Flemish Region

This article is about the present-day region of Belgium also known as Flanders. For a wider context, see Flanders.

Template:Infobox Belgium Region The Flemish Region (Dutch: ) 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).

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

The Flemish region comprises 5 provinces (the provinces contain a total of 308 municipalities):

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

Brussels is sometimes considered a part of Flanders, but only for its Flemish inhabitants and local institutions, who are in both the region of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region. Brussels is also the official capital of Flanders.

Cities

Largest cities in the region include (with population figures in 2007): [1]

• Antwerp (466,484)
• Gent (234,602)
• Brugge (116,500)
• Leuven (95,232)
• Mechelen (78,480)
• Aalst (78,184)
• Kortrijk (73,376)
• Oostende (69,845)
• Hasselt (69,455)
• Sint-Niklaas (69,277)
• Genk (64,071)
• Roeselare (56,797)

Language

The official language is Dutch, often referred to by its inhabitants as Flemish. 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.

Education

• List of schools in Antwerp
• List of schools in East Flanders
• List of schools in Flemish Brabant
• List of schools in Limburg
• List of schools in West Flanders

See also

• Communities and regions of Belgium
• Provinces of regions in Belgium
• De Vlaamse Leeuw
• Count of Flanders
• St. Gummarus
• Flanders
• French Flemish

External links

• Template:En icon Flemish authorities (Dutch: Vlaamse overheid).
• Template:En icon Flanders online (also in French, German and Dutch).
• Toerisme Vlaanderen
• Template:Fr icon French Flanders
• Template:Nl icon Frans-Vlaanderen
• Template:Nl icon The Flemish region reaches 6 million inhabitants