Flanders
Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen , French: Flandre) today normally refers to the Dutch speaking northern portion of Belgium. It is one of the regions and communities of Belgium. Historically, the name referred to a region located in the north-western part of present-day Belgium and adjacent parts of France and the Netherlands. Both in the historical and the contemporary meaning, the demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. Brussels is the capital of Flanders, though it is also autonomous and only partially under Flanders' jurisdiction.
Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called Flanders has varied, and usage in English was at most periods much vaguer and imprecise than in the region itself. From around 1000 AD, Flanders historically meant the land situated along the North Sea from the Strait of Dover to the Scheldt estuary with ill-defined southern borders. It came to refer specifically to the County of Flanders, lasting from 862 to 1795, whose territory was situated in the northwestern part of what is now Belgium (approximately the modern Belgian provinces of East and West Flanders), and what are now parts of northern France (French Flanders), and the Netherlands (Zeelandic Flanders). Through marriage, the County of Flanders was joined with most of the rest of the Low Countries around 1400 AD, and it lost its independence. Most of the county's territory became part of an independent Belgium in 1830, and during the 19th and 20th centuries, it became increasingly commonplace to refer to the entire Dutch-speaking and northern part of Belgium as Flanders, including the Belgian parts of the Duchy of Brabant and Limburg. In the late 20th century, Belgium became a federal state in which the Dutch-speaking part was given autonomy as the Flemish Community (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschap) and the Flemish Region (Dutch: Vlaams Gewest); these two entities were effectively merged, except that only the Flemish Community, not the Flemish region, has jurisdiction over Brussels, its capital.
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Brussels | Wikipedia audio article
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Brussels
00:02:53 1 Toponymy
00:03:02 1.1 Etymology
00:03:42 1.2 Pronunciation
00:04:39 2 History
00:04:51 2.1 Early history
00:05:55 2.2 Middle Ages
00:07:18 2.3 Early modern
00:10:17 2.4 Late modern
00:12:27 2.5 20th century
00:13:56 2.6 Contemporary
00:15:02 3 Geography
00:15:11 3.1 Location and topography
00:16:23 3.2 Climate
00:17:07 4 Brussels as a capital
00:18:39 5 Municipalities
00:21:24 6 Brussels-Capital Region
00:21:33 6.1 Political status
00:22:44 6.2 Institutions
00:23:57 6.3 Agglomeration of Brussels
00:25:00 7 French and Flemish communities
00:26:20 7.1 Common Community Commission
00:27:53 8 International institutions
00:28:58 8.1 European Union
00:30:56 8.2 Eurocontrol
00:31:28 8.3 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
00:32:30 9 Demographics
00:32:39 9.1 Population
00:33:36 9.2 Nationalities
00:35:09 9.3 Languages
00:40:26 9.4 Religions
00:42:51 10 Culture
00:43:00 10.1 Architecture
00:48:40 10.2 Arts
00:51:47 10.3 Folklore
00:53:29 10.4 Cultural events and festivals
00:55:07 10.5 Cuisine
00:57:08 10.6 Shopping
00:58:44 11 Sports
00:59:57 11.1 Cycling
01:00:32 11.2 Association football
01:01:52 12 Economy
01:04:25 13 Media
01:05:28 14 Education
01:05:37 14.1 Tertiary education
01:07:13 14.2 Primary and secondary education
01:08:05 14.3 Libraries
01:08:29 15 Science and technology
01:09:02 15.1 Healthcare
01:09:39 16 Transport
01:09:48 16.1 Air
01:10:34 16.2 Water
01:12:02 16.3 Train
01:13:37 16.4 City public transport
01:14:03 16.4.1 Metro
01:14:57 16.4.2 Trams and buses
01:15:57 16.4.3 Ticketing
01:16:38 16.4.4 Other public transport
01:17:24 16.5 Road network
01:19:49 17 Security and emergency services
01:20:00 17.1 Police
01:21:05 17.2 Fire department
01:21:57 18 Parks and green spaces
01:22:58 19 Notable people
01:23:07 20 International relations
01:23:17 20.1 Twin towns and sister cities
01:23:30 21 Rankings
01:23:47 22 See also
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Brussels (French: Bruxelles [bʁysɛl] (listen); Dutch: Brussel [ˈbrʏsəl] (listen)), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest), is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (in which it forms an enclave) and the Walloon Region. Brussels is the most densely populated and the richest region in Belgium in terms of GDP per capita. It covers 161 km2 (62 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions, and has a population of 1.2 million. The metropolitan area of Brussels counts over 2.1 million people, which makes it the largest in Belgium. It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Walloon Brabant, home to over 5 million people.Brussels grew from a small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe. Since the end of the Second World War, it has been a major centre for international politics and the home of numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants. Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions (the two other capitals are Luxembourg and Strasbourg) and its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe the EU and its institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels. As the economic capital of Belgium and one of the top financial centres of Western Europe with Euronext Brussels, it is classified as an Alpha global city. Brussels is a hub for rail, road and air traffic, sometimes earning the moniker Crossroads of Europe. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest ...
Brussels
Brussels ; Dutch: Brussel, ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital and largest city of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union . It is also the largest urban area in Belgium, comprising 19 municipalities, including the municipality of the City of Brussels, which de jure is the capital of Belgium, in addition to the seat of the French Community of Belgium and of the Flemish Community.
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Flanders | Wikipedia audio article
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00:04:42 1 Terminology
00:04:52 1.1 In Belgium
00:06:16 1.2 In Belgium and neighbouring countries
00:07:33 1.3 Dutch-speaking part of Belgium
00:10:20 2 History
00:10:29 2.1 Early history
00:13:43 2.2 Historical Flanders
00:17:37 2.3 Low Countries
00:17:46 2.3.1 Beeldenstorm
00:20:54 2.3.2 The Eighty Years' War and its consequences
00:24:15 2.3.3 Southern Netherlands (1581–1795)
00:25:25 2.3.4 French Revolution and Napoleonic France (1795–1815)
00:26:17 2.3.5 United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830)
00:29:06 2.4 Kingdom of Belgium
00:29:53 2.4.1 Rise of the Flemish Movement
00:32:31 2.4.2 World War I and its consequences
00:33:54 2.4.3 Right-Wing Nationalism in the interbellum and World War II
00:34:53 2.4.4 Flemish autonomy
00:38:01 3 Government and politics
00:42:30 3.1 Politics
00:44:05 3.2 Flemish independence
00:46:04 4 Geography
00:49:24 4.1 Administrative divisions
00:51:46 5 Climate
00:52:29 6 Economy
00:56:16 6.1 Infrastructure
00:57:24 7 Demographics
00:58:17 7.1 Religion
00:59:50 7.2 Education
01:03:51 7.3 Healthcare
01:04:15 8 Culture
01:04:41 8.1 Language and literature
01:08:59 8.1.1 Languages
01:11:03 8.2 Media
01:13:07 8.3 Sports
01:14:41 8.4 Music
01:15:31 9 See also
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Speaking Rate: 0.8106975772130524
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-C
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen [ˈvlaːndərə(n)] (listen), French: Flandre French pronunciation: [flɑ̃dʁ], German: Flandern German pronunciation: [ˈflandɐn]) is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. The official capital of Flanders is Brussels, although the Brussels Capital Region has an independent regional government, and the government of Flanders only oversees the community aspects of Flanders life in Brussels such as (Flemish) culture and education.
Flanders, despite not being the biggest part of Belgium by area, is the area with the largest population (68.5%). 7,876,873 out of 11,491,346 Belgian inhabitants live in Flanders or the bilingual city of Brussels. Not including Brussels, there are five modern Flemish provinces.
In medieval contexts, the original County of Flanders stretched around AD 900 from the Strait of Dover to the Scheldt estuary and expanded from there. This county also still corresponds roughly with the modern-day Belgian provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders, along with neighbouring parts of France and the Netherlands. Although this original meaning is still relevant, during the 19th and 20th centuries it became increasingly commonplace to use the term Flanders to refer to the entire Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, stretching all the way to the River Meuse, as well as cultural movements such as Flemish art. In accordance with late 20th century Belgian state reforms the Belgian part of this area was made into two political entities: the Flemish Community (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschap) and the Flemish Region (Dutch: Vlaams Gewest). These entities were merged, although geographically the Flemish Community, which has a broader cultural mandate, covers Brussels, whereas the Flemish Region does not.
Flanders, by every definition, has figured prominently in European history since the Middle Ages. In this period, cities such as Ghent, Bruges, and later Antwerp made it one of the richest and most urbanized parts of Europe, trading, and weaving the wool of neighbouring lands into cloth for both domestic use and export. As a consequence, a very sophisticated culture developed, with impressive achievements in the arts and ar ...
Flanders | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Flanders
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
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Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen [ˈvlaːndərə(n)] (listen), French: Flandre French pronunciation: [flɑ̃dʁ], German: Flandern German pronunciation: [ˈflandɐn]) is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. The official capital of Flanders is Brussels, although the Brussels Capital Region has an independent regional government, and the government of Flanders only oversees the community aspects of Flanders life in Brussels such as (Flemish) culture and education.
Flanders, despite not being the biggest part of Belgium by area, is the area with the largest population (68.5%). 7,876,873 out of 11,491,346 Belgian inhabitants live in Flanders or the bilingual city of Brussels. Not including Brussels, there are five modern Flemish provinces.
In medieval contexts, the original County of Flanders stretched around AD 900 from the Strait of Dover to the Scheldt estuary and expanded from there. This county also still corresponds roughly with the modern-day Belgian provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders, along with neighbouring parts of France and the Netherlands. Although this original meaning is still relevant, during the 19th and 20th centuries it became increasingly commonplace to use the term Flanders to refer to the entire Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, stretching all the way to the River Meuse, as well as cultural movements such as Flemish art. In accordance with late 20th century Belgian state reforms the Belgian part of this area was made into two political entities: the Flemish Community (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschap) and the Flemish Region (Dutch: Vlaams Gewest). These entities were merged, although geographically the Flemish Community, which has a broader cultural mandate, covers Brussels, whereas the Flemish Region does not.
Flanders, by every definition, has figured prominently in European history since the Middle Ages. In this period, cities such as Ghent, Bruges, and later Antwerp made it one of the richest and most urbanized parts of Europe, trading, and weaving the wool of neighbouring lands into cloth for both domestic use and export. As a consequence, a very sophisticated culture developed, with impressive achievements in the arts and architecture, rivaling those of northern Italy. Belgium was one of the centres of the 19th century industrial revolution but Flanders was at first overtaken by French-speaking Wallonia. In the second half of the 20th century, however, Flanders' economy modernised rapidly, and today Flanders and Brussels are significantly more wealthy than Wallonia and in general one of the wealthiest regions in Europe and the world.Geographically, Flanders is mainly flat, and has a small section of coast on the North Sea. Much of Flanders is agriculturally fertile and densely populated, with a population density of almost 500 people per square kilometer (1,200 per square mile). It touches France to the west near the coast, and borders the Netherlands to the north and east, and Wallonia to the south. The Brussels Capital Region is an officially bilingual enclave within the Flemish Region. Flanders has exclaves of its own: Voeren in the east is between Wallonia and the Netherlands and Baarle-Hertog in the north consists of 22 exclaves surrounded by the Netherlands.
Brussels | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Brussels
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Brussels (French: Bruxelles [bʁysɛl] (listen); Dutch: Brussel [ˈbrʏsəl] (listen)), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest), is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (in which it forms an enclave) and the Walloon Region. Brussels is the most densely populated and the richest region in Belgium in terms of GDP per capita. It covers 161 km2 (62 sq mi), a relatively small area compared to the two other regions, and has a population of 1.2 million. The metropolitan area of Brussels counts over 2.1 million people, which makes it the largest in Belgium. It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards the Flemish cities of Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven, home to over 5 million people.Brussels grew from a small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe. Since the end of the Second World War, it has been a major centre for international politics and the home of numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants. Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions (the two other capitals are Luxembourg and Strasbourg) and its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe the EU and its institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels. As the economic capital of Belgium and one of the top financial centres of Western Europe with Euronext Brussels, it is classified as an Alpha global city. Brussels is a hub for rail, road and air traffic, sometimes earning the moniker Crossroads of Europe. The Brussels Metro is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both airport, which is based in the Flemish region and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country.Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. French is now spoken by about 75% of the population. Brussels is bilingual in Dutch and French, as Dutch is spoken by a large part of the population as the first or second language, and is the majority language of Belgium. Brussels is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken as a second language by nearly a third of the population and a large number of migrants and expatriates speak other languages.Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomy, as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Main attractions include its historic Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie and the Museums of Art and History. It is also a capital of the comic strip.
Battle of the Netherlands | Wikipedia audio article
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Battle of the Netherlands
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Battle of the Netherlands (Dutch: Slag om Nederland) was a military campaign part of Case Yellow (German: Fall Gelb), the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until the surrender of the main Dutch forces on 14 May. Dutch troops in the province of Zeeland continued to resist the Wehrmacht until 17 May when Germany completed its occupation of the whole country.
The Battle of the Netherlands saw some of the earliest mass paratroop drops, to occupy tactical points and assist the advance of ground troops. The German Luftwaffe used paratroopers in the capture of several airfields in the vicinity of Rotterdam and The Hague, helping to quickly overrun the country and immobilise Dutch forces.
After the devastating bombing of Rotterdam by the Luftwaffe, the Germans threatened to bomb other Dutch cities if the Dutch forces refused to surrender. The General Staff knew it could not stop the bombers and ordered the Dutch army to cease hostilities. The last occupied parts of the Netherlands were liberated in 1945.