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The region represents 33% of the population and 55% of the territory of Belgium. It is predominantly French-speaking but there are also German-speaking municipalities in the east. As the other regions, the Walloon Region has its own parliament and government and exercises its functions by the limits defined by the Belgian constitution. Its capital is Namur. Its official languages are French and German.
GeographyThe territory of the Walloon Region is defined by the Belgian constitution: "The Walloon region is made up of the following provinces: The Walloon Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Luxemburg and Namur."[1] This territory of 16,844 km² (55.18% of Belgium) occupying the southern part of Belgium is also divided into 20 administrative arrondissements and 262 municipalities. Administrative divisionsThe Walloon Region has an area of 16 844 km² (55.18% of Belgium) and comprises the following provinces (see map right): AttributionsThe constitutional system of Belgium grants the Walloon Region its own legislative and executive powers in the fields for which it is competent:
EmblemsSince July 15, 1998, the Walloon Region has had as emblems a flag, an anthem and a "national" day, though the Walloon Region doesn't represent a nation. The flag is a coq hardi de gueule sur fond d'or, "a bold red rooster on gold", designed by Pierre Paulus in 1913, and adopted in July 1998.[2] It is also the flag of the French Community of Belgium and they share the same "national" day, 27 September. The anthem is Le Chant des Wallons ("the Walloons' song"), written by Theophile Bovy in 1900 and composed by Louis Hillier in 1901. There is also a logo, a red “W arrow” with the baseline “WALLOON REGION”. CitiesThe largest cities in the region include, as of 2007's population figures: [1]
PoliticsMain article: Politics of Wallonia Since 23 April 1993, Belgium has been a federal state, geographically split into three regions and linguistically split into three communities. The Walloon Region is one of the three (southern region, mainly French-speaking, with a population of 3,360,000), the two others being the Flemish Region (northern region, Dutch-speaking, with a population of 5,900,000) and the Brussels-Capital Region (bilingual French/Dutch with French majority, with a population of 980,000). The Walloon region has a parliament (one chamber with 75 members elected for five years by direct universal suffrage) and a government responsible in front of the parliament. Its parliament exercices two functions:
The government of Walloon is directed by a political majority. The government numbers nine members with the president. Each member is called a ministre. The composition of the parliament for the 2004-2009 legislature is as follows:
The head of the government, called Ministre-Président, is Rudy Demotte, member of the PS. EconomyThe Walloon economy experienced a strong development in the 19th century, especially in the regions of Liège and Charleroi, the so-called Sillon industriel. Belgium was then the first country in continental Europe to undergo an industrial revolution in the early 1800s, mainly based on the iron and coal industries, which were both abundant in Wallonia. In 1842 John Cockerill (1790-1840), a British entrepreneur, founded the company Cockerill-Sambre, which would become one of the major producers of steel in Europe. Raoul Warocqué (1870-1917), who made the coal mines of Mariemont a success, was the wealthiest person in Belgium. The profitability of these types of heavy industries started declining in the first half of the 20th century, which saw the center of industrial activity shift to the northern part of Belgium. Wallonia would be surpassed in economical development by Flanders only in the 1960s, when industrial production in the northern part of Belgium would catch up with Wallonia. The crisis in the steel industry led to a painful economic restructuring in Wallonia. Wallonia switched places with Flanders, regarding economical development. In 2004, the GDP per capita was €27,356 in Flanders, and €19,858 in Wallonia.citation needed The current Walloon economy is relatively diversified, although certain areas — especially around Charleroi and Liège — are still suffering from the steel industry crisis, with a high unemployment rate of up to 30% in some regions, while the south of the region, bordering Luxembourg benefits from its neighbour's economic prosperity, with a lot of Belgians working on the other side of the border (called frontaliers). The restoration of economical development is high on the political agenda. The Ardennes area south of the Meuse River is a popular tourist destination with a rich cultural heritage, with places such as Bastogne, Dinant, Durbuy, and the famous balneotherapy of Spa. Science and technologyWallonia is home to several science and technology organizations. See Science and technology in Wallonia. See also
External linksReferences
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