FLEMISH BRABANT

{{Infobox Belgian Province |
EnglishName = Flemish Brabant|
LocalNameInLanguage1 = (Dutch: Vlaams Brabant}|
LocalNameInLanguage2 = |
LocalNameInLanguage3 = |
coatofarms =|
flag = Image:Flemish_Brabant_Flag.png|
capital = Leuven|
governor = Lodewijk De Witte |
area = 2106|
population_as_of = 1 January 2005|
population = 1,037,786|
populationdensity = 493|
map =
|
officialsite = http://www.vlaamsbrabant.be/vlbrEn/homeEn.jsp?page=497|
}}
'Flemish Brabant' (Dutch: ''Vlaams Brabant'', French: ''Brabant flamand'') is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) 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. It has an area of 2,106 km² which is divided into two administrative districts (''arrondissementen'' in Dutch) containing 65 municipalities.
Flemish Brabant was created in 1995 by the splitting of the former province of Brabant into three parts: two new provinces, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant; and the Brussels-Capital Region, which no longer belongs to any province. The split was made to accommodate the eventual division of Belgium in three regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region).
It is a province with a rich cultural history and a great diversity of typical products, among them several of the world-famous Belgian beers.
The province is made up of two arrondissements. The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement has Brussels in its middle. It is therefore mainly a residential area, but it also has large industrial zones. For example, it is home to Belgium's main airport. The other arrondissement is the Leuven Arrondissement, centered on Leuven.
The official language in Flemish Brabant is Dutch (as it is in the whole of Flanders), but a few municipalities are to a certain extent allowed to use French to communicate with their citizens; these are called the municipalities with language facilities. Other such special municipalities can be found along the border between Flanders and Wallonia, and between Wallonia and the German-speaking area of Belgium. The fact that Halle-Vilvoorde surrounds Brussels (which is officially bilingual but whose inhabitants mostly speak French) makes for an interesting mix of both languages.
The history of Brabant is at Duchy of Brabant; see also Duke of Brabant.

Contents
Politics
Municipalities
External links

Politics


The Governor is the representative or "commissioner" of the Federal and the Flemish Government in Flemish Brabant. He is appointed by the Flemish Government, on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers. The current Governor is Lodewijk De Witte, he has been the Governor of Flemish Brabant since it was created in 1995 as a result of the splitting up of the Province of Brabant. The Governor is responsible for supervising the local authorities, ensuring that laws and decrees are observed, maintaining public order and security, and coordinating the response to a disaster which has occurred in his province. He also presides over the Permanent Deputation, however, he doesn't have the right to vote in the Permanent Deputation except in those cases where the Permanent Deputation exercises a judicial function.
Flemish Brabant is that only province that has a Deputy Governor as well. The Deputy Governor is appointed by the Flemish Government on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers and must have a considerable knowledge of both the Dutch and the French language. He is responsible for ensuring that the language legislation is observed in the peripheral municipalities of Flemish Brabant.
The Provincial Council of Flemish Brabant consists of 84 members elected for a term of office of 6 years. The last election was held on Sunday 8 October 2006. Currently, six political parties have seats in the Provincial Council: CD&V/N-VA (25 seats), Open Vld (17 seats), Vlaams Belang (15 seats), SP.A-Spirit (14 seats), Groen! (7 seats) and UF (6 seats). The majority in the Provincial Council is currently formed by CD&V/N-VA, Open Vld and SP.A-Spirit. These three parties together have a majority of 56 out of 84 seats.
The current President of the Provincial Council is Vic Laureys (CD&V/N-VA). He is assisted by a Bureau which consists of two Vice-Presidents, four Secretaries, three Quaestors and the floor leaders of the fractions in the Provincial Council.
The Permanent Deputation is the executive organ responsible for the daily administration of the province. It consists of the Governor and six Deputies elected by the Provincial Council from among its midst. The Deputies are currently divided among the majority parties as follows: two for CD&V/N-VA, two for Open Vld and two for SP.A-Spirit. However, one of the two SP.A-Spirit mandates is a shared one, it will be held by a member of SP.A-Spirit for the first three years and from 2009 to 2012 it will be held by a member of CD&V/N-VA.

Municipalities


Flemish Brabant has 65 municipalities: 35 in the Arrondissement of Halle-Vilvoorde and 30 in Leuven.
Map showing the location of the Arrondissement of Halle-Vilvoorde

Map showing the location of the Arrondissement of Leuven

'Halle-Vilvoorde arrondissement:' 'Leuven arrondissement:'

Affligem
Asse
Beersel
Bever
Dilbeek
Drogenbos
Galmaarden
Gooik
Grimbergen
Halle
Herne
Hoeilaart
Kampenhout
Kapelle-op-den-Bos
Kraainem
Lennik
Liedekerke
Linkebeek
Londerzeel
Machelen
Meise
Merchtem
Opwijk
Overijse
Pepingen
Roosdaal
Sint-Genesius-Rode
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
Steenokkerzeel
Ternat
Vilvoorde
Wemmel
Wezembeek-Oppem
Zaventem
Zemst

Aarschot
Begijnendijk
Bekkevoort
Bertem
Bierbeek
Boortmeerbeek
Boutersem
Diest
Geetbets
Glabbeek
Haacht
Herent
Hoegaarden
Holsbeek
Huldenberg
Keerbergen
Kortenaken
Kortenberg
Landen
Leuven
Linter
Lubbeek
Oud-Heverlee
Rotselaar
Scherpenheuvel-Zichem
Tervuren
Tielt-Winge
Tienen
Tremelo
Zoutleeuw

External links



Official web site of the Flemish Brabant province

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