Flemish peopleFlemish people or Flemings (Vlamingen ˈvlaːmɪŋə(n)) are an ethnic group native to Flanders, Belgium, who speak Flemish Dutch. Flemish people make up the majority of Belgians, at about 60%. "Flemish" was historically a geographical term, as all inhabitants of the medieval County of Flanders in modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands were referred to as "Flemings", irrespective of their ethnicity or language.
BrugesBruges (bruːʒ , bʁyʒ; Brugge ˈbrʏɣə; Brügge ˈbʁʏɡə) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. It is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 14,099 hectares (140.99 km2; 54.44 sq miles), including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (from Brugge aan zee, meaning 'Bruges by the Sea'). The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO.
Antwerp ProvinceAntwerp Province (Provincie Antwerpen ˈɑntʋɛrpə(n), Province d'Anvers, Provinz Antwerpen), between 1815 and 1830 known as Central Brabant (Midden-Brabant, Brabant-Central, Mittel-Brabant), is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the North Brabant province of the Netherlands to the north and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. Its capital is Antwerp, which includes the Port of Antwerp, the second-largest seaport in Europe.
OstendOstend (Oostende, ˌoːstˈɛndə; Ostende ɔstɑ̃d; Ostende ɔstˈʔɛndə; Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast. In the Early Middle Ages, Ostend was a small village built on the east-end (oost-einde) of an island (originally called Testerep) between the North Sea and a beach lake.
Flemish CommunityThe Flemish Community (Vlaamse Gemeenschap ˈvlaːmsə ɣəˈmeːnsxɑp; Communauté flamande kɔmynote flamɑ̃d; Flämische Gemeinschaft ˈflɛːmɪʃə ɡəˈmaɪ̯nʃaft) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilities only within the precise geographical boundaries of the Dutch-language area and of the bilingual area of Brussels-Capital. Unlike in the French Community of Belgium, the competences of the Flemish Community have been unified with those of the Flemish Region and are exercised by one directly elected Flemish Parliament based in Brussels.
LeuvenLeuven (UKˈlɜːvən, ˈløːvə(n)) or Louvain (luːˈvæ̃, USalsoluːˈveɪn, luvɛ̃; Löwen ˈløːvn̩) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic city and the former neighbouring municipalities of Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, a part of Korbeek-Lo, Wilsele and Wijgmaal. It is the eighth largest city in Belgium, with more than 100,244 inhabitants.
Flemish MovementThe Flemish Movement (Vlaamse Beweging) is an umbrella term which encompasses various political groups in the Belgian region of Flanders and, less commonly, in French Flanders. Ideologically, it encompasses groups which have sought to promote Flemish culture and the Dutch language as well as those seeking greater political autonomy for Flanders within Belgium. It also encompassed nationalists who seek the secession of Flanders from Belgium, either through outright independence or unification with the Netherlands.
Brabantian dialectBrabantian or Brabantish, also Brabantic or Brabantine (Brabants, Standard Dutch pronunciation: ˈbraːbɑnts, ˈbrɑːbans), is a dialect group of the Dutch language. It is named after the historical Duchy of Brabant, which corresponded mainly to the Dutch province of North Brabant, the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Flemish Brabant as well as the Brussels-Capital Region ( Brusselian; where its native speakers have become a minority) and the province of Walloon Brabant.
FlandersFlanders (UKˈflɑːndərz, USˈflæn-; Dutch: Vlaanderen ˈvlaːndərə(n)) is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics, and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish.
Senate (Belgium)The Senate (Senaat, səˈnaːt; Sénat, seˈna; Senat) is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament. Created in 1831 as a chamber fully equal to the Chamber of Representatives, it has undergone several reforms in the past, most notably in 1993 and 2014. The 2014 elections were the first without a direct election of senators.
