West Flanders ( Dutch : West-Vlaanderen [ˌʋɛst ˈflaːndərə(n)] ; West Flemish : West-Vloandern [βæst ˈflɒːndərn̩] ; French : Flandre-Occidentale [flɑ̃dʁ ɔksidɑ̃tal] ; German : Westflandern [ˈvɛstˌflandɐn] ) is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region , in Belgium . It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemish province of East Flanders to the east, the Walloon province of Hainaut in the south and the French department of Nord to the west. Its capital is Bruges ( Brugge ). Other important cities are Kortrijk in the south and Ostend ( Oostende ) on the coast, Roeselare and Ypres ( Ieper ). The province has an area of 3,197 km (1,234 sq mi) which is divided into eight administrative districts ( arrondissementen ) containing 64 municipalities. As of January 2024, West Flanders has a population of over 1.22 million.
10-645: Bellegem is a village situated in West Flanders , Belgium , near the city of Kortrijk . In 2013, it had a population of 3,790. On 4 July 1989, an unmanned Soviet MiG 23 fighter crashed on top of a house in Bellegem , killing one inhabitant. This West Flanders location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . West Flanders The North Sea coast of Belgium, an important tourism destination, lies in West Flanders. A tram line runs
20-406: Is Alveringem proper, the chief town, located in the northeast of the municipality. During the merger of municipalities in 1971, the villages Hoogstade , Oeren and Sint-Rijkers were added to Alveringem. In 1977, Leisele and Stavele , independent municipalities at the time, were added as well. As from 1971, Leisele also comprised the villages Gijverinkhove and Izenberge ; Beveren-aan-de-IJzer
30-402: Is Gerard Liefooghe (Gemeentebelangen) since 2006. Cyriel Verschaeve was as a priest attached to the parish of Alveringem and re-buried near Alveringem's church in 1973. The municipality of Alveringem has a relatively low population density and the number of inhabitants has still decreased last decades. The extensive territory comprises nine rural towns or deelgemeentes . The largest town
40-481: Is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders . The municipality comprises the towns of Alveringem proper, Beveren-aan-de-IJzer , Gijverinkhove , Hoogstade , Izenberge , Leisele , Oeren , Sint-Rijkers and Stavele . On January 1, 2006, Alveringem had a total population of 4,887. The total area is 80.01 km² which gives a population density of 61 inhabitants per km². The mayor of Alveringem
50-1648: Is divided into 8 administrative arrondissements . The Province of West Flanders is divided into 4 judicial arrondissements . Municipalities that have city status have (city) after their names. 1. Alveringem 2. Anzegem 3. Ardooie 4. Avelgem 5. Beernem 6. Blankenberge (city) 7. Bredene 8. Bruges (city) 9. Damme (city) 10. De Haan 11. De Panne 12. Deerlijk 13. Dentergem 14. Diksmuide (city) 15. Gistel (city) 16. Harelbeke (city) 17. Heuvelland 18. Hooglede 19. Houthulst 20. Ichtegem 21. Ypres (Ieper) (city) 22. Ingelmunster 23. Izegem (city) 24. Jabbeke 25. Knokke-Heist 26. Koekelare 27. Koksijde 28. Kortemark 29. Kortrijk (city) 30. Kuurne 31. Langemark-Poelkapelle 32. Ledegem 33. Lendelede 34. Lichtervelde 35. Lo-Reninge (city) 36. Menen (city) 37. Mesen (city) 38. Meulebeke 39. Middelkerke 40. Moorslede 41. Nieuwpoort (city) 42. Ostend (city) 43. Oostkamp 44. Oostrozebeke 45. Oudenburg (city) 46. Pittem 47. Poperinge (city) 48. Roeselare (city) 49. Ruiselede 50. Spiere-Helkijn 51. Staden 52. Tielt (city) 53. Torhout (city) 54. Veurne (city) 55. Vleteren 56. Waregem (city) 57. Wervik (city) 58. Wevelgem 59. Wielsbeke 60. Wingene 61. Zedelgem 62. Zonnebeke 63. Zuienkerke 64. Zwevegem Alveringem Alveringem ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑlvərɪŋ(ɣ)ɛm] ; West Flemish : Oalveringem )
60-661: The Belgian coast, the historic center of Bruges, the Yser Tower in Diksmuide and Flanders Fields , the World War I battlefields around Ypres . A Dutch dialect called West Flemish is spoken here. The city of Bruges has two clubs playing at the highest level of football in Belgium ( Belgian First Division A ), namely Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge . Other cities with teams playing at
70-421: The cities of Bruges and Ostend . Both cities also have important seaports: the port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and the port of Ostend . The south is known for its textile industry, with companies such as Beaulieu and Libeco-Lagae . The region around Kortrijk is called the " Dallas of Belgium" for its entrepreneurship. Tourism is also an important industry in West Flanders. Major touristic attractions include
80-558: The highest level are Kortrijk ( KV Kortrijk ), Ostend ( KV Oostende ) and Waregem ( Zulte Waregem ). The teams Knack Randstad Roeselare and Prefaxis Menen play in the highest volleyball league. Knack Randstad Roeselare also plays in the CEV Champions League , the European Championsleague. BC Oostende is a basketball team which plays in the major basketball league of Belgium. The Province of West Flanders
90-682: The length of the coast, from De Panne on the French border to Knokke-Heist on the Dutch border. West Flanders has two seaports , the Port of Zeebrugge and the Port of Ostend . West Flanders consists of the North Sea coast , followed by a very flat polder landscape. Only in the south are some small hills, with the Kemmelberg (159 m (522 ft)) being the highest point in the province. The Leie and IJzer are
100-456: The main rivers. West Flanders is the only Belgian province that borders both France and The Netherlands; it is the only province not landlocked . The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 46.9 billion € in 2018. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 34,700 € or 115% of the EU27 average in the same year. In the north of the province, most industry is concentrated in and around
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