Wallonia

The Walloon Region (French Région wallonne, Dutch Waals Gewest), also Wallonia and Wallonia (French Wallonie, Dutch Wallonië, Walloon Walonreye [walɔ̃ʀɛjɜ]), is one of the three regions of the Kingdom of Belgium and thus a constituent state of the Belgian federal state. The population is predominantly native French, with German in the far east. The capital is Namur. The largest city by population, after municipal reforms in the postwar period, is Charleroi. The cultural and economic centre is the second largest city, Liège, which is also the centre of the largest agglomeration. Other important cities are Mons, Tournai, Arlon, Bastogne, Wavre, Verviers, Dinant, and the former Prussian cities of Eupen and Malmedy in what is now eastern Belgium. Geographically, Wallonia comprises the southern half of Belgium.

Geography

Land nature and settlement structure

The Walloon Region has an area roughly comparable to the German states of Thuringia or Schleswig-Holstein. In the provinces of Liège and Luxembourg there are extensive low mountain ranges and, with the Hautes Fagnes, a plateau known for its moors. In the south lie the Ardennes. The settlement centre in the area of the former industrial centres of the so-called Walloon backbone is located in the provinces of Hainaut, Namur and Liège. It stretches between the cities of Charleroi, Namur and Liège along the Sambre and Meuse rivers. The Meuse forms the dominant watercourse. Coming from France, it crosses the region in a southwesterly-northeasterly direction. Other rivers are the Ourthe and the Weser. To the west is the rather flat province of Hainaut, while the northern centre is the province of Walloon Brabant, characterised by its proximity to Brussels. In the far west is Comines-Warneton, an exclave enclosed by Flanders and France.

Neighbouring countries and regions

Wallonia borders France to the southwest, Luxembourg to the southeast, Germany to the east, the Netherlands for two short stretches to the far northeast, and Flanders to the north. Between Wallonia and the Netherlands is the Flemish exclave of Voeren (Fourons). Although there is no common border with the Brussels-Capital Region, it is located only a few kilometres from the northern border of the province of Walloon Brabant.

Etymology

The designation Wallonie or Wallonia derives - just like the designations Wales (United Kingdom), Welschschweiz, Walachei (Romania) and Welschtirol (Italy) as well as Walnut - from a preform of Welsche, i.e. from a Germanic designation for Romans and (Romanised) Celts.