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This article is about the Belgian city. For other uses, see Ghent (disambiguation).
Municipal flag Ghent
Gent (Dutch)
Graslei in Ghent
 
Location on map of Belgium
Coat of arms Ghent in the province of East Flanders
Geography
Country Belgium
Region Flag of Flanders Flemish Region
Community Flag of Flanders Flemish Community
Province Flag of East Flanders East Flanders
Arrondissement Ghent
Coordinates 51°3′N 3°44′E / 51.05, 3.733Coordinates: 51°3′N 3°44′E / 51.05, 3.733
Area 156. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each East Flanders ( Oost-Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre orientale in French) is a province of Flanders, one of the three The federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces The Arrondissement of Ghent (Arrondissement Gent Arrondissement de Gand is the largest of the six administrative arrondissements in the Province of East A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 18 km²
Population (Source: NIS)
Population
– Males
– Females
- Density		 233,120 (January 1, 2006)
48. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Statistics Belgium is the main official statistical institution in Belgium offering a large choice of figures In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 93%
51. 07%
1493 inhab. /km²
Age distribution
0–19 years
20–64 years
65+ years		 (01/01/2006)
20. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of A population pyramid, also called age-sex pyramid and age structure diagram, is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a 92%
61. 21%
17. 88%
Foreigners 7. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term 31% (01/07/2005)
Economy
Unemployment rate 14. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 22% (January 1, 2006)
Mean annual income 13,617 €/pers. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. (2003)
Government
Mayor (list) Daniël Termont (SP.A)
Governing parties SP.A, VLD, Spirit
Other information
Postal codes 9000-9052
Area codes 09
Web address www.gent.be

Ghent (IPA: /ˈɡɛnt/; Gent IPA: [ʝɛnt] in Dutch, Gand [ɡɑ̃] in French, and formerly Gaunt in English) is a city and a municipality located in Flanders, Belgium. This is a list of Mayors of Ghent, Belgium: 1825 - 1831 Joseph Van Crombrugghe 1836 Daniël Termont ( Ghent, 19 May 1953) is a Flemish politician member of the Sp Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or OpenVLD ( Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 The FlemishProgressives (VlaamsProgressieven or VlPro ProgressistesFlamands are a Belgian Flemish political party formed after the falling apart of the old Belgian postal codes are numeric and consist of 4 numbers although the last one is often zero A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. East Flanders ( Oost-Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre orientale in French) is a province of Flanders, one of the three The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and became in the Middle Ages one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe. The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www Today it is a busy city with a port and a university. The port of Ghent is the third biggest Port in Belgium. The first port of Ghent was situated at the Scheldt river and later on at the Lys Ghent University (in Dutch Universiteit Gent, abbreviated UGent) is one of the three large Flemish universities. The city is connected to the sea by the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, it lies at the intersection of the European highways E17 and E40 and it has the third busiest railway station in Belgium. The Ghent-Terneuzen Canal (Dutch Kanaal van Gent naar Terneuzen also known as the "Sea Canal" (Zeekanaal is a Canal linking Ghent in Belgium The international E-road network is a numbering system for Roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE. European route E17 passes through the following cities Antwerp - Ghent - Kortrijk - Lille - Arras - Cambrai ||-||-||} European route E40 is the longest European route, more than 8000 km long connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany

The municipality comprises the city of Ghent proper and the towns of Afsnee, Desteldonk, Drongen, Gentbrugge, Ledeberg, Mariakerke, Mendonk, Oostakker, Sint-Amandsberg, Sint-Denijs-Westrem, Sint-Kruis-Winkel, Wondelgem and Zwijnaarde. Afsnee is a village in the Belgian province of East-Flanders. Desteldonk is a parish in the municipality of Ghent in the Belgian province of East Flanders. Drongen ( French, ancient Tronchiennes) is a submunicipality of the city of Ghent ( Arrondissement of Ghent, East Flanders, Flanders Gentbrugge is a sub- Municipality of Ghent, Belgium. It is famous for its decorated/painted Watertower. Ledeberg is a submunicipality of the city of Ghent. It lies south-east of downtown Ghent and has direct access to the E17 road Mariakerke is a village in the Belgian province of East-Flanders. Mendonk is a village in the Belgian Province of East-Flanders. Oostakker, formerly spelled Oostacker, is one of the smaller former municipalities which were merged into Ghent (from which it is only two miles the capital of the Sint-Denijs-Westrem is a Village in the Belgian province of East Flanders. Zwijnaarde is a village in the municipality of Ghent, Belgium. With 233,120 inhabitants in 2006, Ghent is Belgium's third largest city by number of inhabitants. This is a list of Belgian municipalities by Population, as of January 1, 2007: Source INS demographic The current mayor of Ghent, Daniël Termont, leads a coalition of the SP.a/VlaamsProgressieven and VLD. This is a list of Mayors of Ghent, Belgium: 1825 - 1831 Joseph Van Crombrugghe 1836 Daniël Termont ( Ghent, 19 May 1953) is a Flemish politician member of the Sp Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP The FlemishProgressives (VlaamsProgressieven or VlPro ProgressistesFlamands are a Belgian Flemish political party formed after the falling apart of the old The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or OpenVLD ( Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992

Every year a ten day long street festival is held called the "Ghent Fests" (Gentse Feesten in Dutch). The Gentse Feesten is a music and theatre festival in the city of Ghent ( Belgium) In 2007 it saw 1. 5 million people flock to its streets.

Contents

History

Ghent in 1775
Ghent in 1775

Archeologic evidence shows human presence in the region of the confluence of Scheldt and Lys going back as far as the Stone Age and the Iron Age[1]. The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Most historians believe that the older name for Ghent, 'Ganda' is derived from the Celtic word 'ganda' which means confluence[1]. Confluence, in Geography, describes the meeting of two or more Bodies of water. There are no written records of the Roman period but archeological research confirms that the region of Ghent was further inhabited.

When the Franks invaded the Roman territories (from the end of the 4th century and well into the 5th century) they brought their language with them and Celtic and Latin were replaced by Old Dutch. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Old Dutch (aka Old West Low Franconian) is a branch of Old Low Franconian spoken and written during the early Middle Ages (c

Around 650 Saint Amand founded two abbeys in Ghent: the Saint Peter Abbey and the St. Bavo's Abbey . For places named after Saint Amandus see Saint-Amand. For the leaders of the Gallic rebellion under Diocletian, including Amandus see Aelianus (rebel An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or The Saint Bavo Cathedral (also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, or the Dutch Sint Baafskathedraal) is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent. The city grew from several nuclei, the abbeys and a commercial centre. Around 800 Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, appointed Einhard, the biographer of Charlemagne, as abbot of both abbeys. Louis the Pious (778 &ndash 20 June 840) also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and co-Emperor Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Einhard (also Eginhard or Einhart) (c 775 &ndash March 14, 840 in Seligenstadt, Germany) was a Frankish In 851 and 879 the city was however attacked and plundered twice by the Vikings. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas

The city recovered and flourished from the 11th century on. Until the 13th century Ghent was the biggest city in Europe after Paris; it was bigger than London, Cologne or Moscow. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Within the city walls lived up to 65,000 people. Today, the belfry and the towers of the Saint Bavo Cathedral and Saint Nicholas' Church are just a few examples of the skyline of the period. A Tower which contains one or more bells or which is obviously designed to hold bells (even if it has none is a bell tower. The Saint Bavo Cathedral (also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, or the Dutch Sint Baafskathedraal) is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent. The St Nicholas' Church ( Dutch: Sint-Niklaaskerk) is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium.

Belfry of Ghent. Behind it the Saint Nicholas church is visible.
Belfry of Ghent. The 91-meter-high belfry of Ghent is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city center of Ghent, Belgium, the other two belonging to Saint Bavo Behind it the Saint Nicholas church is visible. The St Nicholas' Church ( Dutch: Sint-Niklaaskerk) is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium.

The rivers flowed in an area where a lot of land was periodically inundated. These richly grassed 'meersen' ("water-meadows": a word related to the English 'marsh', but not meaning exactly the same, a 'meers' is not permanently under water) were ideally suited for herding sheep, the wool of which was used for making cloth. A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of Grassland subject to controlled Irrigation to increase Agricultural productivity In fact, Ghent was during the Middle Ages the most important city for cloth.

The wool-industry, originally established at Bruges, created the first European industrialized zone in Ghent in the High Middle Ages. Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The mercantile zone was so highly-developed that wool had to be imported from England. This was one of the reasons for Flanders' good relationship with England. Ghent was the birthplace of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster (second creation 1st Duke of Aquitaine (6 March 1340 &ndash 3 February 1399 was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries The trade with England suffered significantly during the Hundred Years' War. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior

The city recovered in the 14th century, while Flanders was united with neighbouring provinces under the Dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy of Burgundy was a feudal territory once existing within the Kingdom of France. High taxes led to a rebellion and eventually the Battle of Gavere, in which Ghent suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of Philip the Good. The Battle of Gavere was fought near Semmerzake in Belgium on July 23, 1453 between an army under the Philip III Duke of Burgundy and the rebelling Philip the Good (Philippe le Bon also Philip III Duke of Burgundy ( July 31, 1396 &ndash June 15, 1467) was Duke of Burgundy Around this time the center of gravity in the Low Countries started to shift from Flanders (Bruges–Ghent) to Brabant (Antwerp–Brussels), although Ghent would continue to play an important role. The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is

Vernacular structures along a waterway
Vernacular structures along a waterway

In 1500 Juana of Castile gave birth to Charles V, who became Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states Although native to Ghent, he punished the city after the 1539 Revolt of Ghent and obliged the city's nobles to walk in front of the emperor barefoot with a noose (Dutch: strop) around the neck; since this incident, the people of Ghent have been called "Stroppendragers" (noose bearers). The Revolt of Ghent was an uprising against the Spanish Empire of Charles V in 1539. The Saint Bavo Abbey was abolished, torn down, and replaced with a fortress for Spanish troops. Only a small portion of the abbey was spared demolition.

The late 16th and the 17th century brought devastation because of the Religious wars. A religious war is a War caused by religious differences It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different At one time Ghent was a Calvinistic republic, but eventually the Spanish army reinstated Catholicism. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described The wars ended the role of Ghent as a center of international importance.

In the 18th and 19th century Ghent the textile industry flourished again in Ghent. Lieven Bauwens introduced the first mechanical weaving machine on the European continent, of which he smuggled the plans out of England, in 1800. Lieven Bauwens (b June 14 1769, Ghent &ndash d March 17 1822, Paris) was a Belgian industrial

Ghent was also the site of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent which formally ended the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States of America. The Treaty of Ghent ( signed on December 24 1814, in Ghent, currently in Belgium, was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the After the battle of Waterloo Ghent became a part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands for 15 years. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium United Kingdom of the Netherlands (or Kingdom of the United Netherlands) (1815 - 1830 (1839 (Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas was the unofficial In this period Ghent got its own university (1817) and a new connection to the sea (1824–27). Ghent University (in Dutch Universiteit Gent, abbreviated UGent) is one of the three large Flemish universities. The Ghent-Terneuzen Canal (Dutch Kanaal van Gent naar Terneuzen also known as the "Sea Canal" (Zeekanaal is a Canal linking Ghent in Belgium

After the Belgian Revolution, with the loss of port access to the sea for more than a decade, the local economy collapsed and the first Belgian trade-union originated in Ghent. The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the In 1913 there was a World exhibition in Ghent. Expo (short for "exposition" and also known as World Fair and World's Fair) is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the As a preparation for these festivities the Sint-Pieters railway station, was completed in 1912. Gent-Sint-Pieters is the main Railway station in Ghent and &ndash depending upon the measure used &ndash the second or third busiest railway station in Belgium

Tourism

The Graslei is one of the most scenic places in Ghent's old city centre. The bridge to the right is the Sint-Michielsbrug, the building on the corner is the former postal office and in the distance to the right the three towers of Ghent can be seen.
The Graslei is one of the most scenic places in Ghent's old city centre. The bridge to the right is the Sint-Michielsbrug, the building on the corner is the former postal office and in the distance to the right the three towers of Ghent can be seen.

Architecture

Historical centre of Ghent – from left to right: Old post office, Saint-Nicholas Church, Belfry, and Saint Bavo Cathedral.
Historical centre of Ghent – from left to right: Old post office, Saint-Nicholas Church, Belfry, and Saint Bavo Cathedral. The St Nicholas' Church ( Dutch: Sint-Niklaaskerk) is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. The 91-meter-high belfry of Ghent is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city center of Ghent, Belgium, the other two belonging to Saint Bavo The Saint Bavo Cathedral (also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, or the Dutch Sint Baafskathedraal) is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent.
Ghent at Night
Ghent at Night

Much of the city's medieval architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Its center is the largest carfree area in Belgium. Car-free zones (also known as auto-free zones and pedestrian zones) are areas of a city or town in which automobile traffic is prohibited Interesting highlights are the Saint Bavo Cathedral with the Ghent Altarpiece, the belfry, the Gravensteen castle, and the splendid architecture along the old Graslei harbour. The Saint Bavo Cathedral (also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, or the Dutch Sint Baafskathedraal) is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent. The Ghent Altarpiece or Adoration of the Mystic Lamb ( Dutch: Het Lam Gods or The Lamb of God; completed 1432 The 91-meter-high belfry of Ghent is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city center of Ghent, Belgium, the other two belonging to Saint Bavo The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Ghent established a nice blend between comfort of living and history – it is not a city-museum. The city of Ghent houses also three béguinages and numerous churches, among which the Saint-Jacobs church and the Saint-Nicolas Church are the most beautiful examples. A Béguinage is a collection of small buildings used by Beguines which were several lay sisterhoods of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 13th century There is an opera house and a few theatres. Highlights of modern architecture are the university buildings (the Boekentoren or Book Tower) by Henry Van de Velde. blandijn boekentoren gentpng|thumb]]The Boekentoren, ( Dutch for Book Tower) is a famous building located in Ghent, Belgium, designed by Henry Van de Velde ( 3 April 1863 &ndash 25 October 1957) was a Belgian painter architect and interior designer

The beguinages, as well as the belfry and adjacent cloth hall, were recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1998 and 1999. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

Museums

Important museums in Ghent are the Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Museum of Fine Arts), with paintings by Hieronymus Bosch, Jean Fouquet, and many Flemish masters; the SMAK or Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (City Museum for Contemporary Art), with works of the 20th century, including Joseph Beuys and Panamarenko; and the Designmuseum. The Museum of Fine Arts ( Dutch: Museum voor Schone Kunsten (MSK in Ghent, Belgium, is situated at the East side of the Citadelpark Hieronymus Bosch ( Dutch, born Jeroen Anthonissen van Aken c 1450 &ndash August 9, 1516) was an Early Netherlandish Jean Fouquet or Jehan Fouquet (1420 - 1481 was the most important French painter of the 15th century a master of both panel painting and manuscript The Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (commonly abbreviated as S Joseph Beuys (ˈjoːzɛf ˈbɔʏs May 12, 1921 – January 23, Panamarenko (pseudonym of Henri Van Herwegen, born in Antwerp, February 5, 1940) is a prominent assemblagist in Flemish The Huis van Alijn (House of the Alijn family) was originally a beguinage and is now a museum for folk art. A Béguinage is a collection of small buildings used by Beguines which were several lay sisterhoods of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 13th century This museum often presents theatre and puppet shows for children. There is also a museum presenting the industrial strength of Ghent, the Museum voor Industriële Archeologie en Textiel or MIAT. Here you can find recreations of workshops and stores from the 1800s and can see the spinning and weaving machines that remain in this building what was once a weaving mill.

Restaurants and culinary traditions

As most Belgian cities, Ghent offers a rich variety of local and foreign cuisine. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Especially the quarter called "Patershol" has a concentration of restaurants. The "Sleepstraat" a little bit further north houses a number of Turkish restaurants and food bars.

In Ghent and other regions of East-Flanders, bakeries sell a donut-shaped bun called a "mastel". East Flanders ( Oost-Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre orientale in French) is a province of Flanders, one of the three "Mastellen" are also called "Saint Hubert bread", because on the Saint's feast day, which is 3 November, the bakers bring their batches to the early Mass to be blessed. Saint Hubertus or Hubert (born c 656 to 658 probably in Toulouse; died May 30, 727 or 728 in Tervuren near Brussels Traditionally, it is thought that blessed mastellen immunize against rabies. Rabies (from rabies “madness rage fury” Also known as “ hydrophobia ” is a viral Zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that

Festivities

The city is host to some big cultural events such as the Gentse Feesten, I Love Techno, "10 Days Off" musical festival, Flanders International Film Festival Ghent (with the World Soundtrack Awards) and the Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen Gent. The Gentse Feesten is a music and theatre festival in the city of Ghent ( Belgium) I Love Techno is an international techno event that takes place in Flanders Expo in Ghent, Belgium. The World Soundtrack Academy ( WSA, or World Soundtrack Awards) launched in 2001 by the Flanders International Film Festival is aimed at organizing and Also, every five years, a huge botanical exhibition (Gentse Floraliën) takes place in Ghent, attracting numerous visitors to the city.

Night Life

For a medium size city, Ghent has a booming night life. There's a lot to be done at night, whether you like to go to the movies, enjoy a play, attend a concert, go to a club or just have a night out with friends at a fancy jazz bar;

Economy

The port of Ghent, in the north of the city, is the third largest port of Belgium. The port of Ghent is the third biggest Port in Belgium. The first port of Ghent was situated at the Scheldt river and later on at the Lys ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo It is accessed by the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, which ends near the Dutch port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt. The Ghent-Terneuzen Canal (Dutch Kanaal van Gent naar Terneuzen also known as the "Sea Canal" (Zeekanaal is a Canal linking Ghent in Belgium The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Terneuzen ( is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. Western Scheldt (Dutch Westerschelde) in the province Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands, is the Estuary of the Scheldt river The port houses, among others, big companies like Sidmar, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Parts, Honda, and Stora Enso. Arcelor SA ( was the world's largest Steel producer in terms of turnover and the second largest in terms of steel output with a turnover of €30 Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish premium Automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden Volvo Trucks ( sv: Volvo Lastvagnar) a Swedish Truck manufacturer, owned by Volvo Group - AB Volvo, is the World's second largest The Volvo Group consists of eight main business areas which are supported within the group by a number of business units () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. Stora Enso Oyj () is a Finnish &ndash Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer, formed by the merger of Swedish mining and forestry products company

The Ghent University and a number of research oriented companies are situated in the central and southern part of the city. Ghent University (in Dutch Universiteit Gent, abbreviated UGent) is one of the three large Flemish universities.

As the biggest city of East-Flanders, Ghent has many hospitals, schools and shopping streets.

Tourism is increasingly becoming a major employer in the local area.

Transport

As one of the largest cities in Belgium, Ghent has a highly developed transportation system.

When arriving in Ghent, it is best to leave cars in Park & Ride zones next to the road. The actual city centre is a car free area, and parking is difficult and expensive in the city. On weekends, free night buses provide transportation through the night.

Tram vehicle (type: PCC streetcar)

Low floor tram vehicle (type: HermeLijn)

Trolleybus

Regional bus

Famous people

Emperor Charles V was born in Ghent in 1500
Emperor Charles V was born in Ghent in 1500
Statue of Jacob van Artevelde on the Friday market in Ghent
Statue of Jacob van Artevelde on the Friday market in Ghent

See also: Notable people from Ghent

Sister Cities

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ a b History of Ghent. www. gent. be. Retrieved on 2006-05-05. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John

Dictionary

Ghent

-proper noun

  1. Capital city of the province of East Flanders, Belgium.
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