412
BELGIUM
Area and Population
Belgium ha;? an area of 29,455 scjuare kilometres, or 11,373 English square miles. The following table shows the population in the various census years since 1846, with the absolute increase and the rate percent, of increase be- tween each of these years : —
Census Years
1846 1856 1866
Population
Total Increase
192,265 298,372
Increase
per cent.
per annum
Census Years
Population
Total Increase
1 Increase per cent, per annum
4,337,196 4,529,461 4,827,833
•44 •65
1876 1880 1890
5,336,185 5,520,009 6,069,321
508,352 183,824 549,312
1^05
•85 •99
The kingdom is divided into nine provinces, the area and population of which were as follows at the census of December, 31, 1890, and on December 31, 1897, with population per square mile at the latter date: —
Provinces
Area : Eng. sq. miles
Population
-I
Population per sq. mile, 1S9T
Dec. 31, 1890
Dec. 31, 1897
Antwerp (Anvers)
1,093
699,919
296,759
728-9
Brabant
1,268
1,106,158
1,240,739
978-5
rk„aers {J^
1,249
738,442
792,297
634-3
1,158
949,526
1,014,369
875-7 i
Hainaut
1,437
1,048,546
1,112,440
774-1 j
Liege .
1,117
756,734
826,762
740-1 j
Limbourg .
931
2-22,814
236,510
254-0 1
Luxembourg
1,706
211,711
218,062
127-8
Namur
Total .
1,414
335,471
348,655
246-5
11,373
6,069,321
6,586,593
579-1
In 1897 there were 3,285,543 males and 3,301,050 females.
According to the census returns of 1890 there are 2,485,072 Belgians who speak French only; 2,744,271 who speak Flemish only; 32,206, German only; 700,997, French and Flemish; 58,590, French and German ; 7,028, Flemish and German ; 36,185 who speak all three languages; and 4,972 who do not speak any of the three.
The census returns for 1890 according to occupation are tabulated as follows : —
