View source for Flemish Region

{{Short description|Northernmost federal region of Belgium}}
{{About|the present-day region of Belgium also known as Flanders|a wider context|Flanders}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Flemish Region
| native_name        = {{native name|nl|Vlaams Gewest}}
| native_name_lang   = nl
| other_name         = {{native name|fr|Région flamande}}<br />{{native name|de|Flämische Region}}
| settlement_type    = [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|Region]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Flanders.svg
| flag_size          = 125px
| flag_link          = Flag of Flanders
| image_shield       = Vlaanderen wapen.svg
| shield_size        = 
| shield_link        = Coat of arms of Flanders
| image_map          = Flemish Region in Belgium and Europe.svg
| mapsize            = 
| image_map1         = 
| coordinates        = {{Coord|51|00|N|4|30|E|display=inline,title|region:BE_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Belgium}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions|Community]]
| subdivision_name2  = {{flag|Flemish Community}}
| established_date   = 1993
| seat_type          = Seat
| seat               = [[City of Brussels]] <small>(which is not part of the Flemish Region)</small>
| leader_title       = Executive
| leader_name        = [[Flemish Government]]
| leader_title1      = [[Diependaele Government|Governing parties <small>(2024)</small>]]
| leader_name1       = [[N-VA]], [[Vooruit (political party)|Vooruit]], [[CD&V]]
| leader_title2      = [[Minister-President of Flanders|Minister-President]]
| leader_name2       = [[Matthias Diependaele]] (N-VA)
| leader_title3      = Legislature
| leader_name3       = [[Flemish Parliament]]
| leader_title4      = [[Speaker of the Flemish Parliament|Speaker]]
| leader_name4       = [[Liesbeth Homans]] (N–VA)
| area_total_km2     = 13626
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Occupation du sol sur base du Registre cadastral, Belgique. Revenus en euro. Superficies en hectare. Superficie totale en pour mille |language=fr |trans-title=Land use based on the cadastral register, Belgium. Income in euros. Areas in hectare. Total area in per thousand |work=[[Statistics Belgium]] |date=11 April 2020 |url=https://bestat.statbel.fgov.be/bestat/crosstable.xhtml?view=90c1e218-dc4f-4827-824d-9b25abfefe59 |access-date=9 February 2021}}</ref>
| population_total   = 6,821,770
| population_as_of   = 1 January 2024
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_footnotes = <ref name=StatBel>{{cite web |title=On 1 January 2020, Belgium had 11,492,641 inhabitants |work=[[Statistics Belgium]] |date=26 May 2020 |url=https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/structure-population |access-date=9 February 2021}}</ref>
| demographics_type1 = Demographics
| demographics1_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| demographics1_title1 = Ethnic group
| demographics1_info1 = [[Flemings]]
| demographics1_title2 = Languages
| demographics1_info2 = {{ubl
|[[Dutch language|Dutch]]
|[[French Language|French]] (in [[municipalities with language facilities]])
|[[Flemish Sign Language]] (legally recognized)<ref>{{Cite web |title=VGT: een erkende taal {{!}} Departement Cultuur, Jeugd & Media |url=https://www.vlaanderen.be/cjm/nl/cultuur/vlaamse-gebarentaal/vgt-een-erkende-taal |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.vlaanderen.be |language=nl}}</ref>
}}
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |  url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en |title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=www.ec.europa.eu}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = €330.495 billion (2022)
| timezone1          = 
| utc_offset1        = 
| timezone1_DST      = 
| utc_offset1_DST    = 
| iso_code           = BE-VLG
| anthem             = ''[[De Vlaamse Leeuw]]''<br />("The Flemish Lion")<br />{{center|[[File:Volkslied - De Vlaamse Leeuw.ogg]]}}
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Day of the Flemish Community|Celebration Day]]
| blank_info_sec1    = 11 July
| website            = {{URL|http://www.flanders.be/|flanders.be}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

The '''Flemish Region''' ({{langx|nl|Vlaams Gewest}}, {{IPA|nl|ˌvlaːms xəˈʋɛst|pron|Nl-Vlaams Gewest.ogg}}),{{efn|In isolation, ''gewest'' is pronounced {{IPA|nl|ɣəˈʋɛst|}}.}}{{efn|name=fn1|{{langx|fr|Région flamande}} {{IPA|fr|ʁeʒjɔ̃ flamɑ̃d|}}; {{langx|de|Flämische Region}} {{IPA|de|ˈflɛːmɪʃə ʁeˈɡi̯oːn|}}.}} usually simply referred to as '''[[Flanders]]''' ({{langx|nl|link=no|Vlaanderen}} {{IPA|nl|ˈvlaːndərə(n)||Nl-Vlaanderen.ogg}}),{{efn|name=fn2|{{langx|fr|link=no|Flandre}} {{IPA|fr|flɑ̃dʁ||Fr-fr-paris-Flandre.ogg}}; {{langx|de|link=no|Flandern}} {{IPA|de|ˈflandɐn||De-Flandern.ogg}}.}} is one of the three [[communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|regions]] of [[Belgium]]—alongside the [[Wallonia|Walloon Region]] and the [[Brussels|Brussels-Capital Region]].<ref name="Belgian Constitution">{{Cite book |url=http://www.const-court.be/en/basic_text/belgian_constitution.pdf |title=The Belgian Constitution |date=May 2014 |publisher=Belgian House of Representatives |location=Brussels, Belgium |page=5 |quote=Article 3: [[Belgium]] comprises three Regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels Region. Article 4: Belgium comprises four linguistic regions: the Dutch-speaking region, the French-speaking region, the bilingual region of Brussels-Capital and the German-speaking region. |access-date=10 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810142522/http://www.const-court.be/en/basic_text/belgian_constitution.pdf |archive-date=10 August 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Covering the northern portion of the country, the Flemish Region is primarily [[Dutch language|Dutch]]-speaking. With an area of {{cvt|13626|km²}}, it accounts for only 45% of Belgium's territory, but 58% of its population. It is one of the most densely populated regions of Europe with around {{convert|500|/km2|abbr=on}}.

The Flemish Region is distinct from the [[Flemish Community]]: the latter encompasses both the inhabitants of the Flemish Region and the Dutch-speaking minority living in the [[Brussels|Brussels-Capital Region]]. It borders the [[Netherlands]] and [[France]].

==Politics==
Immediately after its establishment in 1980, the region transferred all its constitutional competencies to the [[Flemish Community]]. Thus, the current Flemish authorities ([[Flemish Parliament]] and [[Flemish Government]]) represent all the [[Flemish people]], including those living in the [[Brussels|Brussels-Capital Region]]. Hence, the Flemish Region is governed by the Flemish Community institutions. However, members of the Flemish Community parliament elected in the Brussels-Capital Region have no right to vote on Flemish regional affairs.

==Administrative divisions==
{{Further|Provinces of Flanders}}

[[File:Provinces of Flanders.svg|thumb|left|Provinces in the Flemish Region]]

The Flemish Region comprises five [[Provinces of Belgium|provinces]], each consisting of [[Arrondissements of Belgium#Administrative|administrative arrondissements]] that, in turn, contain [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipalities]] (in total 285 municipalities in Flanders).

The seat of the Flemish parliament is located in Brussels, which is an [[Enclave and exclave|enclave]] within{{snd}}but not part of{{snd}}the Flemish region, being specified that the [[Brussels|Brussels-Capital Region]] is established as an administrative region of Belgium in its own right. In contrast, the Walloon parliament has established its parliament in the territory of [[Wallonia]], specifically in the city of [[Namur]], [[Namur Province]].

{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan="2" | Province !! Capital city !! Administrative<br>arrondissements !! Population<br>{{small|(1 January 2020)}}<ref name=StatBel/> !! Area<ref name="auto"/> !! Population density
|-
| 1 || {{flag|Antwerp}} (''Antwerpen'') || [[Antwerp]] (''Antwerpen'') || [[Arrondissement of Antwerp|Antwerp]], [[Arrondissement of Mechelen|Mechelen]], [[Arrondissement of Turnhout|Turnhout]] ||align="center"| 1,869,730 || {{convert|2876|km2|abbr=on}} || {{convert|650|/km2|abbr=on}}<!--- use results of auto calc from each province's own article's infobox ---->
|-
| 2 || {{flag|Limburg (Belgium)|name=Limburg}} (''Limburg'') || [[Hasselt]] || [[Arrondissement of Hasselt|Hasselt]], [[Arrondissement of Maaseik|Maaseik]], [[Arrondissement of Tongeren|Tongeren]] ||align="center"| 877,370 || {{convert|2427|km2|abbr=on}} || {{convert|360|/km2|abbr=on}}<!--- use results of auto calc from each province's own article's infobox ---->
|-
| 3 || {{flag|East Flanders}} (''Oost-Vlaanderen'') || [[Ghent]] (''Gent'') || [[Arrondissement of Aalst|Aalst]], [[Arrondissement of Dendermonde|Dendermonde]], [[Arrondissement of Eeklo|Eeklo]], [[Arrondissement of Ghent|Gent]], [[Arrondissement of Oudenaarde|Oudenaarde]], [[Arrondissement of Sint-Niklaas|Sint-Niklaas]] ||align="center"| 1,525,255 || {{convert|3007|km2|abbr=on}} || {{convert|510|/km2|abbr=on}}<!--- use results of auto calc from each province's own article's infobox ---->
|-
| 4 || {{flag|Flemish Brabant}} (''Vlaams-Brabant'') || [[Leuven]] || [[Halle-Vilvoorde administrative Arrondissement|Halle-Vilvoorde]], [[Leuven administrative Arrondissement|Leuven]] ||align="center"| 1,155,843 || {{convert|2118|km2|abbr=on}} || {{convert|550|/km2|abbr=on}}<!--- use results of auto calc from each province's own article's infobox ---->
|-
| 5 || {{flag|West Flanders}} (''West-Vlaanderen'') || [[Bruges]] (''Brugge'') || [[Arrondissement of Bruges|Bruges]], [[Arrondissement of Diksmuide|Diksmuide]], [[Arrondissement of Ypres|Ypres]], [[Arrondissement of Kortrijk|Kortrijk]], [[Arrondissement of Ostend|Ostend]], [[Arrondissement of Roeselare|Roeselare]], [[Arrondissement of Tielt|Tielt]], [[Arrondissement of Veurne|Veurne]] ||align="center"| 1,200,945 || {{convert|3197|km2|abbr=on}} || {{convert|380|/km2|abbr=on}}<!--- use results of auto calc from each province's own article's infobox ---->
|-
! !!Flemish Region!! !!22!!6,629,143!! {{convert|13,626|km2|abbr=on}} || {{convert|490|/km2|abbr=on}}<!--- use result of auto calc from this article's infobox ---->
|}

==Economy==
Flanders is home to a diversified modern economy, with emphasis put on research and development. Many enterprises work closely with local knowledge and research centres to develop new products and services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flanders.be/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1274340809552&context=1166590833692--EN&p=1274340808648&pagename=flanders_site%2FView |title=Flanders &#124; Flanders fits you |publisher=Flanders.be |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121111502/http://www.flanders.be/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1274340809552&context=1166590833692--EN&p=1274340808648&pagename=flanders_site%2FView |archive-date=21 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Gross domestic product]] (GDP) of the region was €270 billion in 2018, accounting for 59% of Belgium's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €36,300 or 136% of the EU27 average in the same year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018 |website=Eurostat}}</ref>

===Transport===
[[File:Van_Hool_bus_Mechelen2.JPG|thumb|Bus of "De Lijn"]]

"[[De Lijn]]" serves as the main public transport company, run by the Flemish government. It consists of buses and trams. [[TEC (transport)|TEC]] is the equivalent company in Wallonia, and [[Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company|MIVB-STIB]] in Brussels. The railway network run by the [[NMBS]], however, is a federal responsibility.

The Flemish government is also responsible for about 500 kilometers of regional roads (Dutch: ''gewestwegen'') and about 900 kilometers of highways in the territory of the Flemish Region. Other types of roads are provincial roads and municipal roads.

The region is served by these airports:
*[[Brussels Airport]] 
*[[Antwerp International Airport]]
*[[Ostend–Bruges International Airport]]

==Demographics==
===Cities===
Largest cities in the region include (with population figures as of 1 January 2018):<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aps.vlaanderen.be/lokaal/domeinen/demografie/kk_rapport_demo.html |title=Kant-en-klare rapporten |publisher=Aps.vlaanderen.be |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218063103/http://aps.vlaanderen.be/lokaal/domeinen/demografie/kk_rapport_demo.html |archive-date=18 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

*[[Antwerp]] (523,248)
*[[Ghent]] (260,341)
*[[Bruges]] (118,284)
*[[Leuven]] (101,396)
*[[Mechelen]] (86,304)
*[[Aalst, Belgium|Aalst]] (85,715)
*[[Hasselt]] (77,651)
*[[Sint-Niklaas]] (76,756)
*[[Kortrijk]] (76,265)
*[[Ostend]] (71,332)
*[[Genk]] (66,110)
*[[Roeselare]] (62,301)

The [[Flemish Diamond]] (Dutch: ''Vlaamse Ruit'') is the name of the central, populous area in Flanders and consists of several of these cities, such as Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen. Approximately 5.5 million people live in the area.

===Language===
The official language of the Flemish Region is [[Dutch language|Dutch]].<ref name="constitution" /> The [[dialect cluster]] spoken in the region is sometimes colloquially referred to as Flemish (''Vlaams''),<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 October 2014 |title=Flemish, Vlaams |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/languages/flemish.shtml |access-date=26 November 2016 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=De Cock|first=Barbara |title=Flemish language policy in an era of globalisation|date=2006|url=http://www.gencat.cat/llengua/noves/noves/hm06tardor-hivern/docs/decock.pdf|publisher=Gencat.cat|access-date=3 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="Omniglot">{{Cite web |title=Flemish language, alphabet and pronunciation|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/flemish.htm|access-date=26 November 2016|publisher=Omniglot}}</ref> Flemish Dutch (''Vlaams-Nederlands''), Belgian Dutch (''Belgisch-Nederlands''), or Southern Dutch (''Zuid-Nederlands''). Spelling and grammar are regulated by a single authority, the [[Dutch Language Union]] (''Nederlandse Taalunie''), comprising a committee of ministers of the Flemish and Dutch governments, their advisory council of appointed experts, a controlling commission of 22 parliamentarians, and a secretariat.<ref name="Taalunie1">{{Cite web |title=De Taalunie – Wie zijn wij?|url=http://taalunieversum.org/taalunie/wie_zijn_wij/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323042427/http://taalunieversum.org/taalunie/wie_zijn_wij/ |archive-date=23 March 2011 |access-date=19 February 2011 |publisher=Nederlandse Taalunie |language=nl}}</ref><ref name="Taalunie2">{{Cite web |title=De Taalunie – Werkwijze en beleid |url=http://taalunieversum.org/taalunie/werkwijze_en_beleid/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318083841/http://taalunieversum.org/taalunie/werkwijze_en_beleid/|archive-date=18 March 2011 |access-date=17 February 2011 |publisher=Nederlandse Taalunie |language=nl}}</ref> The term [[Flemish dialects|Flemish]] can be applied to the Dutch spoken in Flanders; it shows many regional and local variations.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Hoeksema, Jack |title=College 4 – 1830 Belgische onafhankelijkheid, Noord-Zuidverschillen, Dialecten en de rijksgrens, Frans-Vlaanderen |url=http://odur.let.rug.nl/~hoeksema/divid-4.ppt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724164852/http://odur.let.rug.nl/~hoeksema/divid-4.ppt |archive-date=24 July 2011 |access-date=19 February 2011 |publisher=[[University of Groningen]] (host site) |language=nl |format=ppt}}</ref> The main dialect groups include [[West Flemish]], [[East Flemish]], [[Brabantian dialect|Brabantian]] and [[Limburgish]].

[[File:Arrondissement Brussels-Periphery Belgium Map.PNG|thumb|The municipalities with language facilities near Brussels]]

French (specifically [[Belgian French]]) may also be used in the Flemish Region for certain administrative purposes in a limited number of the so-called "[[municipalities with language facilities]]" around the Brussels-Capital Region and on the border with [[Wallonia]]. These "rim municipalities" around Brussels are [[Drogenbos]], [[Kraainem]], [[Linkebeek]], [[Sint-Genesius-Rode]], [[Wemmel]] and [[Wezembeek-Oppem]]. Brussels was originally a Dutch-speaking city (Brabantian dialect to be exact),<ref name="tokyo">{{Cite book |last=Backhaus|first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nl0mPajCyxsC |title=Linguistic Landscapes: A Comparative Study of Urban Multilingualism in Tokyo |publisher=Multilingual Matters Ltd |year=2007 |isbn=9781853599460 |pages=158 |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref> but it was [[Francisation of Brussels|francised]] in the 19th and 20th centuries and is now officially bilingual in French and Dutch<ref name="constitution">{{cite web |date=May 2007 |title=La Constitution belge (Art. 4) |url=http://www.senate.be/doc/const_fr.html |access-date=18 January 2009 |publisher=the [[Belgian Senate]] |language=fr |quote=La Belgique comprend quatre régions linguistiques : la région de langue française, la région de langue néerlandaise, la région bilingue de Bruxelles-Capitale et la région de langue allemande.}}.</ref> (although largely French-speaking in practice).<ref name="rudi3">{{Cite book |last=Janssens|first=Rudi |url=http://www.brusselsstudies.be/medias/publications/NL_51_BruS13NL.pdf |title=Taalgebruik in Brussel en de plaats van het Nederlands — Enkele recente bevindingen |year=2008 |edition=Brussels Studies, nº13 |language=Dutch |access-date=26 April 2013}}</ref> Municipalities with language facilities on the border with Wallonia are [[Bever, Belgium|Bever]] ({{langx|fr|Biévène|link=no}}), [[Herstappe]], [[Mesen]] ({{langx|fr|Messines|link=no}}), [[Ronse]] ({{langx|fr|Renaix|link=no}}), [[Spiere-Helkijn]] ({{langx|fr|Espierres-Helchin|link=no}}), and [[Voeren]] ({{langx|fr|Fourons|link=no}}).

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in the Flemish Region in 2016<ref name="ULB">{{cite web|url=https://o-re-la.ulb.be/index.php/analyses/item/1476-un-sondage-orela/ipsos/le-soir/rtbf-les-belges-francophones-et-la-religion|title=Un sondage ORELA/IPSOS/Le Soir/RTBF : " Les Belges francophones et la religion "
|publisher=[[Université libre de Bruxelles]]|language=fr|access-date=17 December 2020}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Catholic Church in Belgium|Catholic Church]]
|value1 = 68
|color1 = Gold
|label2 = [[Protestantism]]
|value2 = 2
|color2 = Indigo
|label3 = [[Irreligion]]
|value3 = 26
|color3 = White
|label4 = [[Islam]]
|value4 = 2
|color4 = Green
|label5 = Other religion
|value5 = 2
|color5 = Red
}}
According to a 2016 survey by the [[Université libre de Bruxelles|Free University of Brussels]], 68% of Flemish citizens are [[Roman Catholic]], 2% are [[Protestant]], 26% are irreligious, while 2% have other religions.<ref name="ULB"/>

==International relations==
===Twin regions and sister regions===
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Aichi]], Japan<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/kokusai/belgiummou.html |title=ベルギー3地域と「友好交流及び相互協力に関する覚書」を締結 |access-date=15 May 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium]]
*[[Count of Flanders]]
*[[De Vlaamse Leeuw]]
*[[Flanders]]
*[[Flemish dialects|Flemish]]
*[[Provinces of Belgium]]

==References==

===Footnotes===
{{notelist}}

===Notes===
{{reflist}}
<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->

==External links==
{{commons}}

* {{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20040728083111/http://www.flanders.be/ Flemish authorities] (Dutch: ''Vlaamse overheid'').
* {{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204213532/http://www.flandersonline.org/en/flanders.php Flanders online] (also in French, German and Dutch).
* [http://www.toerismevlaanderen.be/ Toerisme Vlaanderen]
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.nordmag.com/nord_pas_de_calais/flandre/flandre.htm French Flanders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219174741/http://www.nordmag.com/nord_pas_de_calais/flandre/flandre.htm |date=19 February 2007 }}
* {{in lang|nl}} [http://www.roepstem.net/vlaanderen.html Frans-Vlaanderen]
* {{in lang|nl}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20041208185829/http://aps.vlaanderen.be/statistiek/nieuws/demografie/2003-11_aantal.htm The Flemish region reaches 6 million inhabitants]

{{Flanders topics}}
{{Subdivisions of Belgium}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Politics of Flanders]]
[[Category:Regions of Belgium]]
[[Category:Government of Belgium]]
[[Category:NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union]]