BelgiumBelgium , 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...
is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five
provinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s each.
The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the
Belgian ConstitutionThe 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 Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
. The provinces are further subdivided into
arrondissementsThe federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions, of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces 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
GovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
, an executive council known as the Permanent Deputation in the
Flemish RegionThe Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
, or as the Provincial College in the
Walloon Region, and the Provincial Council ' onMouseout='HidePop("13886")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/States-Provincial">States-Provincial
The States'-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance...
in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
), 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 BrabantFlemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on 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...
, there is also a Deputy Governor . The Deputy Governor is appointed by the
Flemish GovernmentThe 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...
on the unanimous advice of the
Federal Council of MinistersThe 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 must have a considerable knowledge of both the
DutchDutch 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 languageFrench 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.
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 the Provincial Decree of 9 December 2005 applies. In the Walloon Region, 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 MinistersThe 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...
. Legislation regarding the Governor and Vice-Governor of
Brussels-CapitalThe Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital is the only administrative arrondissement 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 BrabantFlemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on 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...
, has also remained a federal competency.
Absence of any province in the Brussels-Capital Region
The Brussels-Capital Region does not belong to any province, nor does it contain any. The extraprovincial status of Brussels has existed since 1995, when the former province of
BrabantBrabant 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...
, which had Brussels as its capital, was divided into the Dutch-speaking province of
Flemish BrabantFlemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on 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...
and the French-speaking province of
Walloon BrabantWalloon 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...
.
Within this region, nearly all former provincial competencies are assumed by its regional institutions and by the
French Community CommissionThe Commission communautaire française is the local representative of the French-speaking authorities in the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium....
, the
Flemish Community CommissionThe Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie is the local representative of the Flemish authorities in the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium...
or the
Common Community CommissionThe Common Community Commission is responsible for community matters that are common to both the French Community and the Flemish Community and for institutions that fall within the competencies of the Communities but do not belong exclusively to either Community in the Brussels-Capital Region of...
. However, the
Arrondissement of Brussels-CapitalThe Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital is the only administrative arrondissement 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 GovernmentThe 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...
who are called 'Governor of the Brussels-Capital Region' and 'Vice-Governor'. The 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, ordinance or decision states otherwise.
The Governor is appointed by the cabinet 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
FrenchFrench 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...
and the
Dutch languageDutch 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 who must ensure that the legislation regarding the use of languages is observed in Brussels.
Provinces of the Flemish Region
| Province |
AntwerpAntwerp 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...
|
LimburgLimburg 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...
|
Flemish BrabantFlemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on 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...
|
East FlandersEast 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...
|
West Flanders |
DutchDutch 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...
name |
Antwerpen |
Limburg |
Vlaams-Brabant |
Oost-Vlaanderen |
West-Vlaanderen |
| German German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name |
Antwerpen |
Limburg |
Flämisch-Brabant |
Ostflandern |
Westflandern |
FrenchFrench 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...
name |
Anvers |
Limbourg |
Brabant flamand |
Flandre orientale |
Flandre occidentale |
| Location |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Flag |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Coat of Arms |
|
|
|
|
|
| HASC Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes are codes to represent names of country subdivisions, such as states, province, regions.They are described in the book "Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 Through 1998" written by Gwillim Law.The codes are...
|
BE.AN |
BE.LI |
BE.VB |
BE.OV |
BE.WV |
| FIPS |
BE01 |
BE05 |
BE12 |
BE08 |
BE09 |
| ISO 3166-2:BE ISO 3166-2:BE is the entry for Belgium in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Belgium, ISO 3166-2 codes are...
|
VAN |
VLI |
VBR |
VOV |
VWV |
| Postal codes |
2000-2999 |
3500-3999 |
1500-1999, 3000-3499 |
9000-9999 |
8000-8999 |
| Area |
2860 km²
21.15% of Flanders
9.38% of Belgium |
2414 km²
17.85% of Flanders
7.92% of Belgium |
2106 km²
15.57% of Flanders
6.91% of Belgium |
2982 km²
22.12% of Flanders
9.81% of Belgium |
3151 km²
23.30% of Flanders
10.33% of Belgium |
| Capital |
Antwerpen |
HasseltHasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
|
Leuven Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
|
GentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
|
BruggeBruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
|
| Population |
1,682,683
28% of Flanders |
805,786
13% of Flanders |
1,037,786
17% of Flanders |
1,389,199
23% of Flanders |
1,130,040
19% of Flanders |
| Density |
587 / km² |
333 / km² |
493 / km² |
459 / km² |
362 / km² |
| Governor |
Cathy Berx Cathy Berx is a Belgian Roman Catholic politician, jurist and governor of the province of Antwerp. Cathy Berx is married to Johan Meeusen, vice-rector and professor of European Law at the University of Antwerp, and has 2 children....
|
Herman Reynders |
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...
|
André Denys |
Paul Breyne |
| Government |
CD&V, SP.A, VLD |
CD&V, SP.A, VLD |
CD&V, SP.A, VLD |
CD&V, SP.A, VLD |
CD&V, SP.A |
| website |
www.provant.be |
www.limburg.be |
www.vlaamsbrabant.be |
www.oost-vlaanderen.be |
www.west-vlaanderen.be |
Provinces of the Walloon Region
| Province |
Hainaut |
Walloon BrabantWalloon 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...
|
NamurNamur is a province of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Walloon Brabant, Liège and Luxembourg in Belgium, and on France. Its capital is the city of Namur...
|
LiègeLiège 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...
|
Luxembourg |
FrenchFrench 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...
name |
Hainaut |
Brabant wallon |
Namur |
Liège |
Luxembourg |
| German German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name |
Hennegau |
Wallonisch-Brabant |
Namür |
Lüttich |
Luxemburg |
DutchDutch 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...
name |
Henegouwen |
Waals Brabant |
Namen |
Luik |
Luxemburg |
| Location |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Flag |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 or
|
| Coat of Arms |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| HASC Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes are codes to represent names of country subdivisions, such as states, province, regions.They are described in the book "Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 Through 1998" written by Gwillim Law.The codes are...
|
BE.HT |
BE.BW |
BE.NA |
BE.LG |
BE.LX |
| FIPS |
BE03 |
BE10 |
BE07 |
BE04 |
BE06 |
| ISO 3166-2:BE ISO 3166-2:BE is the entry for Belgium in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Belgium, ISO 3166-2 codes are...
|
WHT |
WBR |
WNA |
WLG |
WLX |
| Postal codes |
7000-7999 (West),
6000-6999 (East,
shared with Luxembourg) |
1300-1499 |
5000-5999 |
4000-4999 |
6000-6999 (shared with Eastern Hainaut) |
| Area |
3800 km²
22.56% of Wallonia
12.44% of Belgium |
1093 km²
6.49% of Wallonia
3.58% of Belgium |
3664 km²
21.75% of Wallonia
11.99% of Belgium |
3844 km²
22.82% of Wallonia
12.58% of Belgium |
4443 km²
26.38% of Wallonia
14.54% of Belgium |
| Capital |
MonsMons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
|
WavreWavre is a town and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital.Wavre is located in the Dyle valley. Most of its inhabitants speak French as mother tongue and are called "Wavriens" and "Wavriennes"...
|
NamurNamur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
|
Liège |
Arlon |
| Population |
1,294,844
38% of Wallonia |
370,460
11% of Wallonia |
461,983
13% of Wallonia |
1,047,414
30% of Wallonia |
261,178
8% of Wallonia |
| Density |
341 / km² |
339 / km² |
126 / km² |
272 / km² |
59 / km² |
| Governor |
Claude Durieux |
Marie-José Laloy |
Denis Mathen |
Michel Foret Michel Foret is a Belgian politician and lawyer. A member of the Reformist Movement, he is the current governor of Liège Province.-References:...
|
Bernard Caprasse |
| Government |
PSThe Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, MR |
PSThe Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, MR, EcoloEcolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
|
PSThe Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, MR |
PSThe Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, MR |
PSThe Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, cdH |
| website |
www.hainaut.be |
www.brabantwallon.be |
www.province.namur.be |
www.provincedeliege.be |
www.province.luxembourg.be |
Proposed 11th province (Eupen-Sankt Vith)
Because the
German-speaking CommunityThe German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of 854 km² within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons...
is located entirely within the Province of
LiègeLiège 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...
, it has been proposed on multiple occasions to create an eleventh province, the Province of
EupenEupen is a municipality in the Belgian province of Liège, from the German border , from the Dutch border and from the "High Fens" nature reserve...
-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