West Flanders

West Flanders

*West-Vlaanderen* (Dutch)
*West-Vloandern* (West Flemish)
West Flanders West-Vlaanderen (Dutch); West-Vloandern (West Flemish)
Province
	Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
	Coordinates: 51°00′N 03°00′E / 51.000°N 3.000°E
Country	Belgium
Region	Flanders
Capital; (and largest city)	Bruges
Government
• Governor	Carl Decaluwé
Area
• Total	3,197 km2 (1,234 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2024)
• Total	1,226,375
• Density	380/km2 (990/sq mi)
GDP
• Total	€52.323 billion (2021)
ISO 3166 code	BE-VWV
HDI (2021)	0.940; very high · 5th of 11
Website	www.west-vlaanderen.be

West Flanders (Dutch: West-Vlaanderen [ˌʋɛst ˈflaːndərə(n)] ^ⓘ;^[a] 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 km² (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.^[5]

The North Sea coast of Belgium, an important tourism destination, lies in West Flanders. A tram line runs 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.

Geography

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 the main rivers. West Flanders is the only Belgian province that borders both France and The Netherlands; it is the only province not landlocked.

Economy

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.^[6]

In the north of the province, most industry is concentrated in and around 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

Tourism is also an important industry in West Flanders. Major touristic attractions include the Belgian coast, the historic center of Bruges, the Yser Tower in Diksmuide and Flanders Fields, the World War I battlefields around Ypres.

Language

A Dutch dialect called West Flemish is spoken here.

Sport

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 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.