City of Brussels
City of Brussels Ville de Bruxelles Stad Brussel | |||
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Municipality | |||
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City of Brussels Location in Belgium | |||
The City of Brussels within Brussels-Capital Region | |||
Coordinates: 50°51′N 04°21′E / 50.850°N 4.350°ECoordinates: 50°51′N 04°21′E / 50.850°N 4.350°E | |||
Country | Belgium | ||
Community |
Flemish Community French Community | ||
Region | Brussels | ||
Arrondissement | Brussels | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor (list) | Philippe Close (PS) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 32.61 km2 (12.59 sq mi) | ||
Population (1 January 2016)[1] | |||
• Total | 178,552 | ||
• Density | 5,500/km2 (14,000/sq mi) | ||
Postal codes | 1000-1130 | ||
Area codes | 02 | ||
Website | www.brussels.be |
The City of Brussels (French: Ville de Bruxelles [vil də bʁysɛl] or alternatively Bruxelles-Ville [bʁysɛl vil], Dutch: Stad Brussel [stɑd ˈbrɵsəl][2] or Brussel-Stad) is the largest municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region, and the de jure capital of Belgium.[3] The City of Brussels covers most of the Region's centre, as well as northern outskirts where it borders municipalities in Flanders. It is the administrative centre of the European Union.
The City of Brussels is a municipality consisting of the central historic town and certain additional areas within the greater Brussels-Capital Region, namely Haren, Laeken and Neder-Over-Heembeek to the north, and Avenue Louise/Louizalaan and the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos park to the south.
On 1 January 2016, the City of Brussels had a total population of 178,552. The total area is 32.61 km2 (12.59 sq mi) which gives a population density of 5,475 inhabitants per square kilometre (14,180/sq mi). As of 2007, there were approximately 50,000 registered non-Belgians in the City of Brussels.[4]
Territorial homes
At first, the City of Brussels was simply defined, being the area within the second walls of Brussels, the modern-day small ring. As the city grew, the surrounding villages grew as well, eventually growing into a contiguous city, though the local governments retained control of their respective areas.
The construction of Avenue Louise was commissioned in 1847 as a monumental avenue bordered by chestnut trees that would allow easy access to the popular recreational area of the Bois de la Cambre. However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles (which was then still separate from Brussels) through whose land the avenue was supposed to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed the narrow band of land needed for the avenue plus the Bois de la Cambre itself in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual southeastern protrusion of the City of Brussels and for Ixelles being split in two separate parts. The Université Libre de Bruxelles' Solbosch campus is also part of the City of Brussels, partially accounting for the bulge in the southeast end.
Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium, the ones located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975.[5] However, a few neighbouring municipalities have been merged into the City of Brussels, including Haren, Laken and Neder-Over-Heembeek in 1921.[6] These comprise the northern bulge in the municipality. To the south-east is also a strip of land along Avenue Louise that was annexed from the Ixelles municipality.
Mayors
As in every other Belgian municipality, the City of Brussels is headed by a mayor, who should not be confused with the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region or the Governor of Brussels-Capital.
See also
References
- ↑ Population per municipality as of 1 January 2016 (XLS; 397 KB)
- ↑ Stad in isolation: [stɑt].
- ↑ The Belgian Constitution (PDF). Brussels, Belgium: Belgian House of Representatives. May 2014. p. 63. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ↑ Statistics foreign population in Belgium by municipality (in French and Dutch only)
- ↑ Picavet, Georges (29 April 2003). "Municipalities (1795-now)". Georges Picavet. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ↑ "Brussels Capital-Region". Georges Picavet. 4 June 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to City of Brussels. |
- Official website of The City of Brussels
- Page related to The City of Brussels in the Brussels-Capital Region official web site
- Webcam Grand-Place Brussels
- Interactive map of Brussels historical city centre
Adjacent places of City of Brussels | ||||
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Wemmel (VBR) | Grimbergen (VBR), Vilvoorde (VBR) | Machelen (VBR) | ||
Jette Sint-Jans-Molenbeek Anderlecht |
Zaventem (VBR) Evere Schaerbeek Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Etterbeek | |||
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Saint-Gilles, Uccle, Ixelles | Watermael-Boitsfort |