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Liège
German: Lüttich
Dutch: Luik
—  Province of Belgium  —
Flag of the Province of Liège
Flag
Wapen van Luik (provincie)
Coat of arms
Province de Liège in Belgium
Coordinates: 50°38′N 05°34′E / 50.633, 5.567Coordinates: 50°38′N 05°34′E / 50.633, 5.567
Country Flag of Belgium (civil) Belgium
Region Flag of Wallonia Wallonia
Capital Liège
Government
 • Governor Hervé Jamar
Area
 • Total 3,844 km2 (1,484 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2012)[1]
 • Total 1,083,400
 • Density 280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Website Official site

Liège (French: [ljɛʒ]; Walloon: Lîdje; Dutch: Luik, IPA: [lœyk]  (Speaker Icon listen); German: Lüttich, IPA: [ˈlʏtɪç]) is the easternmost province of Wallonia and Belgium.

It borders (clockwise from the north) Limburg in the Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, Diekirch in Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant (Wallonia), as well as those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg (Flanders).

It is an area of French and German ethnicity.

The capital of the province is the city of the same name Liège.

History[]

The modern borders of the province of Liège date from 1795 with the unification of the Principality of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège with the revolutionary French Department of the Ourthe (sometimes spelled Ourte). (Parts of the old Principality of Liege also went into new French départements Meuse-Inférieure, and Sambre-et-Meuse.)

The province of Ourthe, as it was known then, was under French control during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon visited the city during one of his campaigns and ordered the destruction of its vineyards in order to prevent the Liege wine industry from competing with the French wine industry.

After Napoleon’s Defeat in 1815, Liege became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Liege University scholars helped write the new Dutch constitution after the Napoleonic Wars. Despite these contributions there was a widespread perception among the people of Liege that they were discriminated against by the Dutch government due to religious and language differences.

In September 1830, rumors spread that Walloons in Brussels were expelling the Dutch. Liege intellectuals responded to these events by contacting Waloon scholars living in Paris to discuss Belgian independence. A militia was formed to press these demands led by Charlier "Wooden Leg" leading (eventually) to the formation of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.

In the 19th Century, the province was an early center of the Industrial Revolution. Its rich coal deposits and steel factories helped Belgium formed the basis of the regions increasing economic power.

During the 20th century, due to Liège's borders with Germany, it saw fierce fighting in both World Wars. In World War I, Liege’s strong line of reinforced concrete military forts temporarily halted the German advance through Belgium, giving time to construct trenches in Flanders which subsequently saw some of the worst fighting of that war. In world War II, Liège was the site of major fighting during the Battle of the Bulge. There the Germans orchestrated their final offensive move against allied troops. Malmedy and Saint-Vith in peculiar saw intense battles against the Nazis.

Liège’s heavy industry thrived in the 1950 and 1960'sbut has been in decline since. Liege is the last city of Wallonia to still have a functioning steel industry.

Liège continues to be the economic and cultural capital of Wallonia with its university, medieval heritage and heavy industry.

Subdivisions[]

The province has an area of 3,844 square kilometres (1,484 sq mi), which is divided into four administrative districts (arrondissements in French) containing a total of 84 municipalities.

Arrondissements[]

The Province of Liège is divided into four administrative arrondissements:

Municipalities[]

Map of the municipalities in Liège
Coo Waterfall Panorama

The Coo Waterfalls (municipality of Stavelot)

Municipalities that have city status have a (city) behind their name.

  1. Amay
  2. Amel
  3. Ans
  4. Anthisnes
  5. Aubel
  6. Awans
  7. Aywaille
  8. Baelen
  9. Bassenge
  10. Berloz
  11. Beyne-Heusay
  12. Blegny
  13. Braives
  14. Büllingen
  15. Burdinne
  16. Burg-Reuland
  17. Bütgenbach
  18. Chaudfontaine
  19. Clavier
  20. Comblain-au-Pont
  21. Crisnée
  22. Dalhem
  23. Dison
  24. Donceel
  25. Engis
  26. Esneux
  27. Eupen (city)
  28. Faimes
  29. Ferrières
  30. Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher
  31. Flémalle
  32. Fléron
  33. Geer
  34. Grâce-Hollogne
  35. Hamoir
  36. Hannut (city)
  37. Héron
  38. Herstal
  39. Herve (city)
  40. Huy (city)
  41. Jalhay
  42. Juprelle
  43. Kelmis
  44. Liège (city)
  45. Lierneux
  46. Limbourg (city)
  47. Lincent
  48. Lontzen
  49. Malmedy (city)
  50. Marchin
  51. Modave
  52. Nandrin
  53. Neupré
  54. Olne
  55. Oreye
  56. Ouffet
  57. Oupeye
  58. Pepinster
  59. Plombières
  60. Raeren
  61. Remicourt
  62. Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse
  63. Saint-Nicolas
  64. Sankt Vith (city)
  65. Seraing (city)
  66. Soumagne
  67. Spa (city)
  68. Sprimont
  69. Stavelot (city)
  70. Stoumont
  71. Theux
  72. Thimister-Clermont
  73. Tinlot
  74. Trois-Ponts
  75. Trooz
  76. Verlaine
  77. Verviers (city)
  78. Villers-le-Bouillet
  79. Visé (city)
  80. Waimes
  81. Wanze
  82. Waremme (city)
  83. Wasseiges
  84. Welkenraedt

Eupen, Kelmis, Raeren, Lontzen, Büllingen, Bütgenbach, Burg-Reuland, Amel and Sankt Vith form the german-speaking community of Belgium. Waimes and Malmedy are municipalities with language facilities. The others are part of the French community of Belgium.

List of Governors[]

  • 1830–1831: Etienne de Sauvage (Liberal)
  • 1831–1832: Jean-François Tielemans (Liberal)
  • 1832–1844: Charles van den Steen de Jehay
  • 1844–1846: Henri de Brouckère (Liberal)
  • 1846–1847: Edmond de la Coste (Liberal)
  • 1847–1863: Ferdinand de Macar (Liberal)
  • 1863–1882: Charles de Luesemans (Liberal)
  • 1882–1908: Léon Pety de Thozée
  • 1908–1919: Henry Delvaux de Fenffe (Catholic Party)
  • 1919–1927: Gaston Gregoire (Liberal)
  • 1927–1937: Henri Pirard
  • 1937–1943: Jules Mathieu
  • 1944–1953: Joseph Leclercq (PSB)
  • 1953–1971: Pierre Clerdent (PRL)
  • 1972–1990: Gilbert Mottard (PS)
  • 1990–2004: Paul Bolland
  • 2004–2015: Michel Foret (MR)
  • 2015-present Hervé Jamar (MR)

References[]

External links[]

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This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Liège Province. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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