Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground.
62-529: In flood plains , and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, waves or shifting soil or sand. Stilts for walking have platforms for the feet and may be strapped to the user's legs. Stilts have been used for many hundreds of years. Hand-held stilts are used as childhood toys and in circus skills workshops and are of two main types: string and can/bucket stilts and pole stilts. Unlike other forms of stilts, hand-held stilts are not tied or strapped to
124-665: A casino located in its southern district on the left bank of the Meuse. The town's most prominent sight is the Citadel of Namur , now demilitarised and open to the public. Namur also has a distinctive 18th-century cathedral dedicated to Saint Aubain and a belfry classified by UNESCO as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France which are listed as a World Heritage Site . The Couvent des Soeurs de Notre-Dame used to contain masterpieces of Mosan art by Hugo d'Oignies , currently presented in
186-625: A children's skill toy and stilts are commonly taught in circus skills workshops at schools and summer fairs and other events. In 1891 Sylvain Dornon ( fr ) , a stilt-walker from the Landes region of France, walked from Paris to Moscow in 58 days. On 1 October 2001 Saimaiti Yiming of China walked 79.6 km (49.5 mi) on 73 cm (29 in) stilts in 24 hours in Shanshan County, Xinjiang, China. On 14 September 2002 Doug Hunt of Canada walked on
248-579: A flexing joint under the ball of the foot and, in one variant, under the heel. These stilts are commonly used in theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios because they allow performers to safely dance and perform stunts that would easily damage other types of stilts. Two brands of articulated stilts include "Bigfoots" manufactured by Gary Ensmenger of Orlando, Florida, and "Jay Walkers", manufactured by Stilt Werks of Las Vegas, Nevada. Articulated stilts can be adjusted anywhere from 18" to 30" high. In Armenia, Urartian bronze belts dating from
310-543: A flood-prone property to qualify for government-subsidized insurance, a local community must adopt an ordinance that protects the floodway and requires that new residential structures built in Special Flood Hazard Areas be elevated to at least the level of the 100-year flood. Commercial structures can be elevated or floodproofed to or above this level. In some areas without detailed study information, structures may be required to be elevated to at least two feet above
372-445: A floodplain. The quantity of sediments in a floodplain greatly exceeds the river load of sediments. Thus, floodplains are an important storage site for sediments during their transport from where they are generated to their ultimate depositional environment. When the rate at which the river is cutting downwards becomes great enough that overbank flows become infrequent, the river is said to have abandoned its floodplain. Portions of
434-547: A major garrison town under the new government. The citadel was rebuilt yet again in 1887. In World War I , Namur was a major target of the German invasion of Belgium in 1914, which sought to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. On August 21, 1914, the Germans bombarded the town of Namur without warning. Several people were killed. Despite being billed as virtually impregnable, the citadel fell after only three days' fighting and
496-679: A prop in entertainment, as a tool to enable other types of work to be achieved and as part of a hobby or recreation. Stilts are used widely in many countries for entertainment. Stilt walkers perform in parades, festivals, street events and at corporate functions. The local festivals of Anguiano ( La Rioja, Spain ) feature a dance on stilts in which dancers go down a stepped street while turning. Other stilt walking and dancing festivals are held in Deventer , Netherlands , in early July each year, and in Namur , Belgium . Early stilt walking acts were mostly of
558-1043: A user to walk quickly, to turn suddenly, and even to jump rope or dance. The stilt walker must keep moving at all times to keep their balance. Drywall stilts are adjustable tools designed for elevating users to reach high ceilings and walls, eliminating the need for frequent ladder or bench climbing and thereby reducing task completion times. They are widely utilized by tradespeople in drywall installation, electrical work, insulation, acoustics, painting, and other construction tasks. Constructed from lightweight yet robust materials like aluminum or magnesium, these stilts include features such as padded calf braces, secure straps at calves, ankles, and toes, dual-action springs for balance, and non-slip soles for stability and comfort. Compared to peg stilts used in performance arts and traditional wood stilts, drywall stilts excel in adjustability, safety, strength, and efficiency, minimizing fatigue and boosting productivity among professionals. Spring stilts also known as bounce stilts are spring-loaded and allow
620-568: Is a city and municipality in Wallonia , Belgium . It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia , hosting the Parliament of Wallonia , the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confluence of the rivers Sambre and Meuse and straddles three different regions – Hesbaye to the north, Condroz to the south-east, and Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse to
682-546: Is a problem in freshwater systems. Much of the phosphorus in freshwater systems comes from municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff. Stream connectivity controls whether phosphorus cycling is mediated by floodplain sediments or by external processes. Under conditions of stream connectivity, phosphorus is better able to be cycled, and sediments and nutrients are more readily retained. Water in freshwater streams ends up in either short-term storage in plants or algae or long-term in sediments. Wet/dry cycling within
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#1732859405458744-406: Is advantageous for the rapid colonization of large areas of the floodplain. This allows them to take advantage of shifting floodplain geometry. For example, floodplain trees are fast-growing and tolerant of root disturbance. Opportunists (such as birds) are attracted to the rich food supply provided by the flood pulse. Floodplain ecosystems have distinct biozones. In Europe, as one moves away from
806-455: Is also an important junction situated on the north–south line between Brussels and Luxembourg City , and the east–west line between Lille and Liège . River barge traffic passes through the middle of the city along the Meuse. Namur has taken on a new role as the capital of the federal region of Wallonia. Its location at the head of the Ardennes has also made it a popular tourist centre, with
868-498: Is any area subject to inundation by a 100-year flood. A problem is that any alteration of the watershed upstream of the point in question can potentially affect the ability of the watershed to handle water, and thus potentially affects the levels of the periodic floods. A large shopping center and parking lot, for example, may raise the levels of 5-year, 100-year, and other floods, but the maps are rarely adjusted and are frequently rendered obsolete by subsequent development. In order for
930-456: Is described as vertical accretion , since the deposits build upwards. In undisturbed river systems, overbank flow is frequent, typically occurring every one to two years, regardless of climate or topography. Sedimentation rates for a three-day flood of the Meuse and Rhine Rivers in 1993 found average sedimentation rates in the floodplain of between 0.57 and 1.0 kg/m . Higher rates were found on
992-565: Is largely a result of flood control, hydroelectric development (such as reservoirs), and conversion of floodplains to agriculture use. Transportation and waste disposal also have detrimental effects. The result is the fragmentation of these ecosystems, resulting in loss of populations and diversity and endangering the remaining fragments of the ecosystem. Flood control creates a sharper boundary between water and land than in undisturbed floodplains, reducing physical diversity. Floodplain forests protect waterways from erosion and pollution and reduce
1054-402: Is most common in sections of rivers where the river bed is accumulating sediments ( aggrading ). Repeated flooding eventually builds up an alluvial ridge, whose natural levees and abandoned meander loops may stand well above most of the floodplain. The alluvial ridge is topped by a channel belt formed by successive generations of channel migration and meander cutoff. At much longer intervals,
1116-591: Is named Union Royale Namur . The local baseball team is named Namur Angels. The annual Namur cyclo-cross race, part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup , takes place on the hills around the citadel. From 1950 to 2007, the Belgian Motocross Grand Prix was held every first weekend in August on a challenging race circuit around the citadel. Between 20,000 and 50,000 spectators gathered to support
1178-503: The Ardennes . The Romans established a presence after Julius Caesar defeated the local Aduatuci tribe . Namur came to prominence during the early Middle Ages when the Merovingians built a castle or citadel on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the two rivers. In the 10th century, it became a county in its own right. The town developed somewhat unevenly, as
1240-412: The Landes region of southern France used to watch their flocks while standing on stilts to extend their field of vision, while townspeople often used them to traverse the soggy ground in their everyday activities. Stilts were used by workers to attach hop grass to wires at 12 feet above the ground. This technique was documented up to the mid 20th century before being superseded. Stilts can be used as
1302-547: The Yellow River in China – see list of deadliest floods . The worst of these, and the worst natural disaster (excluding famine and epidemics), was the 1931 China floods , estimated to have killed millions. This had been preceded by the 1887 Yellow River flood , which killed around one million people and is the second-worst natural disaster in history. The extent of floodplain inundation depends partly on flood magnitude, defined by
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#17328594054581364-522: The pogo stick , were attempted in the 19th century. The digitigrade stilt is a peg stilt whose line follows the foot and not the shin bone. This allows costumers to mimic the walk of an animal. Because of the extreme stresses on this type of design they tend to be more rare; that is, fewer successful home-made designs. This type of stilt is similar to drywall stilts in that they allow the walker to stand in one place without having to shift weight from foot to foot to stay balanced. Articulated stilts feature
1426-703: The return period . In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP offers insurance to properties located within a flood-prone area, as defined by the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), which depicts various flood risks for a community. The FIRM typically focuses on the delineation of the 100-year flood inundation area, also known within
1488-692: The 9th to 7th centuries BCE have been found depicting acrobats on stilts. Archaeological ruins and texts show that stiltwalking was practised in ancient Greece as far back as the 6th century BCE. The ancient Greek word for a stilt walker was κωλοβαθριστής ( kōlobathristēs ), from κωλόβαθρον ( kōlobathron ), "stilt", a compound of κῶλον ( kōlon ), "limb" and βάθρον ( bathron ), "base, pedestal". Some stilt use traditions are very old. In Namur , Belgium, stilt walkers of Namur have practiced fights on stilts since 1411. The inhabitants of marshy or flooded areas sometimes use stilts for practical purposes, such as working in swamps or fording swollen rivers. The shepherds of
1550-554: The Musée des Arts Anciens (Rue de Fer). Elsewhere there is an archeological museum and a museum dedicated to Félicien Rops . An odd Namurois custom is the joust on stilts (dating back to 1411) practiced by the stiltwalkers of Namur . The annual Combat de l'Échasse d'Or ( Fight for the Golden Stilt ), held on the third Sunday in September, is the most important joust of the year. Two teams,
1612-852: The Mélans and the Avresses, dress in medieval clothes while standing on stilts and do battle in one of the town's principal squares. Since 2021, Namur stilt jousts are registered on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Namur possesses a distinguished university , the University of Namur (previously known as the Facultés universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, FUNDP), founded in 1831. The University of Louvain (UCLouvain) also has several facilities in
1674-545: The NFIP as the Special Flood Hazard Area. Where a detailed study of a waterway has been done, the 100-year floodplain will also include the floodway, the critical portion of the floodplain which includes the stream channel and any adjacent areas that must be kept free of encroachments that might block flood flows or restrict storage of flood waters. Another commonly encountered term is the Special Flood Hazard Area, which
1736-400: The abandoned floodplain may be preserved as fluvial terraces . Floodplains support diverse and productive ecosystems . They are characterized by considerable variability in space and time, which in turn produces some of the most species-rich of ecosystems. From the ecological perspective, the most distinctive aspect of floodplains is the flood pulse associated with annual floods, and so
1798-511: The advantages provided by the richness of the alluvial soil of the floodplain are severely offset by frequent floods brought on by cyclones and annual monsoon rains. These extreme weather events cause severe economic disruption and loss of human life in the densely-populated region. Floodplain soil composition is unique and varies widely based on microtopography. Floodplain forests have high topographic heterogeneity which creates variation in localized hydrologic conditions. Soil moisture within
1860-461: The channel shifts varies greatly, with reported rates ranging from too slow to measure to as much as 2,400 feet (730 m) per year for the Kosi River of India. Overbank flow takes place when the river is flooded with more water than can be accommodated by the river channel. Flow over the banks of the river deposits a thin veneer of sediments that is coarsest and thickest close to the channel. This
1922-654: The city surrendered on 1 December and its whole garrison of 3,000 men was taken prisoner. France invaded the region again in 1794, annexing Namur and imposing a repressive regime. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the Congress of Vienna incorporated what is now Belgium into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands . Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution , and Namur continued to be
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1984-693: The city through its UCLouvain Namur University Hospital (CHU UCLouvain Namur), the provinces' largest employer. Since 1986 Namur has been home to the Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film . A jazz (Nam'in'Jazz) and a rock (Verdur Rock) festival both take place in Namur annually. Sights near Namur include Maredsous Abbey , Floreffe Abbey , and Annevoie Castle with its surrounding Jardins d'Annevoie . The local football team
2046-573: The counts of Namur could only build on the north bank of the Meuse - the south bank was owned by the bishops of Liège and developed more slowly into the town of Jambes (now effectively a suburb of Namur). In 1262, Namur fell into the hands of the Count of Flanders , and was purchased by Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy in 1421. After Namur became part of the Spanish Netherlands in the 1640s, its citadel
2108-468: The flood waters. This can encourage farming ; some important agricultural regions, such as the Nile and Mississippi river basins , heavily exploit floodplains. Agricultural and urban regions have developed near or on floodplains to take advantage of the rich soil and freshwater. However, the risk of inundation has led to increasing efforts to control flooding . Most floodplains are formed by deposition on
2170-448: The floodplain ecosystem is defined as the part of the river valley that is regularly flooded and dried. Floods bring in detrital material rich in nutrients and release nutrients from dry soil as it is flooded. The decomposition of terrestrial plants submerged by the floodwaters adds to the nutrient supply. The flooded littoral zone of the river (the zone closest to the river bank) provides an ideal environment for many aquatic species, so
2232-462: The floodplain has a big impact on phosphorus availability because it alters water level, redox state, pH, and physical properties of minerals. Dry soils that were previously inundated have reduced availability of phosphorus and increased affinity for obtaining phosphorus. Human floodplain alterations also impact the phosphorus cycle. Particulate phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) can contribute to algal blooms and toxicity in waterways when
2294-579: The floodplain. Other smaller-scale mitigation efforts include acquiring and demolishing flood-prone buildings or flood-proofing them. In some floodplains, such as the Inner Niger Delta of Mali , annual flooding events are a natural part of the local ecology and rural economy , allowing for the raising of crops through recessional agriculture . However, in Bangladesh , which occupies the Ganges Delta ,
2356-505: The heaviest stilts used. They weighed 62.1 kg (137 lb) for the pair. He managed 29 steps unaided on these 15.56 m (51.0 ft) stilts. On 15 November 2006 Saimaiti Yiming of China took 10 steps on 16.41 m-high (53.8 ft) stilts to break the Guinness World Record for walking on the tallest stilts. In 2008 Roy Maloy of Australia took five steps on stilts 17 m (56 ft) high, an unofficial record for
2418-513: The human-caused disconnect between floodplains and rivers exacerbates the phosphorus overload. Floodplain soils tend to be high in eco-pollutants, especially persistent organic pollutant (POP) deposition. Proper understanding of the distribution of soil contaminants is difficult because of high variation in microtopography and soil texture within floodplains. Namur Namur ( French: [namyʁ] ; Walloon : Nameur ; Dutch : Namen [ˈnaːmə(n)] )
2480-465: The impact of floodwaters. The disturbance by humans of temperate floodplain ecosystems frustrates attempts to understand their natural behavior. Tropical rivers are less impacted by humans and provide models for temperate floodplain ecosystems, which are thought to share many of their ecological attributes. Excluding famines and epidemics , some of the worst natural disasters in history (measured by fatalities) have been river floods, particularly in
2542-448: The inside of river meanders and by overbank flow. Wherever the river meanders, the flowing water erodes the river bank on the outside of the meander. At the same time, sediments are simultaneously deposited in a bar on the inside of the meander. This is described as lateral accretion since the deposition builds the point bar laterally into the river channel. Erosion on the outside of the meander usually closely balances deposition on
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2604-417: The inside so that the channel shifts in the direction of the meander without changing significantly in width. The point bar is built up to a level very close to that of the river banks. Significant net erosion of sediments occurs only when the meander cuts into higher ground. The overall effect is that, as the river meanders, it creates a level flood plain composed mostly of point bar deposits. The rate at which
2666-457: The levees (4 kg/m or more) and on low-lying areas (1.6 kg/m ). Sedimentation from the overbank flow is concentrated on natural levees, crevasse splays , and in wetlands and shallow lakes of flood basins. Natural levees are ridges along river banks that form from rapid deposition from the overbank flow. Most of the suspended sand is deposited on the levees, leaving the silt and clay sediments to be deposited as floodplain mud further from
2728-617: The makeup towards ash (49%) with maple increasing to 14% and oak decreasing to 25%. Semiarid floodplains have a much lower species diversity. Species are adapted to alternating drought and flood. Extreme drying can destroy the ability of the floodplain ecosystem to shift to a healthy wet phase when flooded. Floodplain forests constituted 1% of the landscape of Europe in the 1800s. Much of this has been cleared by human activity, though floodplain forests have been impacted less than other kinds of forests. This makes them important refugia for biodiversity. Human destruction of floodplain ecosystems
2790-832: The most recent varieties of stilt walking acts is a stilt walker riding a "stilt bicycle" with an extended seat post and handlebar stem. With Light festivals being very popular around the world, Stilt walkers have incorporated technology in their costumes making. It is very common to see LED Robots on stilts or other light costumes at public or private events. Aluminium stilts are commonly used by fruit farmers in California to prune and harvest their peach , plum , and apricot trees. Stilts have been used for washing large windows, repairing roofs, and installing or painting high ceilings. Stilts are used during drywall construction, finish painting, and hanging suspended ceiling tiles as means to reach high areas. Stilts are available to be purchased as
2852-754: The nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios are altered farther upstream. In areas where the phosphorus load is primarily particulate phosphorus, like the Mississippi River, the most effective ways of removing phosphorus upstream are sedimentation, soil accretion, and burial. In basins where SRP is the primary form of phosphorus, biological uptake in floodplain forests is the best way of removing nutrients. Phosphorus can transform between SRP and particulate phosphorus depending on ambient conditions or processes like decomposition, biological uptake, redoximorphic release, and sedimentation and accretion. In either phosphorus form, floodplain forests are beneficial as phosphorus sinks, and
2914-580: The river may abandon the channel belt and build a new one at another position on the floodplain. This process is called avulsion and occurs at intervals of 10–1000 years. Historical avulsions leading to catastrophic flooding include the 1855 Yellow River flood and the 2008 Kosi River flood . Floodplains can form around rivers of any kind or size. Even relatively straight stretches of river are capable of producing floodplains. Mid-channel bars in braided rivers migrate downstream through processes resembling those in point bars of meandering rivers and can build up
2976-511: The river, the successive plant communities are bank vegetation (usually annuals); sedge and reeds; willow shrubs; willow-poplar forest; oak-ash forest; and broadleaf forest. Human disturbance creates wet meadows that replace much of the original ecosystem. The biozones reflect a soil moisture and oxygen gradient that in turn corresponds to a flooding frequency gradient. The primeval floodplain forests of Europe were dominated by oak (60%) elm (20%) and hornbeam (13%), but human disturbance has shifted
3038-418: The river. Levees are typically built up enough to be relatively well-drained compared with nearby wetlands, and levees in non-arid climates are often heavily vegetated. Crevasses are formed by breakout events from the main river channel. The river bank fails, and floodwaters scour a channel. Sediments from the crevasse spread out as delta -shaped deposits with numerous distributary channels. Crevasse formation
3100-643: The south-west. The city of Charleroi is located to the west. The language spoken is French . The municipality consists of the following sub-municipalities : Beez , Belgrade , Boninne , Bouge , Champion , Cognelée , Daussoulx , Dave , Erpent , Flawinne , Gelbressée , Jambes , Lives-sur-Meuse , Loyers , Malonne , Marche-les-Dames , Namur proper, Naninne , Saint-Servais , Saint-Marc , Suarlée , Temploux , Vedrin , Wépion , and Wierde . The town began as an important trading settlement in Celtic times, straddling east–west and north–south trade routes across
3162-408: The spawning season for fish often coincides with the onset of flooding. Fish must grow quickly during the flood to survive the subsequent drop in water level. As the floodwaters recede, the littoral experiences blooms of microorganisms, while the banks of the river dry out and terrestrial plants germinate to stabilize the bank. The biota of floodplains has high annual growth and mortality rates, which
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#17328594054583224-407: The stilt walker's weight while the strings are used to pull the cans to the feet as they take a step. Peg stilts, also known as Chinese stilts, are commonly used by professional performers. These stilts strap on at the foot, ankle, and just below the knee. Peg stilts are often made from wood but can also be made of aluminium or tubular steel. This type of stilts are the most lightweight ones and allow
3286-413: The style of a very tall person with the costume having long trousers or skirt to cover the stilts. More recently stilt walkers have created a wide variety of costumes that do not resemble a tall person. Examples are flowers and animals. The tall person type has also expanded to include a wide variety of themes. Examples include sportsmen, historical acts and acts based on literary or film characters. One of
3348-672: The subsequent Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 gave control of the formerly Spanish Netherlands to the Austrian House of Habsburg . Thus, although the Austrians ruled the town, the citadel was controlled by the Dutch. It was rebuilt again under their tenure. General Jean-Baptiste Cyrus de Valence 's column laid siege to the city on 19 November 1792 during the War of the First Coalition and, after 12 days,
3410-459: The surrounding grade. Many State and local governments have, in addition, adopted floodplain construction regulations which are more restrictive than those mandated by the NFIP. The US government also sponsors flood hazard mitigation efforts to reduce flood impacts. California 's Hazard Mitigation Program is one funding source for mitigation projects. A number of whole towns such as English, Indiana , have been completely relocated to remove them from
3472-732: The tallest stilts. On 30 March 2008 Ashrita Furman of the US ran 1.61 km (1 mi) in 7 minutes 13 seconds on spring stilts in Dachau, Germany. Flood plain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river . Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high discharge . The soils usually consist of clays, silts , sands, and gravels deposited during floods. Because of regular flooding, floodplains frequently have high soil-fertility since nutrients are deposited with
3534-713: The town was occupied by the Germans for the rest of the war. Namur fared little better in World War II ; it was in the front lines of both the Battle of the Ardennes in 1940 and the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. The town suffered heavy damage in both wars. Namur continued to host the Belgian Army 's paratroopers until their departure in 1977. After the creation of the Walloon Region , Namur
3596-672: The upper 30 cm of the soil profile also varies widely based on microtopography which affects oxygen availability. Floodplain soil stays aerated for long stretches of time in between flooding events, but during flooding, saturated soil can become oxygen-depleted if it stands stagnant for long enough. More soil oxygen is available at higher elevations farther from the river. Floodplain forests generally experience alternating periods of aerobic and anaerobic soil microbe activity which affects fine root development and desiccation. Floodplains have high buffering capacity for phosphorus to prevent nutrient loss to river outputs. Phosphorus nutrient loading
3658-429: The user to run, jump and perform various acrobatics. Spring stilts using fiberglass leaf springs were patented in the United States in 2004 under the trademark "PowerSkip", marketed for recreational and extreme sports use. Using these stilts is also called powerbocking , named for the stilts' inventor, Alexander Boeck. Spring stilts are often mostly made of aluminium. Spring stilts using steel coil springs, an antecedent of
3720-674: The wearer. Hand-held pole stilts consist of two long poles, each with a foot support. The stilt walker holds onto the upper end of the pole, rests their feet on the foot plates, and pulls upward on the pole while taking a step. A second type of hand-held pole stilts are similar to the first type but end in a handle so the walker has more control and flexibility to move their stilts. Those type of stilts can be very high (more than 4 m or 13 ft under feet). Hand-held string stilts (also known as tin can or bucket stilts) are platforms with strings attached to them. The platforms, most commonly made of tin cans or small plastic upturned buckets hold
3782-573: Was chosen as the seat of its executive and parliament . In 1986, Namur was officially declared capital of Wallonia. Its position as regional capital was confirmed by the Parliament of Wallonia in 2010. Namur is an important commercial and industrial centre, located on the Walloon industrial backbone, the Sambre and Meuse valley . It produces machinery, leather goods, metals and porcelain. Its railway station
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#17328594054583844-535: Was considerably strengthened. Louis XIV of France invaded in 1692, capturing the town and annexing it to France. His renowned military engineer Vauban rebuilt the citadel. French control was short-lived, as William III of Orange-Nassau captured Namur only three years later in 1695 during the War of the Grand Alliance . Under the Barrier Treaty of 1709, the Dutch gained the right to garrison Namur, although
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