In the city of Flanders, Belgium

 "There is a hill in Flanders, Heaped with a thousand slain, Where the shells fly night and noontide And the ghosts that died in vain, A little hill, a hard hill To the souls that died in pain." — Everard Owen, Three Hills (1915)

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(in Belgium) Flanders is the region that constitutes the northern half of Belgium. Along with the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region, the self-governing Flemish Region was created during the federalization of Belgium, largely along ethnolinguistic lines, in the 1980s and ’90s. Flanders includes the provinces of Antwerp, East Flanders, Limburg, Flemish Brabant, and West Flanders. (The Brussels-Capital Region lies within but is administratively separate from Flanders; however, the city of Brussels also serves as the capital of the Flemish Region.)

+ Flanders is predominantly flat. The Kempenland, the plateau region in the northeastern part of Flanders, is characterized by sand dunes and areas of broom, heather, and pasture. The low, undulating Central Plateaus make up the central part of the region. The northwest consists of a fertile low-lying plain. Farther west are the Flemish polders (land reclaimed from the sea), which are seamed with drainage channels that extend for 6–10 miles (10–16 km) inland. The straight coastline of maritime Flanders is backed by a rampart of sand dunes.

+ Most people of Flanders, called Flemings, speak Flemish, which is the same as Standard Dutch. The vast majority of the population lives in urban areas. The largest cities are Brussels, Antwerp (a view of which is provided here), Ghent, and Brugge. Historically, Flanders was a hub of trade and the center of Europe’s textile industry, dating back to the Middle Ages. The fortunes of the region improved in the 20th century: the construction of the Albert Canal (in the 1930s) from Antwerp to Liège stimulated the growth of the Flemish economy, as did post-World War II economic liberalization and foreign investment. By the end of the 20th century, Flanders boasted a prosperous diversified economy. Meanwhile, as Wallonia’s aging industries declined, the Flemish economic resurgence exacerbated political tensions between the two regions. 

+ Today, important industries include petroleum and chemical processing, the refining of zinc and other nonferrous metals, nuclear power production, glassmaking, and automobile assembly. The textile industry remains significant, though it has shifted its focus away from traditional wool and linen production. Antwerp continues to be known for its centuries-old diamond trade. The region’s service sector is also well developed: an important high-tech and research industry has emerged, and tourism is a major source of income. Tourism is particularly strong in the coastal area of West Flanders, which features a string of seaside resorts, notably Ostend, Blankenberge, Knokke-Heist, and De Panne. (A number of theme parks and medieval castles in the region also draw visitors.)