Charleroi (pop. 202,480) is a commercial city in Belgium. Charleroi is located in south-central Belgium in the French-speaking province of Hainaut. The city is in a coal-mining region on the north bank of the Sambre River. Charleroi has important metalwork, chemical and glass industries, foundries, and electrical equipment companies.
Charleroi was founded in 1666. The city was an early center of the Industrial Revolution. Its region became known as pays noir (black country) because of the black smoke from its factories. Beginning in the mid-1900’s, Charleroi suffered high unemployment and other economic problems due to the closing of mines in the area.
