Antwerp Province

Antwerp [4] (Dutch: Antwerpen, French: Anvers, German: Antwerpen) is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium.

Antwerpen  (Dutch)
Flag of Antwerp
Coat of arms of Antwerp
Location of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°13′N 04°25′E / 51.217°N 4.417°E / 51.217; 4.417Coordinates: 51°13′N 04°25′E / 51.217°N 4.417°E / 51.217; 4.417
Country Belgium
RegionFlanders Flemish Region
Capital
(and largest city)
Antwerp
Government
 • GovernorCathy Berx (CD&V)
Area
 • Total2,876 km2 (1,110 sq mi)
Population
 (1 January 2022)[2]
 • Total1,886,609
 • Density656/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
HDI (2019)0.945[3]
very high · 4th of 11
Websitewww.provincieantwerpen.be

Antwerp is largest city of the province and its capital; the Port of Antwerp is part of the city.

History

The modern province of Antwerp was the old Deux-Nèthes department, created in 1795 during the First French Empire in the northern part of the Duchy of Brabant.

In 1815, during the creation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the territory became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands as the province of Central Brabant, distinguishing it from North Brabant and South Brabant. In 1830, after Belgium's independence the province was renamed Antwerp (after its major city and capital).

Geography

The province of Antwerp borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders.

The province has an area of 2,876 km2 (1,110 sq mi) with a population of about 1,887,000 in 2022.

The northernmost point of the province (and also of Belgium) is in Meersel-Dreef with the coordinates 51°30′N 4°46′E / 51.500°N 4.767°E / 51.500; 4.767.

The capital and largest city is Antwerp, also the largest city in the Flemish Region.

Its highest point is Beerzelberg, 51.6 m (169.3 ft) high, in the municipality of Putte, Mechelen district. The lowest point of the province with 4 m (13.1 ft) high, lies in the valley of the Grote Nete river near Lier.

The main river in the province is the Scheldt (Dutch: Schelde, French: Escaut). Others rivers are Rupel, Grote Nete, Kleine Nete.

Administrative divisions

The province of Antwerp is divided into three arrondissements (Antwerp, Mechelen and Turnhout) and a total of 69 municipalities since 2019.

 
Map of the municipalities of Antwerp
(names are in the following table)
Municipalities by arrondissements, with their numbers in the map
Antwerp Mechelen Turnhout
     

Population by arrondissement

Population x 1,000 (on 1 January since 1980).[5]

Arrondissement 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Antwerp 918 925 923 932 985 1,056
Mechelen 283 292 295 306 324 347
Turnhout 333 357 380 406 435 464
Province of Antwerp 1,533 1,574 1,597 1,644 1,745 1,867

Antwerp Province Media

References

  1. "Bodembezetting volgens het Kadasterregister". statbel.fgov.be.
  2. "Structuur van de bevolking". statbel.fgov.be.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". Archived from the original on 2021-07-29.
  4. Official name is Provincie Antwerpen (Dutch).
  5. Institut national de statistique - Direction générale Statistique et information économique

Other websites