| Grand Duchy of Flanders Groothertogdom Vlaanderen (Dutch) Timeline: German Heritage
OTL equivalent: Flemish Region and Parts of North-East France | ||||||
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| Anthem: De Vlaamse Leeuw |
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| Capital |  Brussels
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| Official languages | Dutch | |||||
| Regional languages | French | |||||
| Religion | Protestant Catholic |
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| Demonym | Flemish | |||||
| Government | Unitary parliamentary Constitutional monarchy | |||||
| - | Monarch (Grand Duke) | Leopold III | ||||
| - | Chancellor | Geert Vermeesch | ||||
| Legislature | Parliament | |||||
| - | Recognition | |||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | August 2018 estimate | 8.2 million | ||||
| Currency | Flemish Mark (FLM) |
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| Time zone | CET | |||||
| Date formats | dd.mm.yyyy | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| Internet TLD | .fl | |||||
The Grand Duchy of Flanders (Dutch: Groothertogdom Vlaanderen), commonly known as Flanders, is a nation located in Western Europe.
Historically, Flanders was part of an area known as the Low Countries. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, the area of Flander was a prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Belgium served as the battleground between many European powers, earning the moniker the "Battlefield of Europe", a reputation strengthened by both world wars. The country emerged in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution when it seceded from the Netherlands.
Today, Flanders is an important part of the EC, UEA and the LUN.
History[]
During the Occupied Administration, a policy known as Flamenpolitik ("Flemish policy") was enacted, which gave priority to the Dutch-Speaking population and language in an attempt to separate the ethnicly and linguistically divided nation of Belgium. The government was further divided into two quasi-independent councils, the council of Flanders and the council of Wallonia. This helped push the cause of Walloon separatism.
After the First World War, the former king Albert I of Belgium was exiled to the Netherlands and replaced with Wilhelm II’s brother Prince Henry of Prussia. The Raad van Vlaanderen became the basis of the new government, with Pieter Tack as the new chief minister. The new government was plagued with internal infighting, Belgian Resistance and Monarchist groups, and Walloon nationalists.
In 1935, Pieter Tack was assassinated by a Walloon Nationalist, and was replaced by August Borms of the FNU. A few years later, Borms was overthrown and Belgium was thrown into anarchy. The French-Speaking South declared the Walloon Republic and the liberal politician Léon Dens was elected as the new chief minister of the new Flanders.
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Grand Duke Sigismund (1929-1978)
During World War II, Flanders and Wallonia was invaded by the Dutch Republic and France. In an effort to boost support of the monarchy (which many didn’t accept), Grand Duke Sigismund didn’t evacuate from Flanders with his family and became a prisoner of the French Republic until 1943, when he was liberated from a prison in Arles. From this period onward, Sigismund became a popular figure in Flanders and was later given the moniker The Popular Duke. He tried to put the turbulent early years of his reign behind him and create a new legacy of peace. In a national poll conducted in 1975, 67% of Flemish people favoured the status quo rather than a return to the former Belgian monarch. In 1978, Sigismund died and was succeeded by his son Albert II. The funeral was viewed by an estimated 4 Million and was attended by leaders such as Kaiser Louis Ferdinand and William V, King of Great Britain.
Even with the end of the European Mutual Defence Alliance in 1997, Flanders remained closely linked to Germany, both politically and economically.
In 2013, the monarchial succession laws were changed so that women were allowed to ascend to the throne. This was changed to reflect the perceived “modern monarchy” that came into effect under the direction of Grand Duke Leopold III.
Provinces[]
Provinces in Orange.
Flanders is divided into 6 Provinces. Most of the provinces take their name from earlier duchies and counties of similar location, while their territory is mostly based on the departments installed during French annexation. The city of Brussels was separated from the province of Brabant in 1994.
- Antwerp
- Brussels
- East Flanders
- Brabant
- Limburg
- West Flanders
Economy[]
Port of Antwerp.
There is a large economic gap between Flanders and Wallonia. Wallonia was historically wealthy compared to Flanders, mostly due to its heavy industries, but the decline of the steel industry post-World War II led to the region's rapid decline, whereas Flanders rose swiftly. Since then, Flanders has been prosperous, among the wealthiest regions in Europe, whereas Wallonia has been languishing. As of 2007, the unemployment rate of Wallonia is over double that of Flanders.
The port of Antwerp was in 2004 the second largest European sea port by cargo volume, and the Antwerp freight railway station accounts for one-third of Belgian freight traffic. Antwerp is the first diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Flemish exports. Other industrial and service activities include car manufacturing, telecommunications, photographic products.
See Also[]
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