East Flanders, Du.
Oost-Vlaanderen
[key], Fr. Flandre Orientale, province, 1,147 sq mi
(2,971 sq km), NW Belgium, bordering on the Netherlands in the north. The
chief towns are Ghent (the capital),
Sint-Niklaas,
Aalst, and Oudenaarde. The low-lying province is
drained by the Scheldt, Dender, and Leie rivers. It has productive farms and
growing industries. Manufactures include textiles, leather, steel,
chemicals, and food processing. The population is mostly Dutch-speaking. For
the history of East Flanders, see Flanders.
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