Walloon Brabant
Encyclopedia
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 three parts: two new provinces, Walloon Brabant and Flemish Brabant; and the Brussels Capital Region, which no longer belongs to any province. The split was made to accommodate the federalisation of Belgium in three regions (Flanders
, Wallonia and Brussels).
The provincial population was recorded at 347,423 in January 1999, giving a population density of 318 inhabitants / km²
The history of Brabant is at Brabant
; see also Duke of Brabant
.
Nivelles District:
, Germany
and the North Sea
(...). This country is divided in two regions, Flanders
and Wallonia (...). Wallonia is divided in (the following provinces...) Tournesis
, Flandre wallonne
, Haynaut, Namur
, Principauté de Liège
and Walloon Brabant.
is located in this province. A part of the Walloon industrial power was out of the Sillon industriel
as the steel industry of Clabecq
where there is until now some activities. The Battle of Waterloo
also took place in this province, the smallest province of Wallonia. Piétrain
is a breed of domestic pig
taking its name from Piétrain, a little village of Jodoigne
in Walloon Brabant, and the most important town of this province is Nivelles
with its Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude
and its westwork. The Ronquières inclined plane
is on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal
which connects, through the province, one of the main cities of the Sillon industriel, Charleroi
, with the Capital of Belgium
and the Port of Antwerp
. In Rixensart
, the company Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
(changed to GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals in 2000) is one of the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers, supplying around 25% of the world’s vaccines:
The castle of Corroy-le-Château, one of the best conserved castles of this period in Northern Europe was bought by a Flemish artist Wim Delvoye
for EUR 3.3 million. He is planning to convert the Corroy-le-Château into a museum of modern art. The Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park
is developing cooperation between industry and the Université catholique de Louvain
and is contributing to regional economic development. It covers 231 hectares spread over the area of the town of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve and the municipality of Mont-Saint-Guibert
(30 km away from Brussels
). The main areas of activity are: Life sciences, Fine chemistry; Information technologies, Engineering, 135 innovative companies, 4,500 employees, one business incubator
.
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 province 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, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven...
(Flemish Region
Flemish Region
The 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...
) and the provinces of 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...
, Namur
Namur (province)
Namur 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...
and Hainaut (Wallonia). Its capital is Wavre
Wavre
Wavre 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"...
. It has an area of 1,093 km² and contains only one administrative district (arrondissement in French
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...
), the Arrondissement of Nivelles
Arrondissement of Nivelles
The Arrondissement of Nivelles is the only administrative arrondissement in the Belgian Province of Walloon Brabant, and thus comprises the whole province.It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement...
, with 27 municipalities.
Walloon Brabant was created in 1995 when 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...
was split into three parts: two new provinces, Walloon Brabant and Flemish Brabant; and the Brussels Capital Region, which no longer belongs to any province. The split was made to accommodate the federalisation of Belgium in three regions (Flanders
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...
, Wallonia and Brussels).
The provincial population was recorded at 347,423 in January 1999, giving a population density of 318 inhabitants / km²
The history of Brabant is at 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...
.
List of municipalities
Nivelles District:
- BeauvechainBeauvechainBeauvechain is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 6,529 inhabitants. The total area is 38.58 km², giving a population density of 169 inhabitants per km²....
(Bevekom) - Braine-l'AlleudBraine-l'AlleudBraine-l'Alleud is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, about 20 kilometers south of Brussels. The Braine-l'Alleud municipality includes the former municipalities of Braine-l'Alleud proper, Ophain-Bois-Seigneur-Isaac, and Lillois-Witterzée. It also includes...
(Eigenbrakel) - Braine-le-ChâteauBraine-le-ChâteauBraine-le-Château is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Braine-le-Château had a total population of 9,446...
(Kasteelbrakel) - ChastreChastreChastre is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Chastre had a total population of 6,734. The total area is 31.27 km² which gives a population density of 215 inhabitants per km²....
- Chaumont-GistouxChaumont-GistouxChaumont-Gistoux is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 Chaumont-Gistoux had a total population of 10,926...
- Court-Saint-EtienneCourt-Saint-EtienneCourt-Saint-Étienne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Court-Saint-Étienne had a total population of 9,408. The total area is 26.64 km² which gives a population density of 353 inhabitants per km².See also: List of municipalities in...
- GenappeGenappeGenappe is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 Genappe had a total population of 14,136...
- Grez-DoiceauGrez-DoiceauGrez-Doiceau is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Grez-Doiceau had a total population of 12,403. The total area is 55.44 km² which gives a population density of 224 inhabitants per km².-References:...
- HélécineHélécineHélécine is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 Hélécine had a total population of 3,068. The total area is 16.62 km² which gives a population density of 185 inhabitants per km².-References:...
(Heilissem) - IncourtIncourt, BelgiumIncourt is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006, Incourt had a total population of 4,585. The total area is 38.79 km² which gives a population density of 118 inhabitants per km²....
- IttreIttreIttre is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Ittre had a total population of 6,064. The total area is 34.92 km² which gives a population density of 174 inhabitants per km²...
- JodoigneJodoigneJodoigne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Jodoigne had a total population of 12,440...
(Geldenaken) - La HulpeLa HulpeLa Hulpe is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 La Hulpe had a total population of 7,224...
(Terhulpen) - LasneLasneLasne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, to the south east of Brussels. On January 1, 2008 Lasne had a total population of 14,043. The total area is 47.22 km² which gives a population density of 297 inhabitants per km². Lasne is the richest commune in the...
- Mont-Saint-GuibertMont-Saint-GuibertMont-Saint-Guibert is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Mont-Saint-Guibert had a total population of 6,400. The total area is 18.63 km² which gives a population density of 344 inhabitants per km²....
- NivellesNivellesNivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
(Nijvel) - Orp-JaucheOrp-JaucheOrp-Jauche is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Orp-Jauche had a total population of 7,872. The total area is 50.50 km² which gives a population density of 156 inhabitants per km²....
(Gete) - Ottignies-Louvain-la-NeuveOttignies-Louvain-la-NeuveOttignies-Louvain-la-Neuve is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve had a total population of 29,521. The total area is 32.96 km² which gives a population density of 896 inhabitants per km².The two main towns in the...
- PerwezPerwezPerwez is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 7,487 inhabitants. The total area is 50.81 km², giving a population density of 147 inhabitants per km²....
- RamilliesRamillies, BelgiumRamillies is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Ramillies had a total population of 5,756. The total area is 48.68 km² which gives a population density of 118 inhabitants per km²....
- RebecqRebecqRebecq is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 10,241 inhabitants. The total area is 39.08 km², giving a population density of 262 inhabitants per km².-Notable people:...
- RixensartRixensartRixensart is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Rixensart had a total population of 21,355. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of 1,217 inhabitants per km²....
- TubizeTubizeTubize is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1 2006 Tubize had a total population of 22,335. The total area is 32.66 km² which gives a population density of 684 inhabitants per km²....
(Tubeke) - Villers-la-VilleVillers-la-VilleVillers-la-Ville is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Villers-la-Ville had a total population of 9,572...
- WalhainWalhainWalhain is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Walloon Brabant. It consists of the former municipalities of Nil-Saint-Vincent-Saint-Martin, Tourinnes-Saint-Lambert and Walhain-Saint-Paul....
- WaterlooWaterloo, BelgiumWaterloo is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. On December 31, 2009, Waterloo had a total population of 29,573. The total area is 21.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,407 inhabitants per km²...
- WavreWavreWavre 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"...
(Waver)
History, university, industry
Etymology
Walloon in Walloon Brabant is likely one of the first uses of the word. Louis de Haynin wrote Belgium is a great country between FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
(...). This country is divided in two regions, Flanders
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...
and Wallonia (...). Wallonia is divided in (the following provinces...) Tournesis
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
, Flandre wallonne
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...
, Haynaut, Namur
Namur (province)
Namur 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...
, Principauté de 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...
and Walloon Brabant.
University and industry
The Université catholique de LouvainUniversité catholique de Louvain
The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
is located in this province. A part of the Walloon industrial power was out of the Sillon industriel
Sillon industriel
The sillon industriel is the former industrial backbone of Wallonia and thus of Belgium. It runs across Wallonia, passing from Dour, in Borinage, in the west, to Verviers in the east, through Mons, La Louvière, Charleroi, Namur, Huy, and Liège, following the valleys of the rivers Haine, Sambre,...
as the steel industry of Clabecq
Clabecq
Clabecq is part of the Walloon municipality of Tubize , located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant.It was formerly its own municipality until the period of fusion of Belgian municipalities in 1977....
where there is until now some activities. The Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
also took place in this province, the smallest province of Wallonia. Piétrain
Piétrain
Piétrain is a breed of domestic pig native to Wallonia, which takes its name from Piétrain, a small village of the Walloon municipality of Jodoigne. This breed became popular in the 1950s during the difficult period of the swine market in 1950-51 . Piétrain swine were imported into Germany in 1960-61...
is a breed of domestic pig
Domestic pig
The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
taking its name from Piétrain, a little village of Jodoigne
Jodoigne
Jodoigne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Jodoigne had a total population of 12,440...
in Walloon Brabant, and the most important town of this province is Nivelles
Nivelles
Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
with its Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude
Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude
The Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude is a historical building in Nivelles, Wallonia, Belgium consecrated in 1046 by Wazon, bishop of Liège in the presence of emperor Henry III...
and its westwork. The Ronquières inclined plane
Ronquières inclined plane
The Ronquières Inclined Plane is a Belgian canal inclined plane on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal in the province of Hainaut in Wallonia that opened in April 1968 after a six year construction period...
is on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal
Brussels-Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Freycinet gauge, and its Wallonian portion is long. It runs from Charleroi in the south to Brussels in the north...
which connects, through the province, one of the main cities of the Sillon industriel, Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
, with the Capital 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...
and the Port of Antwerp
Port of Antwerp
The port of Antwerp, in Belgium, is a port in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt. The estuary is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. The inland location means that the port...
. In Rixensart
Rixensart
Rixensart is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Rixensart had a total population of 21,355. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of 1,217 inhabitants per km²....
, the company Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques was founded in Genval, Belgium, as a penicillin factory in 1945 by Dr Pieter De Somer, who later became the founder of the Rega Institute for Medical Research and rector of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven . The industrialist Jacques Lannoy provided the...
(changed to GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals in 2000) is one of the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers, supplying around 25% of the world’s vaccines:
GSK Biologicals employs a little over 5,300 persons on the Walloon sites of RixensartRixensartRixensart is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Rixensart had a total population of 21,355. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of 1,217 inhabitants per km²....
, WavreWavreWavre 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"...
and GemblouxGemblouxGembloux is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur, on the axis Brussels-NamurOn 1 January 2006 the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants...
. The company distributes 36 doses of vaccines every second.
The castle of Corroy-le-Château, one of the best conserved castles of this period in Northern Europe was bought by a Flemish artist Wim Delvoye
Wim Delvoye
Wim Delvoye is a Belgian neo-conceptual artist known for his inventive and often shocking projects. Much of his work is focused on the body. He repeatedly links the attractive with the repulsive, creating work that holds within it inherent contradictions- one does not know whether to stare, be...
for EUR 3.3 million. He is planning to convert the Corroy-le-Château into a museum of modern art. The Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park
Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park
Created in 1971, Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park is the first of its kind in Belgium and is the largest in Wallonia...
is developing cooperation between industry and the Université catholique de Louvain
Université catholique de Louvain
The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
and is contributing to regional economic development. It covers 231 hectares spread over the area of the town of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve and the municipality of Mont-Saint-Guibert
Mont-Saint-Guibert
Mont-Saint-Guibert is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Mont-Saint-Guibert had a total population of 6,400. The total area is 18.63 km² which gives a population density of 344 inhabitants per km²....
(30 km away from 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...
). The main areas of activity are: Life sciences, Fine chemistry; Information technologies, Engineering, 135 innovative companies, 4,500 employees, one business incubator
Business incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
.