and formerly Gaunt in English) is a City and a Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Ypres ( French, generally used in English French ipʁ English ˈiːprə Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced /ˈiːpər/ or Ypern Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species

Increasingly powerful from the 12th century, the territory's autonomous urban communes were instrumental in defeating a French attempt at annexation (1300–1302), finally defeating the French in the Battle of the Golden Spurs (July 11, 1302), near Kortrijk. Communes in Europe in the Middle Ages were sworn allegiances of mutual defense (both physical defense and of traditional freedoms among community members of a town or city The Battle of the Golden Spurs (Dutch nl Guldensporenslag, French fr Bataille des éperons d'or, or Battle of Courtrai) was fought on July 11 Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. For the Dutch village see Kortrijk (Netherlands Kortrijk (official name in Dutch; French: Courtrai; Latin Two years later, the uprising was defeated and Flanders remained part of the French Crown. Flemish prosperity waned in the following century, however, owing to widespread European population decline following the Black Death of 1348, the disruption of trade during the Anglo-French Hundred Years' War (1338–1453), and increased English cloth production. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Flemish weavers had gone over to Worstead and North Walsham in Norfolk in the 12th century and established the woollen industry. Worstead is a Village and Civil parish in the English County of Norfolk. North Walsham is a Market town and Civil parish in the English County of Norfolk. Norfolk (ˈnɔrfək is a low-lying county in East Anglia, England, United Kingdom.

Flanders in the Low Countries

Main article: Low Countries

The Reformation

Martin Luther's 95 Theses, published in 1517, had a profound effect on the Low Countries. The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences, commonly known as The Ninety-Five Theses, were written by Martin Luther in 1517 Among the wealthy traders of Antwerp, the Lutheran beliefs of the German Hanseatic traders found appeal, perhaps partly for economic reasons in Dutch. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The spread of Protestantism in this city was aided by the presence of an Augustinian cloister (founded 1514) in the St. The Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (died AD 430) are several Catholic Monastic orders and congregations Andries quarter. Luther, an Augustinian himself, had taught some of the monks, and his works were in print by 1518. Charles V ordered the closing of this cloister around 1525. Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was The first Lutheran martyrs came from Antwerp. The reformation resulted in consecutive but overlapping waves of reform: a Lutheran, followed by a militant Anabaptist, then a Mennonite, and finally a Calvinistic movement. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the These movements existed independently of each other.

The Pragmatic Sanction of 1549, issued by Charles V, established the Low Countries as the Seventeen Provinces (or Spanish Netherlands in its broad sense) as an entity separate from the Holy Roman Empire and from France. A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law The Seventeen Provinces were a Personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century roughly covering the current Netherlands The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in

Statues in the Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht, defaced by 16th century iconoclasm[1]
Statues in the Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht, defaced by 16th century iconoclasm[1]

The schism between the southern Roman Catholics and northern Calvinists resulted in the Union of Atrecht and the Union of Utrecht, respectively. ||-||-||-||-||}The Cathedral of Saint Martin or Dom Church (in Dutch Domkerk) was the Cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during The People of Arras (Dutch Atrecht) was an accord signed on January 6, 1579 in Arras ( Atrecht) under which the southern states The Union of Utrecht (Unie van Utrecht is a treaty signed on January 23, 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern Provinces

It was the iconoclasm of 1566 (the Beeldenstorm) – the demolition of statues and paintings depicting saints – that led to religious war between Catholics and Protestants. Iconoclasm, Greek for "image-breaking" is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture's own religious Icons and other symbols or monuments The Beeldenstorm started in what is now the arrondissement of Dunkirk in French Flanders, with open-air sermons (hagepreken) in Dutch. The arrondissement of Dunkirk is an arrondissement of France located in the Nord department, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region French Flanders (La Flandre française Frans-Vlaanderen is a part of the historical originally Dutch-speaking region Flanders in present-day France. The first took place on the Cloostervelt near Hondschoote. Hondschoote is a commune of the Nord département, in northern France. The first large sermon was held near Boeschepe on July 12, 1562. Boeschepe is a town and commune in the Nord département in northern France, next to the Belgian border Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. These open-air sermons, mostly of Anabaptist or Mennonite signature, spread through the country. On August 10, 1566 at the end of the pilgrimage from Hondschoote to Steenvoorde, the chapel of the Sint-Laurensklooster (Cloister of Saint Lawrence) was defaced by Protestants. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Steenvoorde is a town and commune of the Nord département, in northern France. The iconoclasm resulted not only in the destruction of Catholic art, but also cost the lives of many priests. It next spread to Antwerp, and on August 22, to Ghent. One cathedral, eight churches, twenty-five cloisters, ten hospitals and seven chapels were attacked. From there, it further spread east and north, but in total lasted not even a month.

Charles' son, King Philip II of Spain, a devout Catholic and self-proclaimed protector of the Counter-Reformation who was also the duke, count or lord of each of the Seventeen Provinces, started to crack down on the rising Calvinists in Flanders, Brabant and Holland. Philip II (Felipe II de España Filipe I ( May 21, 1527 &ndash September 13 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598 The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. A maritime and economic power in the 17th century Holland today consists of the Dutch provinces of What is now approximately Belgian Limburg was part of the Bishopric of Liège and was Catholic de facto. The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries in present Belgium Part of what is now Dutch Limburg supported the Union of Atrecht, but did not sign it. Limburg ( Dutch: (Nederlands Limburg is the southern-most of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands.

The Eighty Years' War and its consequences

In 1568 the Seventeen Provinces that signed the Union of Utrecht started a revolt against Philip II: the Eighty Years' War. The Dutch Revolt, Eighty Years' War or the Revolt of the Netherlands (1568—1648 was the revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Low Countries Spanish troops quickly started fighting the rebels, but before the revolt could be completely defeated, a war between England and Spain had broken out, forcing Philip's Spanish troops to halt their advance. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Meanwhile, the Spanish armies had already conquered the important trading cities of Bruges and Ghent. Antwerp, which was then arguably the most important port in the world, also had to be conquered. On August 17, 1585, Antwerp fell. This ended the Eighty Years' War for the (from now on) Southern Netherlands. The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish The United Provinces (the Netherlands proper) fought on until 1648 – the Peace of Westphalia. "United Netherlands" redirects here For the "Kingdom of the United Netherlands" see United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The term Peace of Westphalia refers to the two peace treaties of Osnabrück and Münster, signed on May 15 and October 24 of

While Spain was at war with England, the rebels from the north, strengthened by refugees from the south, started a campaign to reclaim areas lost to Philips II's Spanish troops. They managed to conquer a considerable part of Brabant (the later Noord-Brabant of the Netherlands), and the south bank of the Scheldt estuary (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen), before being stopped by Spanish troops. North Brabant ( Dutch: Noord-Brabant,) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country bordered by Belgium Zeelandic Flanders (Nl-Zeeuws-Vlaanderenogg|Zeeuws-Vlaanderen]] is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in southwestern Netherlands. The front line at the end of this war stabilized and became the current border between present-day Belgium and the Netherlands. The Dutch (as they later became known) had managed to reclaim enough of Spanish-controlled Flanders to close off the river Scheldt, effectively cutting Antwerp off from its trade routes. The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www

First the fall of Antwerp to the Spanish and later also the closing of the Scheldt were causes of a considerable emigration of Antverpians. The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www [3] Many of the Calvinist merchants of Antwerp and also of other Flemish cities left Flanders and emigrated to the north. A large number of them settled in Amsterdam, which was at the time a smaller port, only of significance in the Baltic trade. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west In the following years Amsterdam was rapidly transformed into one of the world's most important ports. Because of the contribution of the Flemish exiles to this transformation, the exodus is sometimes described as "creating a new Antwerp".

Flanders and Brabant, due to these events, went into a period of relative decline from the time of the Thirty Years War. For the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War see Char Bouba war. For the band see The 30 Years War. [4] In the Northern Netherlands however, the mass emigration from Flanders and Brabant became an important driving force behind the Dutch Golden Age. This article focuses on social and cultural history For political events see History of the Netherlands and Dutch Revolt (1568–1648

1581–1795: The Southern Netherlands

Although arts remained at a relatively impressive level for another century with Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Flanders experienced a loss of its former economic and intellectual power under Spanish, Austrian, and French rule, with heavy taxation and rigid imperial political control compounding the effects of industrial stagnation and Spanish-Dutch and Franco-Austrian conflict.


1795–1815: French Revolution and Napoleonic France

In 1794 the French Republican Army started using Antwerp as the northernmost naval port of France,[4] which country officially annexed Flanders the following year as the départements of Lys, Escaut, Deux-Nèthes, Meuse-Inférieure and Dyle. The History of France has been divided into a series of separate historical articles navigable through the list to the right This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Lys is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium. Escaut is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium and Netherlands. Deux-Nèthes (Twee Nethen is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium and The Netherlands. Meuse-Inférieure ( Lower Meuse; Dutch: Nedermaas or Beneden-Maas; German: Niedermaas) is the name of a département Dyle is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium. Obligatory (French) army service for all men aged 16–25 was one of the main reasons for the people's uprise against the French in 1798, known as the Boerenkrijg (Peasants' War), with heaviest fights in the Campine area. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Campine (Dutch Kempen) is a region which once consisted mainly of Moor or Swamp, heath and sandy Peat.

1815–1830: United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the 1815 Battle of Waterloo in Waterloo, Brabant, sovereignty over the Austrian Netherlands – Belgium minus the East Cantons and Luxembourg – was given by the Congress of Vienna (1815) to the United Netherlands (Dutch: Verenigde Nederlanden), the state that briefly existed under Sovereign Prince William I of Orange Nassau, the latter King William I of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, after the French Empire was driven out of the Dutch territories. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium Waterloo (watəʀˈloː is a Walloon Municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish Eupen-Malmedy, or the East Cantons (in German, die Ostkantone; in French, les Cantons de l'Est; in Dutch, de Oostkantons Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year "United Netherlands" redirects here For the "Kingdom of the United Netherlands" see United Kingdom of the Netherlands. William Frederick (William I, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau ( The Hague, 24 August 1772 - Berlin, 12 December 1843 was a Prince of The United Kingdom of the Netherlands was born. United Kingdom of the Netherlands (or Kingdom of the United Netherlands) (1815 - 1830 (1839 (Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas was the unofficial The Protestant King of the Netherlands, William I rapidly started the industrialisation of the southern parts of the Kingdom. The political system that was set up however, slowly but surely failed to forge a true union between the northern and the southern parts of the Kingdom. The southern bourgeoisie mainly was Roman Catholic, in contrast to the mainly Protestant north, large parts of the southern bourgeoisie also primarily spoke French, instead of Flemish, a dialect of the Dutch language. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of

The in 1815 reinstated Dutch Senate (Dutch: Eerste Kamer der Staaten Generaal) the nobility, mainly coming from the south, became more and more estranged from their northern colleagues. Resentment grew both among the Roman Catholics from the south and the Protestants from the north and among the powerful liberal bourgeoisie from the south and their more moderate colleagues from the North. On August 25, 1830 (after the showing of the opera 'La Muette de Portici' of Daniel Auber in Brussels) the Belgian Revolution sparked off and became a fact. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display La muette de Portici ( The mute girl of Portici) originally entitled Masaniello ou La muette de Portici, is an Opera in five acts Daniel François Esprit Auber ( January 29, 1782 – May 13, 1871) was a French Composer. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the On October 4, 1830, the Provisional Authority (Dutch: Voorlopig Bewind) proclaimed the independence which was later confirmed by the National Congress that issued a new Liberal Constitution and declared the new state a Constitutional Monarchy, under the House of Saxe-Coburg. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Saxe-Coburg (Sachsen-Coburg is a historical state in today's Bavaria, Germany. Flanders now became part of the Kingdom of Belgium, which was recognized by the major European Powers on January 20, 1831. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a The de facto dissidence was only finally recognized by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands on April 19, 1839. United Kingdom of the Netherlands (or Kingdom of the United Netherlands) (1815 - 1830 (1839 (Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas was the unofficial Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

Kingdom of Belgium

In 1830, the Belgian Revolution led to the splitting up of the two countries. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the Belgium was confirmed as an independent state by the Treaty of London of 1839, but deprived of the eastern half of Limburg (now Dutch Limburg), and the Eastern half of Luxembourg (now the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg) . The Treaty of London, also called the First Treaty of London or the Convention of 1839, was a Treaty signed on 19 April 1839 between Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Sovereignty over Zeeuws Vlaanderen, south of the Westerscheldt river delta, was left with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who was allowed to levy a toll on all traffic to the Antwerp harbour until 1863. The Netherlands and The Kingdom of the Netherlands are two distinct geographical and administrative entities Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common [4]

Rise of the Flemish Movement

Main article: Flemish movement


World War I and its consequences

Flanders (and Belgium as a whole) saw some of the greatest loss of life on the Western Front of the First World War, in particular from the three battles of Ypres. The Flemish Movement (Vlaamse Beweging is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders See Western Front (disambiguation for other meanings Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Ypres ( French, generally used in English French ipʁ English ˈiːprə Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced /ˈiːpər/ or Ypern Due to the hundreds of thousands of casualties at Ypres, the poppies that sprang up from the battlefield afterwards, later immortalised in the Canadian poem "In Flanders Fields", written by John McCrae, have become a symbol for lives lost in war. A poppy is any of a number of showy Flowers typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. " In Flanders Fields " is one of the most famous Poems written during the First World War, and has been called "the most popular poem" produced during Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae ( November 30, 1872 &ndash January 28, 1918) was a Canadian Poet

Flemish feeling of identity and consciousness grew through the events and experiences of war. The German occupying authorities had taken several Flemish-friendly measures. More importantly, the experiences of many Flemish speaking soldiers on the front led by French speaking officers catalysed Flemish emancipation. The French speaking officers barked the orders in French, followed by "et pour les Flamands, la même chose", which basically meant, "Same thing for the Flemish", which obviously did not help the Flemish conscripts, who were mostly uneducated farmers and workers, who didn't speak French at all. The resulting suffering is still remembered by Flemish organizations during the yearly Yser pilgrimage in Diksmuide at the monument of the Yser Tower. The IJzerbedevaart (Pilgrimage of the Yser is a yearly gathering of Flemings, at the IJzertoren in Diksmuide. Diksmuide ( Dixmude in French) is a Belgian City and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders The IJzertoren (Yser Tower is a memorial along the Belgian Yser river in Diksmuide.

Right-Wing Nationalism in the interbellum and World War II

Main articles: VNV, Verdinaso, Dietsland, and Cyriel Verschaeve


Communautary quibbles and the Egmont pact

Main articles: Egmont pact, Voeren, and Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde


Recent events

Fake revolution

On 13 Dec 2006, a spoof news broadcast by the Belgian Francophone public broadcasting station RTBF declared that the Flemish part of Belgium had decided to declare independence from Belgium, and that the King and Queen of Belgium had left immediately on a plane. The Verdinaso ( Ver bond der Di etse Na tionaal- So lidaristen - Union of Diets National Solidarists) was an The Greater Netherlands (Groot-Nederland or Grootneerlandisme is the political aspiration of some in the Low Countries. Cyriel Verschaeve ( April 30, 1874 - November 8, 1949) was a noted Flemish clergyman and writer who was condemned for collaboration The Egmont pact ( Dutch: Egmontpact, French: Pacte d'Egmont, German: Egmont-Pakt) of 1977 is an agreement Voeren ( Fourons in French) is a Municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. “Brussels judicial Arrondissement” redirects here Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (often abbreviated as BHV) is a Belgian electoral Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. RTBF or Radio télévision belge de la communauté française is the national broadcasting organisation of the government of the French-speaking southern Images were shown of people celebrating and waving flags in the background. Within minutes of the beginning of the broadcast, the news station was flooded with calls from concerned French speakers. It was only a half hour after the beginning of the broadcast that the disclaimer "This is fiction" was displayed. It was revealed that the programme had been broadcast to stimulate discussion of this subject[5].

Belgian federal elections

The 2007 elections showed an extraordinary outcome in terms of support for Flemish autonomy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. All the political parties that advocated a significant increase of Flemish autonomy increased their share of the votes and seats in the Belgian parliament. This was especially the case for CD&V and N-VA (forming a cartel). Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie ("New-Flemish Alliance" is a Flemish nationalist and Center-right political party founded in the autumn of 2001 In addition, the very assertive Lijst Dedecker gained a spectacular entry in parliament. List Dedecker (Lijst Dedecker is a Belgian Political party founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker. It got even slightly ahead of the greens (Groen!) which rather disappointed. Green! (in Dutch Groen!; founded as Agalev (see name-section below is a Belgian green Political party. The outright secessionist Vlaams Belang remained strong, but stalled. Vlaams Belang ( English: Flemish Interest) is an anti-immigration right-wing Political party in the Flemish Community of Belgium The main parties advocating more or less the current Belgian institutiona and only modest increases in Flemish autonomy severely lost (OpenVLD, Groen! and especially SP.A). Green! (in Dutch Groen!; founded as Agalev (see name-section below is a Belgian green Political party. Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP

These victories for the advocates of much more Flemish autonomy are very much in parallel with opinion polls that show a structural increase in popular support for their agenda.

Several negotiators having come and gone since the last federal elections of 10 June 2007 without diminishing the disagreements between Flemish and Walloon politicians regarding a further State reform, continues to prevent the formation of the federal government. The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday June 10, 2007. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The 2007–2008 Belgian government formation followed the general election of 10 June, 2007, and consisted of a period of negotiation in which the Flemish

Government and politics

Main article: Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium

Both the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region are constitutional institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium with precise geographical boundaries. Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region In practice, the Flemish Community and Region together form a single body, with its own parliament and government, as the Community legally absorbed the competences of the Region.

The area of the Flemish Community is represented on the maps above, including the area of the Brussels-Capital Region (hatched on the relevant map). Roughly, the Flemish Community exercises competences originally oriented towards the individuals of the Community's language: culture (including audiovisual media), education, and the use of the language. Education in Belgium is regulated and for the larger part financed by one of the three communities. Extensions to personal matters less directly associated with language comprise sports, health policy (curative and preventive medicine), and assistance to individuals (protection of youth, social welfare, aid to families, immigrant assistance services, etc. ). [6]

The area of the Flemish Region is represented on the maps above. It has a population of around 6 million (excluding the Dutch-speaking community in the Brussels Region, grey on the map for it is not a part of the Flemish Region). Roughly, the Flemish Region is responsible for territorial issues in a broad sense, including economy, employment, agriculture, water policy, housing, public works, energy, transport, the environment, town and country planning, nature conservation, credit, and foreign trade. It supervises the provinces, municipalities, and intercommunal utility companies. [7]

The number of Dutch-speaking Flemish people in the Capital Region is estimated to be between 11% and 15% (official figures do not exist as there is no language census and no official subnationality). The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or According to a survey conducted by the Université Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-La-Neuve and published in June 2006, 51% of respondents from Brussels claimed to be bilingual, even if they do not have Dutch as their first language. The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known as UCL, is Belgium 's largest French -speaking University, and a successor institution Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve is a Walloon Municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. [8][9] They are governed by the Brussels Region for economics affairs and by the Flemish Community for educational and cultural issues.

As of 2005, Flemish institutions such as Flanders' government, parliament, etc. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. represent the Flemish Community and the Flemish region. The region and the community thus de facto share the same parliament and the same government. All these institutions are based in Brussels. Nevertheless, both bodies (the Community and the Region) still exist and the distinction between both is important for the people living in Brussels. Members of the Flemish parliament who were elected in the Brussels Region cannot vote on affairs belonging to the competences of the Flemish Region. The Flemish Parliament ( Dutch: Vlaams Parlement, and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the legislative power

The official language for all Flemish institutions is Dutch. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname French enjoys a limited official recognition in a dozen municipalities along the borders with French-speaking Wallonia, and a large recognition in the bilingual Brussels Region. The municipalities with language facilities, occasionally called municipalities with linguistic facilities or shortly municipalities with facilities ( Dutch Wallonia, or Wallonie, (Wallonie Wallonien Wallonië Waloneye is the Meridional part of Belgium belonging to the Romance linguistic field French is widely known in Flanders, with 59% claiming to know French according to a survey conducted by the Université catholique de Louvain in Louvain-La-Neuve and published in June 2006. The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known as UCL, is Belgium 's largest French -speaking University, and a successor institution Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve is a Walloon Municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. [10][11]

Politics

Main article: Politics of Flanders

Many new political parties during the last half century were founded in Flanders: the nationalist Volksunie of which the extreme-right nationalist Vlaams Blok (Vlaams Belang) split off, and that later dissolved into SPIRIT, moderate nationalism rather left of the spectrum, and the NVA, more conservative moderate nationalism; the alternative/ecological Groen!; the short-lived anarchistic libertarian spark ROSSEM and more recently the conservative-right liberal Lijst Dedecker, founded by Jean-Marie Dedecker. is both a cultural community and an economic region within the Belgian state, and has significant autonomy Volksunie ( People's Union, VU was a Belgian political party formed in 1954 as a successor to the "Christian Flemish People's Union" an electoral The Vlaams Blok ( VB, English: Flemish Bloc) was a Belgian Secessionist Political party which advocated anti-immigration Vlaams Belang ( English: Flemish Interest) is an anti-immigration right-wing Political party in the Flemish Community of Belgium The FlemishProgressives (VlaamsProgressieven or VlPro ProgressistesFlamands are a Belgian Flemish political party formed after the falling apart of the old The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie ("New-Flemish Alliance" is a Flemish nationalist and Center-right political party founded in the autumn of 2001 Green! (in Dutch Groen!; founded as Agalev (see name-section below is a Belgian green Political party. ROSSEM was a Belgian libertine political party founded in 1991 by the maverick Flemish businessman and writer Jean-Pierre Van Rossem. List Dedecker (Lijst Dedecker is a Belgian Political party founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker. Jean-Marie Louis Dedecker (born Nieuwpoort, 13 June 1952) is a Belgian Flemish Politician.

Flemish nation

For many Flemings, Flanders is more than just a geographical area or the federal institutions (Flemish Community and Region). Some even call it a nation: a people of over 6 million living in the Flemish Region and in the Brussels-Capital Region. Flemings share many political, cultural, scientific, social and educational views. The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or Although most Flemings identify themselves more with Flanders than with Belgium, the largest group defines itself as both Flemish and Belgian. The idea of an independent Flanders finds its root in the romantic nationalism of the 19th century. Romantic nationalism (also National Romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of Nationalism in which the state derives The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar

Administrative divisions

Main article: Provinces of Belgium#Provinces of the Flemish Region
Provinces of Flanders

The Flemish Region covers 13,522 km² (5,221 sq mi) and contains over 300 municipalities. Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each It is divided into 5 provinces:

  1. Antwerp (Antwerpen)
  2. Limburg (Limburg)
  3. East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen)
  4. Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant)
  5. West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen)

Independently from the provinces, Flanders has its own local institutions in the Brussels-Capital Region, being the Vlaamse GemeenschapsCommissie (VGC), and its municipal antennae (Gemeenschapscentra, community centers for the Flemish community in Brussels). Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each Antwerp ( Antwerpen) is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders and of Belgium. East Flanders ( Oost-Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre orientale in French) is a province of Flanders, one of the three } Flemish Brabant ( Dutch: Vlaams-Brabant, French: Brabant flamand) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. The Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (or VGC, or in English, the Flemish Community Commission) is the local representative of the Flemish authorities These institutions are independent from the educational, cultural and social institutions which depend directly on the Flemish government. They exert, among others, all those cultural competences that outside Brussels fall under the provinces.

Geography and climate

Antwerpen (Antwerp), Gent (Ghent), Brugge (Bruges) and Leuven are the largest cities of Flanders. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Leuven ( French: Louvain, often used in English German: Löwen) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Antwerpen has a population of more than 450,000 citizens and is the largest city, Gent has a population of 250,000 citizens, followed by Brugge with 100,000 citizens. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Leuven is the smallest city with almost 100,000 citizens. Leuven ( French: Louvain, often used in English German: Löwen) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Brussel (Brussels) is a part of Flanders as far as community matters are concerned, but does not belong to the Flemish Region. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is

Flanders has two main geographical regions: the coastal Yser basin plain in the north-west and a central plain. The Yser (IJzer Yser is a River that finds its origin in the north of France, enters Belgium and flows into the North Sea in the town The first consists mainly of sand dunes and clayey alluvial soils in the polders. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity meaning it has no connection with Polders are areas of land, close to or below sea level that have been reclaimed from the sea, from which they are protected by dikes or, a little further inland, by fields that have been drained with canals. LeveeEmbankmentDitch A dike (or dyke) levee, levée, embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial With similar soils along the lowermost Scheldt basin starts the central plain, a smooth, slowly rising fertile area irrigated by many waterways that reaches an average height of about five metres (16. The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www 4 ft) above sea level with wide valleys of its rivers upstream as well as the Campine region to the east having sandy soils at altitudes around thirty metres[12] Near its southern edges close to Wallonia one can find slightly rougher land richer of calcium with low hills reaching up to 150 m (492 ft) and small valleys, and at the eastern border with the Netherlands, in the Meuse basin, there are marl caves (mergelgrotten). Campine (Dutch Kempen) is a region which once consisted mainly of Moor or Swamp, heath and sandy Peat. Wallonia, or Wallonie, (Wallonie Wallonien Wallonië Waloneye is the Meridional part of Belgium belonging to the Romance linguistic field Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The foot is an Anatomical structure found in many Animals It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows Locomotion. Meuse (møːz is a department in northeast France, named after the Meuse River. Marl or Marlstone is a Calcium carbonate or lime -rich mud or Mudstone which contains variable amounts of Clays and Aragonite Its exclave around Voeren between the Dutch border and the Walloon province of Liège attains a maximum altitude of 288 m (945 ft) above sea level. Voeren ( Fourons in French) is a Municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Wallonia, or Wallonie, (Wallonie Wallonien Wallonië Waloneye is the Meridional part of Belgium belonging to the Romance linguistic field List of Governors 1830 - 1831 Etienne de Sauvage (Liberal 1831 - 1832 Jean-François Tielemans (Liberal The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The foot is an Anatomical structure found in many Animals It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows Locomotion. [13][14]

The climate is maritime temperate, with significant precipitation in all seasons (Köppen climate classification: Cfb; the average temperature is 3 °C (37 °F) in January, and 18 °C (64 °F) in July; the average precipitation is 65 millimetres (2. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to 6 in) in January, and 78 millimetres (3. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 1 in) in July).

Economy

Total GDP of the Flemish Region in 2004 was € 165,847 million (Eurostat figures). The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union Per capita GDP at purchasing power parity was 23% above the EU average. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power.

Flanders was one of the first continental European areas to undergo the Industrial Revolution, in the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Initially, the modernization relied heavily on food processing and textile. However, by the 1840s the textile industry of Flanders was in severe crisis and there was famine in Flanders (1846–50). After World War II, Antwerp and Ghent experienced a fast expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Ghent (ˈɡɛnt Gent ʝɛnt in Dutch, Gand in French, and formerly Gaunt in English) is a City and a A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Flanders also attracted a large majority of foreign investments in Belgium, among others thanks to its well-educated and industrious labour force. The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy into a recession. The 1973 oil crisis began on October 17 1973 when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC consisting of the Arab members of The 1979 (or second) oil crisis in the United States occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The steel industry remained in relatively good shape. In the 1980s and 90s, the economic centre of the Belgium continued to shift further to Flanders. Nowadays, the Flemish economy is mainly service-oriented, although its diverse industry remains a crucial force. Flemish productivity per capita is between 20 and 25% higher than that in Wallonia. Wallonia, or Wallonie, (Wallonie Wallonien Wallonië Waloneye is the Meridional part of Belgium belonging to the Romance linguistic field

Flanders has developed an excellent transportation infrastructure of ports, canals, railways and highways. Antwerp is the second-largest European port, after Rotterdam. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of

In 1999, the euro, the single European currency, was introduced in Flanders. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e It replaced the Belgian franc in 2002. The franc ( Dutch: frank - French: franc - German: Franken) was the currency of Belgium until 2002 when the The Flemish economy is strongly export oriented, in particular of high value-added goods. The main imports are food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, clothing and accessories, and textiles. The main exports are automobiles, food and food products, iron and steel, finished diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products, and nonferrous metals. Since 1922, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market within a customs and currency union—the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by A customs union is a Free trade area with a Common external tariff. In economics a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency (also known as a unitary or common currency The Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (Belgisch-Luxemburgse Economische Unie Union économique belgo-luxembourgeoise, Belsch-Lëtzebuerger Wirtschaftsunioun abbreviated to Its main trading partners are Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States and Spain.

Demographics

The highest population density is found in the area circumscribed by the Brussels-Antwerp-Gent-Leuven agglomerations that surround Mechelen and is known as the Flemish Diamond, in other important urban centres as Bruges and Kortrijk to the west, and notable centres Turnhout and Hasselt to the east. The Flemish Diamond (in Dutch: Vlaamse Ruit) is a name of an area consisting of the central provinces of Flanders, Belgium. For the Dutch village see Kortrijk (Netherlands Kortrijk (official name in Dutch; French: Courtrai; Latin Turnhout is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of Antwerp. ||-||-||} Hasselt is a Belgian City and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg. As of April 2005, the Flemish Region has a population of 6,058,368 and about 15% of the 1,018,029 people in the Brussels Region are also considered Flemish. [15]

The (Belgian) laicist constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the various government generally respects this right in practice. Laïcité (laisiˈte is the French concept of a Secular society, connoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs Since independence, Catholicism, counterbalanced by strong freethought movements, has had an important role in Belgium's politics, since the 20th century in Flanders mainly via the Christian trade union (ACV) and the Christian Democrat party (CD&V). Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that Beliefs should be formed on the basis of Science and Logic and should not be influenced Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian According to the 2001 Survey and Study of Religion,[16] about 47 percent of the Belgian population identify themselves as belonging to the Catholic Church while Islam is the second-largest religion at 3. 5 percent. A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, considered more religious than Wallonia, showed 55% to call themselves religious, 36% believe that God created the world. [17] (See also Religion in Belgium). A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, long considered more religious than the Brussels or Wallonia regions in Belgium, showed 55% of its inhabitants calling

According to Npdata, 9. 7% of the Flemish population is of foreign descent. 4. 5% European (including 1. 8% Dutch, 0. The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. 6% Italian and 0. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging 4% French), and 5. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( 1% from outside the European union, (including 1. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 8% Moroccan and 1. 5% Turks). The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language

Education is compulsory from the ages of six to 18, but most Flemings continue to study until around 23. The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or Among the OECD countries in 1999, Flanders had the third-highest proportion of 18–21-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Flanders also scores very high in international comparative studies on education. Its secondary school students consistently rank among the top three for mathematics and science. However, the success is not evenly spread: ethnic minority youth score consistently lower, and the difference is larger than in most comparable countries.

In addition, concern is rising over functional illiteracy. Functional illiteracy refers to the inability of an individual to use reading, Writing, and Computational skills efficiently in everyday life situations In the period 1994–98, 18. 4 percent of the population lacks functional literacy skills. [18]

Mirroring the historical political conflicts between the freethought and Catholic segments of the population, the Flemish educational system is split into a laïque branch controlled by the communities, the provinces, or the municipalities, and a subsidised religious—mostly Catholic—branch controlled by both the communities and the religious authorities—usually the dioceses. In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. It should however be noted that—at least for the Catholic schools—the religious authorities have very limited power over these schools. This article is about Catholic schools in general for specific schools named Catholic High School, see Catholic High School (disambiguation. Smaller school systems follow 'methodical pedagogies' (Steiner, Montessori, Freinet, . The Montessori method is an educational method for children based on theories of Child development originated by Italian educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952 Freinet redirects here there is also a village La Garde-Freinet in the French Arrondissement of Draguignan (Var Célestin Freinet . . ) or serve the Jewish and Protestant minorities.

Language and culture

Main articles: Dutch language and Flemish people

The standard language is in Flanders the same as in the Netherlands, i. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands e. , Dutch. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium and the standard language with influences from these dialects, are often referred to as Flemish (Dutch: Vlaams). Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname

At first sight, Flemish culture is defined by its language and its gourmandic mentality. A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Some claim Flemish literature does not exist, because it is said to be 'readable' by both the Dutch as well as Flemings. Flemish literature is Literature from Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. This is correct for the vast majority of the literature written by Flemings, although one might argue a distinct Flemish literature already began in the 19th century, when most of the European Nation-states arose, with writers and poets such as Guido Gezelle, who not only explicitly referred to his writings as Flemish, but actually used it in many of his poems, and strongly defended it:

Original
"Gij zegt dat ‘t vlaamsch te niet zal gaan:
‘t en zal!
dat ‘t waalsch gezwets zal boven slaan:
‘t en zal!
Dat hopen, dat begeren wij:
dat zeggen en dat zweren wij:
zoo lange als wij ons weren, wij:
‘t en zal, ‘t en zal,
‘t en zal!"

Translation
"You say Flemish will disappear:
It will not!
that Walloonish rantings will prevail:
It will not!
This we hope, this we crave:
this we say and this we swear:
as long as we defend ourselves, we:
It will not, It will not,
It will not!"

This distinction in literature is also made by some experts, such as Kris Humbeeck, professor in Literature of the University of Antwerp here. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy Guido Gezelle ( May 1, 1830 - November 27, 1899) was an influential Dutch language Writer and Poet and a Nevertheless, the near totality of Dutch-language literature read (and appreciated to varying degrees) in Flanders is the same as in the Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands

Some other writers representative of Flemish culture are Ernest Claes, Stijn Streuvels and Felix Timmermans. Andreas Ernestus Josephus Claes ( 24 October 1885 in Zichem - 2 September 1968 in Elsene) was a Flemish author Stijn Streuvels, born Franciscus (Frank Petrus Maria Lateur is a Flemish writer Leopold Maximiliaan Felix Timmermans ( 5 July 1886 &ndash 24 January 1947) is the most translated Author of Flanders. Their novels mostly describe rural life in Flanders in the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. They were widely read by the elder generation but are considered somewhat old fashioned by present day critics.
Some famous flemish writers from the early 20th century wrote in French, like nobel-prize winner (1911) Maurice Maeterlinck and Emile Verhaeren. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Count Maeterlinck ( August 29, 1862 - May 6, 1949) was a Belgian Poet, Playwright, Emile Verhaeren (21 May 1855 – 27 November 1916 was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of
Still widely read and translated into other languages (including English) are the novels of authors like Willem Elsschot, Louis Paul Boon and Hugo Claus. Willem Elsschot ( 7 May 1882 - 31 May 1960) was a Flemish writer and poet ( Pseudonym of Alfons-Jozef De Ridder Louis Paul Boon ( 15 March 1912 - 10 May 1979) was a Flemish journalist and novelist who is considered one of the major 20th century Hugo Maurice Julien Claus ( April 5, 1929 &ndash March 19, 2008) was a Flemish Novelist, Poet, Playwright The younger generation is represented by novelists like Tom Lanoye, Herman Brusselmans and the poet Herman de Coninck. Tom Lanoye (born August 27, 1958 in Sint-Niklaas) is a Belgian Novelist and Poet who works in Antwerp ( Herman Brusselmans (born 9 October 1957 in Hamme, Belgium) is a Flemish novelist poet playwright and columnist Herman de Coninck ( 21 February 1944 &ndash 22 May 1997) was a Flemish poet essayist journalist and publisher

The Family Name "Fleming"

The Family Name "Fleming" is common in England, Scotland, Ireland and later-settled English-speaking countries, and also occurs in Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The wide distribution of the name indicates a long-standing Flemish diaspora.

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ Structuur van de bevolking – België / Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest / Vlaams Gewest / Waals Gewest (2000-2006) (asp) (Dutch). The Flemish Parliament ( Dutch: Vlaams Parlement, and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the legislative power Flanders has a diverse Multi-party political system Many parties are active and since end of the 20th century none succeeds in obtaining more than 1/3 of the votes let alone a majority Education in Belgium is regulated and for the larger part financed by one of the three communities. The Minister-President of Flanders is the Head of government of the Flemish region and community which is a federal state of Belgium. counts of Flanders were the Rulers over the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the Countship by the French revolutionaries vtm or Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij is the main commercial television station in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking north of Belgium. Early Netherlandish painting is the work of those painters who were active in the Low Countries during the 15th and early 16th century Northern renaissance Vinkensport ( Dutch finch sport is a competitive Animal sport in which male Chaffinches are made to compete for the highest number of Bird Science and technology in Flanders, the northern region of Belgium ( Europe) is well developed with the presence of several universities and research institutes Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname FOD/SPF Economie (Federal Government Service Economy) - Algemene Directie Statistiek en Economische Informatie (© 1998/2007). Retrieved on 15 May 2007. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  2. ^ The capital city of Flanders is Brussels. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is The Flemish Community. . be Portal. Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved on 2007-06-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
  3. ^ Footnote: An Antverpian, derived from Antverpia, the Latin name of Antwerp, is an inhabitant of this city; the term is also the adjective expressing that its substantive is from or in that city or belongs to it. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the In Grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a Noun or Pronoun, giving more information about the
  4. ^ a b c Antwerp — History. Find it in Flanders. Tourism Flanders & Brussels, Flanders House, London, UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Retrieved on 2007-01-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire.
  5. ^ http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Fictional_documentary_about_Flemish_independence_causes_consternation_in_Belgium
  6. ^ The Communities. . be Portal. Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved on 2007-05-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne
  7. ^ The Regions. . be Portal. Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved on 2007-05-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne
  8. ^ (French) Report of study by the Université Catholique de Louvain
  9. ^ (Dutch) Article at Taaluniversum.org summarising report
  10. ^ *http://regards.ires.ucl.ac.be/Archives/RE042.pdf Report of study by Universite Catholique de Louvain (in French)]
  11. ^ *Article at Taaluniversum.org summarising report (in Dutch)
  12. ^ The altitude of Mechelen, approximately in the middle of the central plain forming the large part of Flanders, is 7 m (23 ft) above sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The foot is an Anatomical structure found in many Animals It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows Locomotion. Already closer to the higher southern Wallonia, the more eastern Leuven and Hasselt reach altitudes up to about 40 m (131 ft) Kingdom of Belgium map (politically outdated). Wallonia, or Wallonie, (Wallonie Wallonien Wallonië Waloneye is the Meridional part of Belgium belonging to the Romance linguistic field The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The foot is an Anatomical structure found in many Animals It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows Locomotion. Retrieved on 15 May 2007. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  13. ^ Ir. Jan Strubbe in collaboration with Dr. Frank Mostaert and Ir. Koen Maeghe. Flood management in Flanders with special focus on navigable waterways. Ministry of the Flemish Community, department Environment and Infrastructure (Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium, Flanders Hydraulics Research, Administratie Waterwegen en Zeewezen).  “Flanders is covered by the three major catchment basins (Yser, Scheldt and Meuse). This rather lowlying nearly flat region (2 to 150 m/6–492 ft altitude above sea-level) . . . ”
  14. ^ Myriam Dumortier, Luc De Bruyn, Maarten Hens, Johan Peymen, Anik Schneiders, Toon Van Daele, Wouter Van Reeth, Gisèle Weyembergh and Eckhart Kuijken (2006). Biodiversity Indicators 2006 - State of Nature in Flanders (Belgium). Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels.  “The altitude ranges from a few meters above sea-level in the Polders to 288 m (945 ft) above sea-level in the south eastern exclave. ”
  15. ^ Official statistics of Belgium
  16. ^ Belgium. International Religious Freedom Report 2004. US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2004). The Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Affairs (DRL at the United States Department of State is one of four bureaus that comprise the Office of the Under Secretary Retrieved on 2007-05-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling
  17. ^ Inquiry by 'Vepec', 'Vereniging voor Promotie en Communicatie' (Organisation for Promotion and Communication), published in Knack magazine 22 November 2006 p. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 14 [The Dutch language term 'gelovig' is in the text translated as 'religious', more precisely it is a very common word for believing in particular in any kind of God in a monotheistic sense, and/or in some afterlife]. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between
  18. ^ United Nation Development Programme

Dictionary

Flanders

-proper noun

  1. A subnational state in the north of federal Belgium, the institutional merger of a territorial region and the Dutch language 'community' which also has/shares some authority in the capital region Brussels.
  2. The historical County of Flanders, of varying extent.
  3. Two provinces in Belgian Flanders: (West-Flanders and East-Flanders).
  4. Short for French Flanders, a former province of the French kingdom on territory taken from the above countship, now constituting the French department Nord.
  5. The principal railway station in Lille, capital of the above.
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