Flemish Brabant
Encyclopedia
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 beer
s.
The province is made up of two arrondissement
s. The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement has Brussels
in its middle. It is therefore mainly a residential area, but it also has large industrial zones. For example, it is home to Belgium's main airport
. The other arrondissement is the Leuven Arrondissement
, centered on Leuven
.
The official language in Flemish Brabant is Dutch (as it is in the whole of Flanders), but a few municipalities are to a certain extent allowed to use French to communicate with their citizens; these are called the municipalities with language facilities. Other such special municipalities can be found along the border between Flanders and Wallonia, and between Wallonia and the German-speaking area of Belgium. The fact that Halle-Vilvoorde mostly surrounds Brussels
(which is officially bilingual but whose inhabitants mostly speak French) makes for an interesting mix of both languages.
The history of Brabant is at Duchy of Brabant
; see also Duke of Brabant
.
and the Flemish Government
in Flemish Brabant. He is appointed by the Flemish Government, on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers. The current Governor is Lodewijk De Witte
, he has been the Governor of Flemish Brabant since it was created in 1995 as a result of the splitting up of the Province of Brabant
. The Governor is responsible for supervising the local authorities, ensuring that laws and decrees are observed, maintaining public order and security, and coordinating the response to a disaster which has occurred in his province. He also presides over the Permanent Deputation, however, he doesn't have the right to vote in the Permanent Deputation except in those cases where the Permanent Deputation exercises a judicial function.
Flemish Brabant is that only province that has a Deputy Governor as well. The Deputy Governor is appointed by the Flemish Government on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers and must have a considerable knowledge of both the Dutch
and the French language
. He is responsible for ensuring that the language legislation is observed in the peripheral municipalities of Flemish Brabant.
The Provincial Council of Flemish Brabant consists of 84 members elected for a term of office of 6 years. The last election
was held on Sunday 8 October 2006. Six political parties have seats in the Provincial Council: Christian Democratic and Flemish
/New-Flemish Alliance
(CD&V/N-VA, 25 seats), Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD, 17 seats), Vlaams Belang
(15 seats), Socialist Party – Different-Spirit
(SP.A-Spirit, 14 seats), Groen!
(7 seats) and Union des Francophones
(6 seats). The majority in the Provincial Council is currently formed by CD&V/N-VA, Open VLD and SP.A-Spirit. These three parties together have a majority of 56 out of 84 seats.
The current President of the Provincial Council is Vic Laureys (CD&V/N-VA). He is assisted by a Bureau which consists of two Vice-Presidents, four Secretaries, three Quaestors and the floor leader
s of the fractions
in the Provincial Council.
The Permanent Deputation is the executive organ responsible for the daily administration of the province. It consists of the Governor and six Deputies elected by the Provincial Council from among its midst. The Deputies are currently divided among the majority parties as follows: two for CD&V/N-VA, two for Open VLD and two for SP.A-Spirit. However, one of the two SP.A-Spirit mandates is a shared one, it will be held by a member of SP.A-Spirit for the first three years and from 2009 to 2012 it will be held by a member of CD&V/N-VA.
and 30 in Leuven.
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, one of the three regions of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp
Antwerp (province)
Antwerp is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. Its capital is Antwerp which comprises the Port of Antwerp...
, Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)
Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...
, Liège
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
, Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant is a province of Wallonia in Belgium. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut . Its capital is Wavre...
, Hainaut and East Flanders
East Flanders
East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...
. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. It has an area of 2,106 km² which is divided into two administrative districts (arrondissementen in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) containing 65 municipalities.
Flemish Brabant was created in 1995 by the splitting of the former province of Brabant
Province of Brabant
Brabant was a province of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1815 until 1830 and a province of Belgium from 1830 until 1995, when it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speaking Walloon Brabant and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.-United Kingdom of the...
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 beer
Belgian beer
Beer in Belgium varies from pale lager to lambic beer and Flemish red. There are approximately 178 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries..-History:...
s.
The province is made up of two arrondissement
Arrondissement
Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...
s. The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement has Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in its middle. It is therefore mainly a residential area, but it also has large industrial zones. For example, it is home to Belgium's main airport
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
. The other arrondissement is the Leuven Arrondissement
Leuven Arrondissement
The Leuven Arrondissement is one of two arrondissements in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It lies east of the Brussels-Capital Region. The arrondissement has an area of and has 465,089 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...
, centered on Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
.
The official language in Flemish Brabant is Dutch (as it is in the whole of Flanders), but a few municipalities are to a certain extent allowed to use French to communicate with their citizens; these are called the municipalities with language facilities. Other such special municipalities can be found along the border between Flanders and Wallonia, and between Wallonia and the German-speaking area of Belgium. The fact that Halle-Vilvoorde mostly surrounds Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(which is officially bilingual but whose inhabitants mostly speak French) makes for an interesting mix of both languages.
The history of Brabant is at Duchy of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
; see also Duke of Brabant
Duke of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, son of Godfrey III of Leuven . The Duchy of Brabant was a feudal elevation of the since 1085/1086 existing title of Landgrave of Brabant...
.
Politics
The Governor is the representative or "commissioner" of the FederalBelgian federal government
The Cabinet of Belgium is the executive branch of the Belgian federal government, consisting of ministers and secretaries of state drawn from the political parties which form the governing coalition. Formally, the ministers are appointed by the King...
and the Flemish Government
Flemish government
The Flemish Government is the executive branch of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. It consists of up to a maximum of eleven ministers, chosen by the Flemish Parliament...
in Flemish Brabant. He is appointed by the Flemish Government, on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers. The current Governor is Lodewijk De Witte
Lodewijk De Witte
Lodewijk De Witte is the governor of the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant.After his studies at the law school of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, he remained active as a researcher and became specialised in issues concerning labour law , which was assigned to him by the European Economic...
, he has been the Governor of Flemish Brabant since it was created in 1995 as a result of the splitting up of the Province of Brabant
Province of Brabant
Brabant was a province of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1815 until 1830 and a province of Belgium from 1830 until 1995, when it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speaking Walloon Brabant and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.-United Kingdom of the...
. The Governor is responsible for supervising the local authorities, ensuring that laws and decrees are observed, maintaining public order and security, and coordinating the response to a disaster which has occurred in his province. He also presides over the Permanent Deputation, however, he doesn't have the right to vote in the Permanent Deputation except in those cases where the Permanent Deputation exercises a judicial function.
Flemish Brabant is that only province that has a Deputy Governor as well. The Deputy Governor is appointed by the Flemish Government on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers and must have a considerable knowledge of both the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. He is responsible for ensuring that the language legislation is observed in the peripheral municipalities of Flemish Brabant.
The Provincial Council of Flemish Brabant consists of 84 members elected for a term of office of 6 years. The last election
Belgian municipal elections, 2006
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2006 took place on Sunday 8 October 2006. The electors have elected the municipal counsellors of 589 cities and towns as well as the ten provincial councils...
was held on Sunday 8 October 2006. Six political parties have seats in the Provincial Council: Christian Democratic and Flemish
Christian Democratic and Flemish
The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party...
/New-Flemish Alliance
New-Flemish Alliance
' is a Flemish right-wing political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. It is a conservative and liberal movement that promotes civic nationalism...
(CD&V/N-VA, 25 seats), Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD, 17 seats), Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
(15 seats), Socialist Party – Different-Spirit
Spirit (Belgium)
' was a Belgian Flemish political party formed after dissolution of the moderate nationalist People's Union party. Prior to 19 April 2008 it was known as Spirit, and intermediately as Flemish Progressives...
(SP.A-Spirit, 14 seats), Groen!
Green!
Groen! is a Belgian green political party. Green! is the smallest Flemish party with a representation in the federal, regional or European parliament.-Before 1979:...
(7 seats) and Union des Francophones
Union des Francophones
The Union of Francophones is a Belgian electoral list which participates in regional, provincial and municipal elections in the Flemish Province of Flemish Brabant...
(6 seats). The majority in the Provincial Council is currently formed by CD&V/N-VA, Open VLD and SP.A-Spirit. These three parties together have a majority of 56 out of 84 seats.
The current President of the Provincial Council is Vic Laureys (CD&V/N-VA). He is assisted by a Bureau which consists of two Vice-Presidents, four Secretaries, three Quaestors and the floor leader
Floor Leader
Floor Leaders are leaders of their political parties in each of the houses of the legislature.- Senate :In the United States Senate, they are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and...
s of the fractions
Fraction (politics)
A parliamentary group, parliamentary party, or parliamentary caucus is a group consisting of members of the same political party or electoral fusion of parties in a legislative assembly such as a parliament or a city council. Parliamentary groups correspond to party caucuses and conferences in the...
in the Provincial Council.
The Permanent Deputation is the executive organ responsible for the daily administration of the province. It consists of the Governor and six Deputies elected by the Provincial Council from among its midst. The Deputies are currently divided among the majority parties as follows: two for CD&V/N-VA, two for Open VLD and two for SP.A-Spirit. However, one of the two SP.A-Spirit mandates is a shared one, it will be held by a member of SP.A-Spirit for the first three years and from 2009 to 2012 it will be held by a member of CD&V/N-VA.
Municipalities
Flemish Brabant has 65 municipalities: 35 in the Arrondissement of Halle-VilvoordeHalle-Vilvoorde administrative Arrondissement
The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement is one of the two administrative arrondissements in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It almost completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region and lies to the west of the other arrondissement in the province, the Leuven Arrondissement...
and 30 in Leuven.
| Halle-Vilvoorde arrondissement: | Leuven arrondissement: |
|
Aarschot Aarschot is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Aarschot proper and the towns of Gelrode, Langdorp and Rillaar. On January 1, 2006 Aarschot had a total population of 27,864... Begijnendijk Begijnendijk is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Begijnendijk proper and Betekom. On January 1, 2006 Begijnendijk had a total population of 9,400. The total area is 17.62 km² which gives a population density of 534... Bekkevoort Bekkevoort is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Assent, Bekkevoort proper and Molenbeek-Wersbeek. On January 1, 2006 Bekkevoort had a total population of 5,826. The total area is 37.17 km² which gives a population density of... Bertem Bertem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Bertem proper, Korbeek-Dijle and Leefdaal. On January 1, 2006 Bertem had a total population of 9,215... Bierbeek Bierbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Bierbeek proper, Korbeek-Lo, Lovenjoel and Opvelp. On January 1, 2006 Bierbeek had a total population of 9,147. The total area is 39.73 km² which gives a population density of 230... Boortmeerbeek Boortmeerbeek is a farmerhole in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Boortmeerbeek proper, Schiplaken and Hever. The total area which gives a population density of 620 inhabitants per km².-External links:* *... Boutersem Boutersem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Boutersem proper, Kerkom, Neervelp, Roosbeek, Vertrijk and Willebringen. On January 1, 2006 Boutersem had a total population of 7,532. The total area is 30.75 km² which gives a... Diest Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of... Geetbets Geetbets is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Geetbets proper, Grazen and Rummen. On January 1, 2006 Geetbets had a total population of 5,765... Glabbeek Glabbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Attenrode, Bunsbeek, Glabbeek proper, Kapellen, Wever and Zuurbemde. On January 1, 2006, Glabbeek had a total population of 5,189. The total area is 26.78 km² which gives a... Haacht Haacht is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Haacht proper, Kelfs, Tildonk, Wakkerzeel and Wespelaar.On January 1, 2006 Haacht had a total population of 13,608... Herent Herent is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Herent proper, Veltem-Beisem and Winksele. On January 1, 2006 Herent had a total population of 19,218. The total area is 32.73 km² which gives a population density of 587 inhabitants... Holsbeek Holsbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Holsbeek proper, Kortrijk-Dutsel, Nieuwrode and Sint-Pieters-Rode. On January 1, 2006 Holsbeek had a total population of 9,205... Huldenberg Huldenberg is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns and villages of Huldenberg proper, Loonbeek, Neerijse, Ottenburg and Sint-Agatha-Rode. On January 1, 2006 Huldenberg had a total population of 9,130. The total area is 39.64 km²... Keerbergen Keerbergen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises only the town of Keerbergen proper. On January 1, 2006 Keerbergen had a total population of 12,444... Kortenaken Kortenaken is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Hoeleden, Kersbeek-Miskom, Kortenaken proper, Ransberg and Waanrode. On January 1, 2006 Kortenaken had a total population of 7,540... Kortenberg Kortenberg is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Erps-Kwerps, Everberg, Kortenberg proper and Meerbeek. In the southern part of Everberg there is a hamlet called Vrebos. Between Erps and Meerbeek another hamlet, called... Landen Landen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Landen proper and the towns of Attenhoven, Eliksem, Ezemaal, Laar, Neerlanden, Neerwinden, Overwinden, Rumsdorp, Waasmont, Walsbets, Walshoutem, Wange and Wezeren. On January 1, 2006... Leuven Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium... Linter Linter is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Drieslinter, Melkwezer, Neerhespen , Neerlinter, Orsmaal, Overhespen and Wommersom. On January 1, 2006 Linter had a total population of 7,037... Lubbeek Lubbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Binkom, Linden, Lubbeek proper and Pellenberg. On January 1, 2006 Lubbeek had a total population of 13,660. The total area is 46.13 km² which gives a population density of 296... Oud-Heverlee Oud-Heverlee is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the villages of Blanden, Haasrode, Oud-Heverlee proper, Sint-Joris-Weert and Vaalbeek. On January 1, 2006 Oud-Heverlee had a total population of 10,863... Rotselaar Rotselaar is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish-Brabant, near the convergence of the Demer and the Dijle. Since January 1, 1977 the municipality comprises the towns of Rotselaar proper, Werchter and Wezemaal. On January 1, 2006 Rotselaar had a total population of 15,068... Scherpenheuvel-Zichem Scherpenheuvel-Zichem is a municipality located in the province of Flemish Brabant, Flemish Region, Belgium, encompassing the towns of Averbode, Messelbroek, Okselaar, Scherpenheuvel, Schoonderbuken, Keiberg, Kaggevinne, Testelt and Zichem . On January 1, 2006 Scherpenheuvel-Zichem had a total... Tervuren Tervuren is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636... Tielt-Winge Tielt-Winge is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Houwaart, Meensel-Kiezegem, Sint-Joris-Winge and Tielt. On January 1, 2006 Tielt-Winge had a total population of 10,009. The total area is 44.16 km² which gives a population... Tremelo Tremelo is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Baal and Tremelo proper. On January 1, 2006 Tremelo had a total population of 13,725... Zoutleeuw Zoutleeuw is a municipality and city in the Hageland, in the extreme east of the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 7,947 inhabitants... |