East Flanders

East Flanders Dutch: Oost-Vlaanderen
Province of Belgium
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates:
Country	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Capital	Ghent
Government
• Governor	Jan Briers
Area
• Total	2,991 km2 (1,155 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2013)
• Total	1,454,716
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Website	www.oost-vlaanderen.be

East Flanders (Dutch: Oost-Vlaanderen [ˌoːst ˈflaːndərə(n)], French: (Province de) Flandre-Orientale, German: Ostflandern) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the North) on Zeelandic Flanders (the Netherlands) and (in Belgium) on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant (both in Flanders), of Hainaut (Wallonia) and of West Flanders (Flanders). It has an area of 2,991 km² which is divided into six administrative districts (arrondissementen in Dutch) containing 65 municipalities. The provincial population is 1,408,484 and the capital is 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 historic Flanders; although the province is actually situated in the western portion of Flanders, in the contemporary sense of the word.

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 and/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 65 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
HASC NUTS INS Population Area	BE.OV.GT BE234 44 512,407 944 km²	BE.OV.OD BE235 45 117,125 419 km²	BE.OV.EK BE233 43 80,574 334 km²	BE.OV.AL BE231 41 267,274 469 km²	BE.OV.DM BE232 42 189,638 343 km²	BE.OV.SN BE236 46 231,262 475 km²
Municipalities	Aalter Deinze De Pinte Destelbergen Evergem Gavere Ghent Knesselare Lochristi Lovendegem Melle Merelbeke Moerbeke Nazareth Nevele Oosterzele Sint-Martens- Latem Waarschoot Wachtebeke Zomergem Zulte	Brakel Horebeke Kluisbergen Kruishoutem Lierde Maarkedal Oudenaarde Ronse Wortegem- Petegem Zingem 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 Lokeren Sint-Gillis- Waas Sint-Niklaas Stekene Temse

Demographics

The province had a population of 1,445,831 as of 1 January 2011. It had 734,000 inhabitants in 1380 and about a million in 1900.

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.

Government

The Gravensteen in Ghent, the provincial capital

The Muur van Geraardsbergen

The provincial council (provincieraad) consists of 72 members which were last elected in the 2012 elections. Previously it consisted of 84 members. The council currently consists of the following political parties:

• N-VA (Flemish nationalists): 21 members
• CD&V (Christian democrats): 15 members
• Open VLD (liberals): 15 members
• sp.a (social democrats): 9 members
• Vlaams Belang (far-right nationalists): 6 members
• Groen (greens): 6 members

Six 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 political parties CD&V, Open Vld and sp.a. The biggest party in the council, N-VA, is not included.

The daily government is led by the governor, who is appointed by the Flemish Government. André Denys (VLD) has been the governor of East Flanders from 26 November 2004 until 21 January 2013. Jan Briers, who is not member of a political party but was nominated by N-VA, succeeded him on 1 February 2013.

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

Governors

• 1830: Pierre De Ryckere
• 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-present: Jan Briers (none; nominated by N-VA)

Timeline:

External links

• (Dutch) Official Website