All Topics  
Provinces of Belgium

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Provinces of Belgium
 
 
  Topics Provinces of Belgium Topic Home

Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five province
Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state....
s each.

The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution
Constitution of Belgium

The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Separation of powers....
. The provinces are further subdivided into arrondissements
Arrondissements of Belgium

The federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions, of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces of regions in Belgium each; the Brussels-Capital Region is neither a province nor is it part of one....
.

Provincial government
The provincial government consists of three main parts: the Governor
Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the Executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state. In federations, a governor may be the title of each appointed or elected politician who governs a constitutive state....
, an executive council known as the Permanent Deputation in the Flemish Region
Flemish Region

The Flemish Region is one of the three official Communities and regions of Belgium of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region....
, or as the Provincial College in the Walloon Region
Walloon Region

The Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, is one of the three Regions of Belgium of Belgium. It represents 33% of the population and 55% of the territory of Belgium....
, and the Provincial Council (the equivalent of a States-Provincial
States-Provincial

The States-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance....
 in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
), which is elected by the inhabitants of the province for a term of office of 6 years.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Provinces of Belgium'
Start a new discussion about 'Provinces of Belgium'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five province
Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state....
s each.

The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution
Constitution of Belgium

The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Separation of powers....
. The provinces are further subdivided into arrondissements
Arrondissements of Belgium

The federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions, of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces of regions in Belgium each; the Brussels-Capital Region is neither a province nor is it part of one....
.

Provincial government


The provincial government consists of three main parts: the Governor
Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the Executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state. In federations, a governor may be the title of each appointed or elected politician who governs a constitutive state....
, an executive council known as the Permanent Deputation in the Flemish Region
Flemish Region

The Flemish Region is one of the three official Communities and regions of Belgium of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region....
, or as the Provincial College in the Walloon Region
Walloon Region

The Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, is one of the three Regions of Belgium of Belgium. It represents 33% of the population and 55% of the territory of Belgium....
, and the Provincial Council (the equivalent of a States-Provincial
States-Provincial

The States-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance....
 in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
), which is elected by the inhabitants of the province for a term of office of 6 years. The Permanent Deputations and the Provincial Colleges consist of seven members: the Governor and 6 Deputies elected by the Provincial Council from among its members. The numbers of seats in the Provincial Councils are proportional to the population of the province.

In Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp , Limburg , Li?ge , Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders....
, there is also a Deputy Governor . The Deputy Governor is appointed by 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 maximum eleven ministers, chosen by the Flemish Parliament....
 on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers
Belgian federal government

The executive branch of the Belgium federal government consists of Political ministers and secretary of state drawn from the political party which form the government coalition government....
 and must have a considerable knowledge of both the Dutch
Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic languages spoken by over 22 million people as a first language, and about 5 million people as a second language."1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language speakers of Dutch is very small. Most native...
 and the French language
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
. He is responsible for ensuring that the language legislation is observed in the peripheral municipalities of Flemish Brabant.

Following the Fifth State Reform, the responsibility for the provincial institutions was devolved to the Regions. The Regions have the power to amend or replace the existing legislation on the provincial institutions, most notably the Provincial Law of 30 April 1836. In the Flemish Region
Flemish Region

The Flemish Region is one of the three official Communities and regions of Belgium of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region....
 the Provincial Decree of 9 December 2005 applies. In the Walloon Region
Walloon Region

The Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, is one of the three Regions of Belgium of Belgium. It represents 33% of the population and 55% of the territory of Belgium....
, the Code of Local Democracy and Decentralisation applies. The legal framework in these Regions is still very similar, but that could change in the future. Although the Regions are responsible for the provincial institutions, the Federal State has retained its responsibility over the provinces in certain cases. For instance, the Regions are responsible for the appointment of the Provincial Governors, but only after the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers
Belgian federal government

The executive branch of the Belgium federal government consists of Political ministers and secretary of state drawn from the political party which form the government coalition government....
. Legislation regarding the Governor and Vice-Governor of Brussels-Capital
Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital

The Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital is the only administrative Arrondissements of Belgium in the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium. Because it is the only administrative arrondissement in the Brussels Region, its territory coincides with that of the latter....
, and the Deputy Governor of Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp , Limburg , Li?ge , Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders....
, has also remained a federal competency.

Absence of any province in the Brussels-Capitol Region

Belgiumbrussels
The Brussels-Capital Region is a commerative province, neither does it belong to one, nor does it contain any. Within this region, nearly all former provincial competencies are assumed by its regional institutions and by the French Community Commission
French Community Commission

The Commission communautaire fran?aise is the local representative of the French-speaking authorities in the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium....
, the Flemish Community Commission
Flemish Community Commission

The Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie is the local representative of the Flanders authorities in the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium....
 or the Common Community Commission. However, the Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital
Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital

The Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital is the only administrative Arrondissements of Belgium in the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium. Because it is the only administrative arrondissement in the Brussels Region, its territory coincides with that of the latter....
 has two commissioners of the Federal Government
Belgian federal government

The executive branch of the Belgium federal government consists of Political ministers and secretary of state drawn from the political party which form the government coalition government....
 who are called 'Governor' and 'Vice-Governor' respectively. This governor exercises most of the few remaining powers elsewhere exercised by a provincial governor, particularly in the field of public order, as far as no (federal) law, (regional) decree, ordonnance or decision states otherwise.

The Governor is appointed by the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers. The regional government also appoints the Vice-Governor, who must have a considerable knowledge of both the French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 and the Dutch language
Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic languages spoken by over 22 million people as a first language, and about 5 million people as a second language."1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language speakers of Dutch is very small. Most native...
 and who must ensure that the legislation regarding the use of languages is observed in Brussels.

Provinces of the Flemish Region
Flemish Region

The Flemish Region is one of the three official Communities and regions of Belgium of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region....
 



Provinces of the Walloon Region
Walloon Region

The Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, is one of the three Regions of Belgium of Belgium. It represents 33% of the population and 55% of the territory of Belgium....


11th Province (Eupen-Sankt Vith)


Because the German-speaking Community
German-speaking Community of Belgium

The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities in Belgium. It is the main part of the so-called East Cantons of Belgium....
 is located entirely within the Province of Liège
Liège (province)

Li?ge is the easternmost Provinces of regions in Belgium of the Wallonia, in Belgium. It is predominantly French language speaking, with a German language speaking minority living along the eastern border with Germany and Luxembourg....
, it has been proposed on multiple occasions to create an eleventh province, the Province of Eupen
Eupen

Eupen is a municipality located in the Belgium province of Li?ge , 15 km from the Germany border , from the Netherlands border and from the nature reservation "Hohes Venn" ....
-Sankt Vith, which would comprise the 9 municipalities of the German-speaking Community. Most of the functions carried out by provincial organs would then be exercised by the organs of the German-speaking Community.

External links

  • (Association of the Flemish Provinces)
  • (Association of the Walloon Provinces)