Flanders << FLAN duhrz >> is one of three official regions of Belgium. Flanders covers the northern part of the country, where the people speak Dutch. Belgium’s other two regions are the French-speaking Wallonia region and the national capital district of Brussels. Flanders includes the provinces of Antwerp, East Flanders, Limburg, Vlaams-Brabant, and West Flanders. The people of Flanders are called Flemings.
Like Belgium’s other regions, Flanders has its own prime minister and parliament. The region’s government is based in Brussels. It has authority over most of the region’s domestic matters—such as the economy, education, and health care—and some foreign affairs. The flag of Flanders pictures a black lion on a gold background.
The boundaries of Flanders have changed over time. During much of its history, the historical region of Flanders covered lands that are now northwestern Belgium, northern France, and a small part of the Netherlands. Starting in the 800’s, a series of nobles, each known as the Count of Flanders, ruled the area. From the 1500’s to 1830, control of the region shifted to rulers of various countries, including Spain, Austria, France, and the Netherlands. In 1830, Belgium won its independence. The Belgian parliament passed a series of constitutional reforms from 1970 to 2001 that established the current political region of Flanders.
The people of Flanders have made numerous contributions to art and culture. Famous Flemish painters of the 1400’s through the 1600’s include Jan Van Eyck, Hans Memling, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, and Peter Paul Rubens. James Ensor was an important Flemish painter of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Guido Gezelle was a great Flemish poet of the 1800’s. In the mid-1800’s, the author Hendrik Conscience played a leading role in developing the Flemish novel. The Catholic University of Louvain, founded in 1425, is one of the oldest universities in Europe.
Flanders has long been an important trading area for the nations of Europe. Antwerp, in northern Flanders, is Belgium’s largest city and one of Europe’s chief ports. The Flemish cities of Bruges, Ghent, and Ypres also developed into active trading centers. Flanders is one of the leading European regions for high-tech industrial development. Major products of Flanders include automobiles, chemicals, cut diamonds, metals, and textiles. The region’s many farms grow potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, and other crops. Such livestock as cattle, chicken, and pigs are raised in Flanders.
See also Flemings.
