The regions of Noord-Brabant, Flemish-Brabant, Walloon-Brabant and metropolitan Brussels
Noord-Brabant is a province of the Netherlands,
located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the
south, the Meuse River (Maas) in the north, Limburg in the
east and Zeeland in the west. Like most of the Netherlands, North
Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is
above sea level, therefore there are not as many canals as in the
lower parts of The Netherlands. While most of the population lives
in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages and most of
the land is cultivated. Consistent with naturally raised areas,
forests, heathlands and dune areas can also be found.
Flemish-Brabant is a province of Flanders, one
of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the
North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon
Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely
surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven. It
has an area of 2,106 km² which is divided into two
administrative districts (arrondissementen in Dutch)
containing 65 municipalities. Flemish Brabant was created in 1995
by the splitting of the former province of Brabant into three
parts: two new provinces, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant; and
the Brussels-Capital Region, which no longer belongs to any
province. The split was made to accommodate the eventual division
of Belgium in three regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the
Brussels-Capital Region). It is a province with a rich cultural
history and a great diversity of typical products, among them
several of the world-famous Belgian beers.
Walloon-Brabant is a province of Wallonia in
Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of
Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and the provinces of Liège, Namur
and Hainaut (Wallonia). Its capital is Wavre. It has an area of
1,093 km² and contains only one administrative district
(arrondissement in French), the Arrondissement of
Nivelles, with 27 municipalities. Walloon Brabant was created in
1995 when the former Province of Brabant was split into the three
parts (Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Brussels). The split
was made to accommodate the federalisation of Belgium. The main
industries include metalworking, electromechanical engineering, and
paper production. Agricultural products include wheat, sugar beet,
and cattle. Three-quarters of the region, however, is employed in
the service sector, a strong economy supported by the growth of
advanced technology companies and small- and medium-sized
businesses. The Université Catholique de Louvain employs the
largest workforce in the region. The Battle of Waterloo took place
also in this province, the smallest of Wallonia.
Brussels, officially the Brussels
Region or Brussels-Capital
Region, is the de facto capital city of the
European Union (EU) and the largest urban area in Belgium. It
comprises 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels proper,
which is the constitutional capital of Belgium, the French
Community of Belgium, as well as Flanders and the Flemish
Community.
Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by
a descendant of Charlemagne into a metropolis of more than one
million inhabitants. The metropolitan area has a population of over
1.8 million, making it the largest in Belgium.
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