Flemish Region

The **Flemish Region** (Dutch: ) is ane o the three offeecial regions o the Kinrick o Belgium—alangside the Wallonie an the Brussels-Caipital Region. Colloquially, it is uisually simply referred tae as Flanders, o which it is the institutional incarnation athin the context o the Belgian poleetical seestem. It occupees the northren pairt o Belgium an haes a surface aurie o 13,522&nbsp;km² (44.29% o Belgium). It is ane o the maist densely populatit regions o Europe wi aroond 455 indwallers per square kilometer.

## Politics

Immediately efter its establishment, the region transferred aw its constitutional competencies tae the Flemish Community. The current Flemish authorities (Flemish Parliament, Flemish Govrenment) therefore represent aw the Flemish fowk, includin those livin in the Brussels-Caipital Region. Hence, the Flemish Region is govrened bi the Flemish Community institutions. Housomeivver, members o the Flemish Community parliament who wur electit in Brussels-Caipital Region, hae nae richt tae vote on Flemish regional affairs.

## Admeenistrative diveesions

The Flemish Region comprises 5 provinces, each consistin o admeenistrative arrondissements which in turn contain municipalities (in tot 308 municipalities in Flanders).

The Ceety o Brussels, the seat o the Flemish parliament, is locatit athin the Brussels-Caipital Region, which is surroondit bi the province o Flemish Brabant. Brussels conteens baith the Flemish Community an the French Community, baith haein thair  institutions in Brussels.

## Economy

Flanders is hame tae a diversifeed, relatively modren economy, wi emphasis put on research an development. Mony enterprises wirk closely wi local knowledge an research centres tae develop new products an services.

### Transport

"De Lijn" serves as the main public transport company, run bi the Flemish govrenment. It consists o buses an trams. TEC is the equivalent company in Wallonie, an MIVB-STIB in Brussels. The railwey netwirk run bi the NMBS, housomeivver, is still a federal responsibility.

The govrenment is an aw responsible for aboot 500 kilometers o regional roads (Dutch: *gewestwegen*) an aboot 900 kilometers o heich-gates in the territory o the Flemish Region. Ither types o roads are provincial roads an municipal roads.

## Demographics
### Ceeties

Lairgest ceeties in the region include (wi population figurs in 2010):
*Antwerp (483,505)
*Ghent (243,366)
*Bruges (116,741)
*Leuven (95,463)
*Mechelen (80,940)
*Aalst (80,043)
*Kortrijk (74,911)
*Hasselt (73,067)
*Sint-Niklaas (71,806)
*Ostend (69,064)
*Genk (64,757)
*Roeselare (57,432)

The Flemish Diamond (Dutch: *Vlaamse Ruit*) is the name o the central, populous aurie in Flanders an consists o several o thir ceeties, sic as Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven an Mechelen. Approximately 5,500,000 fowk live in the aurie.

### Leid

The offeecial leid is Dutch, whiles colloquially referred tae as Flemish. The main dialect groups include Wast Flemish, East Flemish, Brabantian an Limburgish.

French mey be uised for certaint admeenistrative purposes in a leemitit nummer o the sae-cried "municipalities wi leid facilities" aroond the Brussels-Caipital Region an on the mairch wi Wallonie.

"Rim municipalities" (aroond Brussels) are Drogenbos, Kraainem, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode (French: *Rhode-Saint-Genèse*), Wemmel an Wezembeek-Oppem. Brussels wis oreeginally a Dutch-speakin ceety, but haes been frenchifeed in the 19t an 20t century an is nou lairgely French-speakin. A few municipalities in the Flemish agglomeration o Brussels are nou an aw frenchifeed.

Municipalities wi leid facilities on the mairch wi Wallonie are Bever (French: *Biévène*), Herstappe, Mesen (French: *Messines*), Ronse (French: *Renaix*), Spiere-Helkijn (French: *Espierres-Helchin*), Voeren (French: *Fourons*)

### Education
Education in Belgium is regulatit bi the communities. In Flanders this is done bi the Flemish Community an in Brussels bi baith the Flemish an French Community.

*Leet o schuils in Antwerp
*Leet o schuils in East Flanders
*Leet o schuils in Flemish Brabant
*Leet o schuils in Limburg
*Leet o schuils in Wast Flanders

## See an aw
*Communities an regions o Belgium
*Provinces o regions in Belgium
*De Vlaamse Leeuw
*Coont o Flanders
*Flanders
*French Flemish

## References

## Freemit airtins
* Flemish authorities (Dutch: *Vlaamse overheid*).
* Flanders online   (an aw in French, German an Dutch).
* Toerisme Vlaanderen
* French Flanders 
* Frans-Vlaanderen
* The Flemish region reaches 6 million inhabitants