Antwerp (province)

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Coordinates: 51°13′N 04°24′E﻿ / ﻿51.217°N 4.4°E﻿ / 51.217; 4.4
Antwerp (Dutch: Antwerpen; French: Anvers)
Province of Belgium
Antwerp riverfront, april 2012.jpg
Antwerp riverfront
Flag of Antwerp.svg
Wapen van de provincie Antwerpen (klein).svg
Coat of arms
Country  Belgium
Region Flanders Flemish Region
Capital Antwerp
Highest point Beerzelberg
 - location Putte, Mechelen, Antwerp
 - elevation 51.6 m (169 ft)
Area 2,867 km² (1,107 sq mi)
Population 1,781,904 (1 January 2012) [1]
Density 622 /km² (1,611 /sq mi)
Subdivisions 3 Arrondissements
70 Municipalities
Governor Cathy Berx
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal codes 2000–2999
ISO 3166-2 BE-VAN
Location of the Antwerp province
Location of the Antwerp province
Website: Official site

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

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

History[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

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 2,867 km2 (1,107 sq mi) with a population of 1,781,904[1] and a density of 621.5 inhabitants per km². The northernmost point of the province (and also of Belgium) is in Meersel-Drove with the coordinates 51°30′N 4°46′E﻿ / ﻿51.5°N 4.767°E﻿ / 51.5; 4.767.

Grote Nete river

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[change | change source]

The province of Antwerp is divided into three arrondissements (Antwerp, Mechelen and Turnhout) and a total of 70 municipalities.

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

Population by arrondissement[change | change source]

Population on 1 January of each year.[2]

Arrondissement 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012[1]
Antwerp 961,131 969,563 977,612 985,332 998,211 1,010,001
Mechelen 316,224 319,107 321,788 324,311 327,323 329,395
Turnhout 423,215 427,037 431,774 435,219 439,239 442,508
Province of Antwerp 1,700,570 1,715,707 1,731,174 1,744,862 1,764,773 1,781,904

References[change | change source]

Other Websites[change | change source]