Province of Brabant
# Province of Brabant

The Province of Brabant (/brəˈbænt/, US also /brəˈbɑːnt, ˈbrɑːbənt/, Dutch: (listen)) was a province in Belgium from 1830 to 1995. It was created in 1815 as South Brabant, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1995, it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speaking Walloon Brabant and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.

## History

### United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was created at the Congress of Vienna, consisting of territories which had been added to France by Napoleon: the former Dutch Republic and the Southern Netherlands. In the newly created kingdom, the former French département of Dyle became the new province of South Brabant, distinguishing it from Central Brabant (later Antwerp province); and from North Brabant (now part of the Netherlands), all named after the former Duchy of Brabant.

History of the Low Countries :

| Frisii | | | Belgae | Belgae | Belgae | Belgae | Belgae | Belgae |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Cana– nefates | Chamavi, Tubantes | Chamavi, Tubantes | Gallia Belgica (55 BC–c. 5th AD) Germania Inferior (83–c. 5th) | Gallia Belgica (55 BC–c. 5th AD) Germania Inferior (83–c. 5th) | Gallia Belgica (55 BC–c. 5th AD) Germania Inferior (83–c. 5th) | Gallia Belgica (55 BC–c. 5th AD) Germania Inferior (83–c. 5th) | Gallia Belgica (55 BC–c. 5th AD) Germania Inferior (83–c. 5th) |
| | Cana– nefates | Salian Franks | | Batavi | Batavi | | | |
| unpopulated (4th–c. 5th) | unpopulated (4th–c. 5th) | Saxons | Salian Franks (4th–c. 5th) | Salian Franks (4th–c. 5th) | Salian Franks (4th–c. 5th) | | | |
| Frisian Kingdom (c. 6th–734) | Frisian Kingdom (c. 6th–734) | | Frankish Kingdom (481–843)—Carolingian Empire (800–843) | Frankish Kingdom (481–843)—Carolingian Empire (800–843) | Frankish Kingdom (481–843)—Carolingian Empire (800–843) | Frankish Kingdom (481–843)—Carolingian Empire (800–843) | Frankish Kingdom (481–843)—Carolingian Empire (800–843) | Frankish Kingdom (481–843)—Carolingian Empire (800–843) |
| Austrasia (511–687) |||||||
| Middle Francia (843–855) | Middle Francia (843–855) | Middle Francia (843–855) | Middle Francia (843–855) | Middle Francia (843–855) | West Francia (843–) | | | |
| Kingdom of Lotharingia (855– 959) Duchy of Lower Lorraine (959–) | Kingdom of Lotharingia (855– 959) Duchy of Lower Lorraine (959–) | Kingdom of Lotharingia (855– 959) Duchy of Lower Lorraine (959–) | Kingdom of Lotharingia (855– 959) Duchy of Lower Lorraine (959–) | Kingdom of Lotharingia (855– 959) Duchy of Lower Lorraine (959–) | West Francia (843–) | | | |
| Frisia | Frisia | Frisia | | | | | | |
| Frisian Freedom (11–16th century) | County of Holland (880–1432) | Bishopric of Utrecht (695–1456) | Duchy of Brabant (1183–1430) Duchy of Guelders (1046–1543) | Duchy of Brabant (1183–1430) Duchy of Guelders (1046–1543) | County of Flanders (862–1384) | County of Hainaut (1071–1432) County of Namur (981–1421) | P.-Bish. of Liège (980–1794) | Duchy of Luxem- bourg (1059–1443) |
| | Burgundian Netherlands (1384–1482) | Burgundian Netherlands (1384–1482) | Burgundian Netherlands (1384–1482) | Burgundian Netherlands (1384–1482) | Burgundian Netherlands (1384–1482) | Burgundian Netherlands (1384–1482) | | |
| | Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1795) (Seventeen Provinces after 1543) | Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1795) (Seventeen Provinces after 1543) | Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1795) (Seventeen Provinces after 1543) | Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1795) (Seventeen Provinces after 1543) | Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1795) (Seventeen Provinces after 1543) | Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1795) (Seventeen Provinces after 1543) | | |
| Dutch Republic (1581–1795) | Dutch Republic (1581–1795) | Dutch Republic (1581–1795) | Dutch Republic (1581–1795) | Spanish Netherlands (1556–1714) | Spanish Netherlands (1556–1714) | Spanish Netherlands (1556–1714) | | |
| | | | | Austrian Netherlands (1714–1795) | Austrian Netherlands (1714–1795) | Austrian Netherlands (1714–1795) | | |
| | | | | United States of Belgium (1790) | United States of Belgium (1790) | United States of Belgium (1790) | R. Liège (1789–'91) | |
| Batavian Republic (1795–1806) Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) | Batavian Republic (1795–1806) Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) | Batavian Republic (1795–1806) Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) | Batavian Republic (1795–1806) Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) | associated with French First Republic (1795–1804) part of First French Empire (1804–1815) | associated with French First Republic (1795–1804) part of First French Empire (1804–1815) | associated with French First Republic (1795–1804) part of First French Empire (1804–1815) | associated with French First Republic (1795–1804) part of First French Empire (1804–1815) | associated with French First Republic (1795–1804) part of First French Empire (1804–1815) |
| Princip. of the Netherlands (1813–1815) | Princip. of the Netherlands (1813–1815) | Princip. of the Netherlands (1813–1815) | Princip. of the Netherlands (1813–1815) | | | | | |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) | Gr D. L. (1815–) |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands (1839–) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1839–) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1839–) | Kingdom of the Netherlands (1839–) | Kingdom of Belgium (1830–) | Kingdom of Belgium (1830–) | Kingdom of Belgium (1830–) | Kingdom of Belgium (1830–) | | Gr D. L. (1815–) |
| | | | | | | | | Gr D. of Luxem- bourg (1890–) |

The provincial governors during this time were:

* 1815–1818: François Joseph Charles Marie de Mercy-Argenteau
* 1818–1823: Philippe d'Arschot Schoonhoven
* 1823–1828: Leonard du Bus de Gisignies
* 1828–1830: Hyacinthe van der Fosse

### Belgium

After the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the Southern Netherlands (including South and Central Brabant) became independent as Belgium and later also Luxembourg. The province was then renamed simply Brabant and became the central province of Belgium, with its capital city Brussels. The province contained three arrondissements: Brussels, Leuven and Nivelles.

In 1961–1963, the language border was established, from which the province was divided into a Dutch-speaking region, a French-speaking region and the bilingual Brussels. The Brussels arrondissement was split to this end. In 1989, Brussels-Capital Region was created, but the region was still part of the province of Brabant. In 1995, the province of Brabant was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speaking Walloon Brabant and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region. The Brussels-Capital Region exercises the powers of a Province on its own territory.

## Demographics

As comparison, the current two provinces of Brabant, together with Brussels, had 2,621,275 inhabitants in January 2011.

Number of inhabitants x 1000

* Source: NIS
* 1806 till 1970: census
* 1980 and 1990: number of inhabitants on 1 January
* 1994: number on 31 December
