East Flanders

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East Flanders (Template:Langx {{#invoke:IPA|main}};Template:Efn Template:Langx {{#invoke:IPA|main}}; Template:Langx {{#invoke:IPA|main}}; Template:Langx) is a province of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the North) the Dutch province of Zeeland and the Flemish province of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut and West Flanders. It has an area of Template:Cvt, divided into six administrative districts containing 60 municipalities, and a population of over 1.57 million as of January 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The capital is Ghent, home to the Ghent University and the Port of Ghent.

History

During the short-lived Napoleonic Empire, most of the area of the modern province was part of the Department of Escaut, named after the River Scheldt. Following the defeat of Napoleon, the entity was renamed after its geographical location in the eastern part of the historic County of Flanders (now in the western portion of the current Flemish Region).

The provincial flag has a black lion with red tongue and claws, on a background of horizontal white and green stripes. This is a recent adaptation; formerly, East Flanders used the Flemish flag, a black lion on a yellow background, as in the current coat of arms. The old flag is still publicly used, e.g. for road signs.

Geography

The province has several geographic or tourist regions:

• Denderstreek
• Meetjesland
• Waasland
• Flemish Ardennes

Important rivers are the Scheldt and the Leie which merge in Ghent. The Dender merges into the Scheldt in the city of Dendermonde.

Subdivisions

East Flanders is divided into 6 administrative arrondissements (districts), subdivided into a total of 55 municipalities. In addition, there are 3 judicial and 3 electoral arrondissements.

District	Ghent District:	Oudenaarde District:	Eeklo District:	Aalst District:	Dendermonde District:	Sint-Niklaas District:
Location	File:ArrGentLocation2025.png	File:ArrOudenaardeLocatie.png	File:ArrEekloLocation.png	File:ArrAalstLocation.png	File:ArrDendermondeLocatie.png	File:ArrSint-NiklaasLocation2025.png
HASC NUTS NIS Population Area	BE.OV.GT BE234 44 Template:Metadata Population BE 944 km²	BE.OV.OD BE235 45 Template:Metadata Population BE 419 km²	BE.OV.EK BE233 43 Template:Metadata Population BE 334 km²	BE.OV.AL BE231 41 Template:Metadata Population BE 469 km²	BE.OV.DM BE232 42 Template:Metadata Population BE 343 km²	BE.OV.SN BE236 46 Template:Metadata Population BE 475 km²
Municipalities	Aalter Deinze Destelbergen Evergem Gavere Ghent Lievegem Lochristi Merelbeke-Melle Nazareth-De Pinte Oosterzele Sint-Martens- Latem Zulte	Brakel Horebeke Kluisbergen Kruisem Lierde Maarkedal Oudenaarde Ronse Wortegem- Petegem Zwalm	Assenede Eeklo Kaprijke Maldegem Sint-Laureins Zelzate	Aalst Denderleeuw Erpe-Mere Geraardsbergen Haaltert Herzele Lede Ninove Sint-Lievens- Houtem Zottegem	Berlare Buggenhout Dendermonde Hamme Laarne Lebbeke Waasmunster Wetteren Wichelen Zele	Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht Lokeren Sint-Gillis- Waas Sint-Niklaas Stekene Temse

Demographics

The province has a population of almost 1.5 million. It had 734,000 inhabitants in 1830, when it was the most populated province of Belgium, and about a million in 1900. Population growth halted around the 1980s, but has increased again in the 21st century. Population figures in recent years is as follows:

Year	Population
1 January 1990	1,331,608
1 January 1995	1,349,382
1 January 2000	1,361,623
1 January 2005	1,380,072
1 January 2010	1,432,326
1 January 2015	1,477,346
1 January 2017	1,496,187

The capital and biggest city is Ghent, also the second largest city in the Flemish Region. Other smaller cities are Aalst, Sint-Niklaas and Dendermonde in the east of the province. The eastern part of the province, part of the Flemish Diamond, is more densely populated than the western part.

Economy

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 56.4 billion € in 2018. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 33,000 € or 109% of the EU27 average in the same year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Government

File:Gravensteengent22042008.JPG

The Gravensteen in Ghent, the provincial capital

File:Geraardsbergen - Oudeberg top 2.jpg

The Muur van Geraardsbergen

The provincial council (provincieraad) consists of 36 members which were last elected in the 2018 elections. Previously it consisted of 72 members. The council currently consists of the following political parties:

• N-VA (Flemish nationalists): 8 members
• CD&V (Christian democrats): 7 members
• Open VLD (liberals): 7 members
• sp.a (social democrats): 3 members
• Vlaams Belang (far-right nationalists): 6 members
• Groen (greens): 5 members

Four people chosen by and from the council form the daily government, called the deputation (deputatie). The deputation of East Flanders is a coalition of the N-VA, CD&V, and Groen.

The daily government is led by the governor, who is appointed by the Flemish Government. Carina Van Cauter (VLD) has been the governor of East Flanders since 1 September 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The province has a yearly budget of approximately 300 million euro.Template:Cn

Governors

• 1830: Template:Ill
• 1830–1834: Werner de Lamberts-Cortenbach
• 1834–1836: Charles Vilain XIIII
• 1837–1843: Louis de Schiervel
• 1843–1848: Leander Desmaisières
• 1848–1871: Edouard De Jaegher (lib.)
• 1871–1879: Emile de T'Serclaes De Wommersom
• 1879–1885: Léon Verhaeghe de Naeyer (lib.)
• 1885–1919: Raymond de Kerchove d'Exaerde
• 1919–1921: Maurice Lippens (lib.)
• 1921–1929: André de Kerchove de Denterghem (lib.)
• 1929–1935: Karel Weyler (lib.)
• 1935–1938: Jules Ingenbleek (lib.)
• 1938–1939: Louis Frederiq (lib)
• 1939–1954: Maurice Van den Boogaerde
• 1954–1963: Albert Mariën (lib.)
• 1963–1984: Roger de Kinder (BSP)
• 1984–2004: Herman Balthazar (SP.A)
• 2004-2013: André Denys (VLD)
• 2013-2018: Jan Briers (none; nominated by N-VA)
• 2018–present: Carina Van Cauter (VLD)

Timeline: <timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:100 left:20 AlignBars = late

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1830 till:2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1830

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 id:liberal   value:rgb(0,0,1)   legend:liberal
 id:catholic  value:rgb(1,0.6,0) legend:catholic
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 id:none      value:rgb(0.5,0.5,0.5)   legend:none

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from:1830 till:1830 color:catholic text:"De Ryckere" fontsize:10
from:1830 till:1834 color:catholic text:"de Lamberts-Cortenbach" fontsize:10
from:1834 till:1836 color:catholic text:"Vilain" fontsize:10
from:1837 till:1843 color:catholic text:"de Schierve" fontsize:10
from:1843 till:1848 color:catholic text:"Desmaisières" fontsize:10
from:1848 till:1871 color:liberal text:"De Jaegher" fontsize:10
from:1871 till:1879 color:catholic text:"de T'Serclaes De Wommersom" fontsize:10
from:1879 till:1885 color:liberal text:"Verhaeghe de Naeyer" fontsize:10
from:1885 till:1919 color:catholic text:"de Kerchove d'Exaerde" fontsize:10
from:1919 till:1921 color:liberal text:"Lippens" fontsize:10
from:1921 till:1929 color:catholic text:"de Kerchove De Denterghem" fontsize:10
from:1929 till:1935 color:liberal text:"Karel Weyler" fontsize:10
from:1935 till:1938 color:liberal text:"Ingenbleek" fontsize:10
from:1938 till:1939 color:liberal text:"Frederiq" fontsize:10
from:1939 till:1954 color:catholic text:"Van den Boogaerden" fontsize:10
from:1954 till:1963 color:liberal text:"Mariën" fontsize:10
from:1963 till:1984 color:socialist text:"de Kinder" fontsize:10
from:1984 till:2004 color:socialist text:"Balthazar" fontsize:10
from:2004 till:2013 color:liberal text:"Denys" fontsize:10
from:2013 till:2018 color:none text:"Briers" fontsize:10
from:2018 till:2023 color:liberal text:"Van Cauter" fontsize:10

</timeline>

External links

• Template:In lang Template:Official

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