Hasselt Geography Country Belgium Region Flemish Region Community Flemish Community Province  Limburg Arrondissement Hasselt Coordinates 50°55′N 05°14′E / 50.917, 5.233Coordinates: 50°55′N 05°14′E / 50.917, 5.233 Area 102. 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 The federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces 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. 24 km² Population (Source: NIS) Population – Males – Females - Density 70,035 (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. 85% 51. 15% 685 inhab. /km² Age distribution 0–19 years 20–64 years 65+ years (01/01/2006) 19. 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 16% 62. 45% 18. 39% Foreigners 4. 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 02% (01/07/2005) Economy Unemployment rate 9. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 90% (January 1, 2006) Mean annual income 14,549 €/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 Herman Reynders (SP.A) Governing parties Pro Hasselt (SP.A, Groen!), CD&V/N-VA, VLD Other information Postal codes 3500, 3501, 3510, 3511, 3512 Area codes 011 Web address www.hasselt.be

Albert Canal near Hasselt

Hasselt City Hall

Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government 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 Green! (in Dutch Groen!; founded as Agalev (see name-section below is a Belgian green Political party. Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie ("New-Flemish Alliance" is a Flemish nationalist and Center-right political party founded in the autumn of 2001 The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or OpenVLD ( Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 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 The Albert Canal (Albertkanaal Canal Albert is a Canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. 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 A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Belgium comprises 589 municipalities ( Dutch: gemeenten, French: communes, German: Gemeinde) grouped into five The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each The Hasselt municipality includes the city of Hasselt and the old communes of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk, Wimmertingen, Kermt, Spalbeek, Kuringen, Stokrooie, Stevoort and Runkst. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or On 31 December, 2007 Hasselt had a total population of 71 520 (34 951 men and 36 569 women). Hasselt is located at the Demer river and is also connected to the Albert Canal. The Demer is an 85 km long River in eastern Belgium, right tributary of the Dijle. The Albert Canal (Albertkanaal Canal Albert is a Canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. Hasselt is located in between the Campine and Hesbaye regions in the middle of the Euregion Meuse-Rhine. Campine (Dutch Kempen) is a region which once consisted mainly of Moor or Swamp, heath and sandy Peat. Hesbaye (Latinized as Hesbania in medieval documents modern French Hesbaye, modern Dutch Haspengouw) is the region in the south of the Belgian Limburg

History

Hasselt was founded in the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of the Demer river. The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Demer is an 85 km long River in eastern Belgium, right tributary of the Dijle. The name Hasselt came from Hasaluth, which means hazel wood. It was one of the bigger cities of the county of Loon, whose borders were approximately the same as the current province of Limburg. The County of Loon (Graafschap Loon, Comté de Looz) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, lying in present-day Belgium. Hasselt was first given a name in 1165 and shortly thereafter received the much sought after city charter. In 1232 this status was officially confirmed by count Arnold IV.

Even though the city of Borgloon was the official capital of this small principality, Hasselt was to become the biggest city thanks to its favourable setting and to the proximity of the count’s castle and the Herkenrode abbey in Kuringen. Borgloon (French Looz) is a Municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 1366 the county of Loon became part of the Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794. The Bishopric of Liège or Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries in present Belgium This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Maastricht became the capital of the area that was then called the Department of the Lower Meuse. Maastricht ( Dutch; Limburgish and city dialect Mestreech; French: Maestricht or Maëstricht; Spanish: Meuse-Inférieure ( Lower Meuse; Dutch: Nedermaas or Beneden-Maas; German: Niedermaas) is the name of a département After the defeat of Napoleon and the union with the Netherlands, the name Limburg was adopted, after the old county of Limburg which had never held power over Loon. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Even when Belgium gained its independence, this name was retained and the name Loon disappeared. In 1830 Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. When Maastricht stayed Dutch in 1839, it became the permanent seat of its provincial government within the Netherlands, also called Limburg. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands In 1967, Belgian Limburg was detached from the Diocese of Liège and Hasselt became the seat of the Diocese of Hasselt.

Transport

Hasselt is a traffic junction of important traffic arteries from all directions. The most important traffic artery is the motorway E313 Antwerp-Liège. Hasselt itself is enclosed by 2 ring roads. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city centre. The inner ring road, the so-called "Green Boulevard", serves to keep traffic out of the commercial centre, which is an almost entirely pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries to Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Maastricht, Genk, Diest and Eindhoven. Tongeren ( French: Tongres, German: Tongern) is a City and municipality located in the province of Limburg Sint-Truiden (Saint-Trond is a City and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, Maastricht ( Dutch; Limburgish and city dialect Mestreech; French: Maestricht or Maëstricht; Spanish: Genk is a City and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. Diest is a City and Municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Eindhoven ( is a Municipality and a city located in the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence You can also visit Hasselt by plane. The city lies relatively near the airport of Brussels, Liège and the Maastricht-Aachen Airport. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Liège (ljɛːʒ Older English: Luick, Walloon: Lidje, German: Lüttich; Latin: Leodium, Dutch Private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself, on the airfield of Kiewit.

Public transport

Hasselt railway station. All the city's local zero-fare buses, as well as regional buses and trains depart from here. Zero-fare Public transport services are funded in full by means other than collecting a Fare from passengers

Main article: public transport in Hasselt

Hasselt made Public transport by bus zero-fare from July 1, 1997 and ridership was as much as "13 times higher" by 2006^[1]. The city of Hasselt in Limburg, Belgium is one of a small and growing number of cities around the world providing Zero-fare Public transport Zero-fare Public transport services are funded in full by means other than collecting a Fare from passengers "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar After increasing bus services substantially, expensive investments in streets and parking facilities were unnecessary. Hasselt was the first city in the world that had entirely zero-fare bus services on the whole of its territory.

The centre

The town centre of Hasselt is not large but very sociable. The centre is mostly car-free and contains a number of historical buildings. Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are the St. Quentin's Cathedral (11th to 18th C. ) and the "Herkenrode Abbey refuge house" (1542). The "Grote Markt" (large central market square) and the nearby streets are lined with pubs, restaurants and taverns.

The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are the most important shopping streets. In the Kapelstraat and the Hoogstraat are expensive shops with the most famous brands. Another major religious building, besides the cathedral, is the Virga Jesse Basilica. Both have to cede domination of the skyline of the city to the twin towers of the "TT-wijk", however; the renovation of this complex (now including a shopping mall and a hotel) in 2003 gave the centre a new boost. In 2004, Hasselt was the first Belgian city to receive the title "most sociable city of Flanders", and has since claimed the title of "Capital of Good Taste"; likewise, Hasselt is also considered an exemplary city regarding pedestrian facilities in the centre. Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

Monuments, parks and public fields

• The abbey of Herkenrode in Kuringen
• The Airfield of Kiewit
• The different historical buildings and museums in the city
• The Japanese garden
• The Kapermolenpark
• The National Bank of architect Henri van Dievoet.
• The nature field Kiewit
• The Refugehuis of the abbey of Herkenrode
• The St. Quentin's Cathedral [1],[2],[3],[4]
• The town park, to the cultural centre
• The Virga Jesse Basilica [5],[6]

Museums

• National jenever museum
• Urban Fashion museum

Famous inhabitants

Hendrik van Veldeke

• Adrien de Gerlache, officer of the Belgian Navy and leader of two Belgian Antarctic Expeditions (1866-1934)
• Axelle Red, singer-songwriter (b. Jenever (also known as junever, genievre, genever, jeniever, peket or in England as Holland gin) is the Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time Hendrik van Veldeke (aka He(y nric van Veldeke(n German Heinrich von Veldeke before or around 1150 – after 1184 is the first writer in the Low Countries that we know "Gerlache" redirects here For the saint of this name see Saint Gerlache. For, see Royal Navy (disambiguation|Belgian Naval Component (disambiguation}}. The Belgian Antarctic Expedition (BelgAE of 1897 to 1899, named after its expedition vessel Belgica, was the first expedition to winter in the Antarctic Axelle Red (born Fabienne Demal in Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, on 15 February 1968) is a Belgian Singer-songwriter Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics 1968)
• Guy Bleus, artist (b. Guy Bleus (b October 23 1950, Hasselt, Belgium) is a Belgian Artist. The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating 1950)
• Hendrik van Veldeke, first writer from the Low Countries known by name (c. Hendrik van Veldeke (aka He(y nric van Veldeke(n German Heinrich von Veldeke before or around 1150 – after 1184 is the first writer in the Low Countries that we know A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt 1140-c. 1190)
• Steve Stevaert, politician (b. Steve Stevaert (born April 12, 1954 in Rijkhoven as Robert Stevaert) is a Belgian Politician of the Flemish Socialist 1954)
• Willy Claes, politician and former Secretary General of NATO (b. Willy Werner Hubert Claes (born 24 November 1938 was Secretary General of NATO and a Belgian Politician. A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person The North Atlantic Treaty 1938)

Events

• Also many events take place in the Ethias Arena, the largest arena in Belgium. The Ethias Arena is the largest multipurpose Arena in Hasselt, Belgium used for music concerts sports (tennis indoor cycling jumping etc and other
• Kiewit is the location of the yearly Pukkelpop (Pimplepop) festival, one of Europe's largest alternative music festivals with over a hundred concerts, at the end of August. Pukkelpop is an annual Music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium. Rimpelrock (Wrinklerock), a festival with music for people over fifty, is held at the same location.
• The Kermesse, now only septennial, not only commemorates the Christian story of the foundation of the town, but also preserves traces of a pagan festival. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world

Twin and partner cities

•  Germany: Detmold
•  Japan: Itami, Hyogo
•  Netherlands: Sittard
•  United States: Mountain View, California

See also

• Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005
• Speculaas

External links

• Hasselt (official site of Hasselt).
• Abbey of Herkenrode
• Ethias Arena
• Fair Trade City Hasselt (campaign site).
• HasseltLokaal - citizen journalists providing news of Hasselt
• Pukkelpop
• Tourism Flanders
• Tourism Limburg
• Universiteit Hasselt (University of Hasselt)