|
|
|
|
|
BrabantBrabant is a former duchy in the Low Countries. The northern part, Noord-Brabant is now a province of the Netherlands, while the southern part comprises three provinces and one region of Belgium: Antwerp, Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and Brussels. Prior to 1995, Walloon Brabant, Brussels and Flemish Brabant formed a single Belgian province, also known as Brabant. The duchy of Brabant came into existence in 1190. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created when the counts of Leuven/Louvain acquired the duchy of Lower Lorraine after the death of Godfrey of Bouillon. Its chief cities were Louvain, Brussels and above all Antwerp. In 1430, the Duchy was taken over by Philip the Good of Burgundy, and in 1477 by the Hapsburgs. The subsequent history of Brabant is part of the history of the Austrian Netherlands and the Spanish Netherlands. After the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, the Netherlands' de facto independence was confirmed, and the northern part of Brabant was handed to the United Provinces of the Netherlands. The southern part remained in Hapsburg hands, though it was transferred to the Austrian branch of that family in 1714. After French occupation, Brabant became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (consisting of modern day Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. With the Belgian independence of 1830, Brabant became divided between the Netherlands and Belgium. The international border between the Netherlands and Belgium in Brabant is of interest because it is the only international border which is not a continuous line. In demarcating the border, it was impossible to draw a continuous line and as a result parcels of land were assigned to the Netherlands and others were assigned to Belgium resulting in a non-continuous boundary. (See enclave and exclave.)
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|