Liège (province)

Liège German: Lüttich Dutch: Luik
Province of Belgium
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates:
Country	Belgium
Region	Wallonia
Capital	Liège
Government
• Governor	Hervé Jamar
Area
• Total	3,844 km2 (1,484 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2013)
• Total	1,083,400
• Density	280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Website	Official site

Liège (French: [ljɛʒ]; Walloon: Lîdje; Dutch: Luik, IPA: [lʌʊ̈k]; 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:

• 

  Huy

• 

  Liège

• 

  Verviers

• 

  Waremme

Municipalities

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)

External links

• Official web site of the Liège province (French) (German)
• Bureau des Relations Extérieures de la Province de Liège (French)