Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium
Encyclopedia : C : CO : COM : Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium
Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three Communities, three Regions, and four linguistic regions. Two of the three regions each comprise five provinces, making a total of ten provinces. Belgium also comprises 589 municipalities, which in general consist of several sub-municipalities (which were independent municipalities before the municipal merger operation of 1977). These are the five most important subdivisions of Belgium, as laid out into the Belgian constitution (as far as the first four subdivisions are concerned) and law (as far as the municipalities are concerned). Other less important subdivisions include for instance the intra-municipal districts, the electoral, judicial and police districts, as well as the new inter-municipal police zones (lower level than the police districts).All these subdivisions have geographical boundaries: the Regions, the linguistic regions, the Communities, the provinces and the municipalities. The division by communities is equally geographically delimited: The Flemish government has legal authority (for its Community competencies) only within the areas of the Flemish and Brussels region; the French-speaking Community analogously has powers only within the areas of the Walloon and Brussels region. Belgian Communities do not officially refer directly to groups of people -there is indeed no subnationality in Brussels - but rather to the political, linguistic and cultural competencies of the country.
All Communities thus have a precise and legally established area where they can exert their competencies: the Flemish Community is competent in the Flemish and Brussels regions; the French-speaking Community in the Walloon (French linguistic region) and Brussels regions, and the German Community only in a small part of the province of Liège (Wallonia), bordering with Germany, which is the German linguistic region.
The three regions are the Brussels-Capital Region, the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region.
The three communities are:
- the French-speaking Communauté Française ("French Community")
- the Dutch-speaking Vlaamse Gemeenschap ("Flemish Community"); and
- the German-speaking Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft ("Germanophone Community").
The four linguistic regions are the French language region, the Dutch-language region, the bilingual region of Brussels-Capital and the German-language region (which has language facilities for French-speakers).
See also: [[ISO 3166-2:BE]], the ISO codes for the regions and provinces of Belgium.
Communities
| Communities | Flemish Community | French Community | German-speaking Community |
| Dutch name | Vlaamse Gemeenschap | (Franse Gemeenschap) | (Duitstalige Gemeenschap) |
| French name | (Communauté flamande) | Communauté française | (Communauté germanophone) |
| German name | (Flämische Gemeinschaft) | (Französische Gemeinschaft) | Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft |
| Location
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| Flag
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| Capital
| Brussels (joint with Flemish region)
| Brussels
| Eupen |
| Minister President
| Yves Leterme (joint with Flemish region)
| Marie Arena
| Karl-Heinz Lambertz |
| Web site
| [www.flanders.be]
| [www.cfwb.be]
| [www.dglive.be] |
Regions
| Region | Flemish region | Walloon region | Brussels capital region |
| Dutch name | Vlaams gewest | (Waals gewest) | Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest |
| French name | (Région Flamande) | Région Walonne | Région Capitale Bruxelles |
| German name | (Flämische Region) | Wallonische Region | (Hauptstadtregion Brüssel) |
| Location
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| Flag
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| Capital
| Brussels
| Namur
| Brussels |
| [[ISO 3166-2:BE]]
| BE-VLG
| BE-WAL
| BE-BRU |
| Area
| 13522 km²
| 16844 km²
| 161 km² |
| Population
| 6,043,161
| 3,358,560
| 1,006,749 |
| Population density
| 442/km²
| 199/km²
| 6238/km² |
| Minister President
| Yves Leterme (list)
| Elio Di Rupo (list)
| Charles Picqué (list) |
| Web site
| [www.flanders.be]
| [www.wallonie.be]
| [www.brussels.irisnet.be] |
Brussels-Capital Region
Main article: Brussels-Capital RegionThe Brussels-Capital Region (Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest in Dutch, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale in French, Die Region Brüssel-Hauptstadt in German) or Brussels Region is centrally located and completely surrounded by the province of Flemish Brabant and thus by the Flemish Region. With a surface area of 162 km² (0.53% of Belgium) it is the smallest of the three regions. It contains Brussels, which acts both as federal and regional capital, and in total 19 municipalities. The population breakdown in the region is as follows: ±85% French-speaking, ±15% Flemish. Its official languages are both Dutch and French. The Brussels Capital Region contains only one administrative district, the Brussels Capital District. However, for many administrative and juridical purposes (e.g. electoral purpose), it forms a district with surrounding Flemish areas (something considered by competent judicial authorities as contrary to the Belgian Constitution). However, this often creates disfunctions in the public service, e.g. whenever mono-lingual French-speaking civil servants or policemen operate in the mono-lingual Flemish municipalities.
Although many believe that the capital of Belgium is the City of Brussels municipality, the Belgian Constitution makes it clear that the capital of Belgium is Brussels in the broad meaning of the term (cf. Art. 194 and 166 of the Constitution). In practice, the functions, buildings and civil servants of all national Belgian institutions can be found all over the Brussels region and not only in the city of Brussels. Following the same logic, the significant dedicated national funds for those capital functions are shared between all 19 municipalities of the Brussels region. Among the national institutions outside the city of Brussels, one can find many buildings of national ministeries, including the main building of the ministry of pensions, the military headquarters (in Evere), the national telecommunications company. Finally, also the particular name of the Brussels region, with the explicit 'capital' in it, is a very symbolic proof of the ambitions from the main local politicians, and of the recognition for that capital function in Belgian legislation.
The Brussels Region does not belong to any of the provinces. Within the Region, 99% of the provincial competencies are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions. Remaining is only a provincial governor and some aides.
Within Brussels, the two Communities have their own institutions that act as "intermediary levels" of government and public service, sitting below the Community institutions, and above the municipal institutions:
- Vlaamse Gemeenschapsraad, Vlaamse gemeenschapscommissie (VGC) and its administration;
- Commission Communautaire Française (COCOF) and its executive commission and its administration.
Flemish Region
Main article: FlandersThe Flemish Region or Flanders (Vlaams Gewest or Vlaanderen in Dutch) occupies the northern part of Belgium. It has a surface area of 13522 km² (44.29% of Belgium) and is divided into 5 provinces which contain a total of 308 municipalities.
The official language is Dutch, often referred to by its inhabitants as Flemish. French may be used for certain administrative purposes in a limited number of the so-called "municipalities with linguistic facilities" around the Brussels Capital Region and on the border with Wallonia.
Brussels is part of Flanders, but only for all its Flemish inhabitants and local institutions (which indeed live in both the Flemish Region and the Brussels Region). It is also the official capital of Flanders. The Flemish Region has no institutions on its own. Its competencies were transferred to the unified Flemish institutions that combine both regional and community competencies. As a result, the Flemish region (nor the Flemish Community) has not a single civil servant of its own, no legislative council etc. Since, the unified institutions exert all their power and competencies (see also: Vlaams Parlement).
Walloon Region
Main article: WalloniaThe Walloon Region or Wallonia (Région Wallonne or Wallonie in French) occupies the southern part of Belgium. It has a surface area of 16844 km² (55.18% of Belgium) and is also divided into 5 provinces which contain a total of 262 municipalities. Its capital is Namur.
The official languages are French and German (only in nine eastern municipalities near the German border, which were "given" to Belgium after WWI), though Dutch may be used for administrative purpose in the so-called municipalities with linguistic facilities on the border with Flanders.
Provinces
The division into provinces is governed by the regions.Absence of province in Brussels
The Brussels Region does not belong to any of the provinces. Within the Region, 99% of the provincial competencies are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions. Remaining is only a governor, a vice-governor and some aides.Provinces of the Flemish region
| Province | Antwerp | Limburg | Flemish Brabant | East Flanders | West Flanders |
| Dutch name | Antwerpen | Limburg | Vlaams Brabant | Oost-Vlaanderen | West-Vlaanderen |
| French name
| (Anvers)
| (Limbourg)
| (Brabant flamand)
| (Flandre orientale)
| (Flandre occidentale) |
| Location
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| Flag
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| Coat of Arms
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| HASC
| BE.AN
| BE.LI
| BE.VB
| BE.OV
| BE.WV |
| FIPS
| BE01
| BE05
| BE12
| BE08
| BE09 |
| ISO 3166-2
| 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
| 2991 km² 22.12% of Flanders 9.81% of Belgium
| 3151 km² 23.30% of Flanders 10.33% of Belgium |
| Highest point
| Beerzelberg (55 m)
| Remersdaal (288 m)
| Walshoutem (137 m)
| Hotondberg (150 m)
| Kemmelberg (156 m) |
| Subdivisions
| 3 Districts 70 municipalities 
| 3 Districts 44 municipalities 
| 2 Districts 65 municipalities 
| 6 Districts 65 municipalities 
| 8 Districts 64 municipalities 
|
| Capital
| Antwerp (Antwerpen)
| Hasselt
| Louvain (Leuven)
| Ghent (Gent)
| Bruges (Brugge) |
| 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
| Camille Paulus
| Steve Stevaert
| Lodewijk De Witte
| André Denys
| Paul Breyne |
| Government
| 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
- :Hainaut has a surface area of 3800 km² (22.56% of Wallonia; 12.44% of Belgium), and is divided into seven administrative districts which contain 69 municipalities.
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