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'''Flanders''' (Flemish: ''Vlaanderen'') is the northern region of [[Belgium]] in which the predominant language is [[Flemish]]; the chief city is [[Antwerp]]; other major towns and cities include [[Bruges]], [[Zeebrugge]], [[Ostend]], [[Ghent]] and [[Mechelen]]. The Belgian capital, [[Brussels]], is a separate bi-lingual region which forms an enclave within Flanders. Southern Belgium is occupied by the [[French]]-speaking region of [[Wallonia]].
Flanders was the scene of very heavy fighting between British/Canadian and German armies during the [[First World War]], most notably during the three Battles of [[Ypres]] in 1914, 1915 and 1917. It was most memorably described by the Canadian war poet John McCrae (1872-1918) in 1915:
:''In Flanders fields the poppies blow
:''Between the crosses, row on row,
:''That mark our place; and in the sky
:''The larks, still bravely singing, fly
:''Scarce heard amid the guns below.
:''We are the Dead. Short days ago
:''We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
:''Loved and were loved, and now we lie
:''In Flanders fields.
:''Take up our quarrel with the foe:
:''To you from failing hands we throw
:''The torch; be yours to hold it high.
:''If ye break faith with us who die
:''We shall not sleep,
:''though poppies grow
:''In Flanders fields.
Flanders will be president of the network of 73 regions with legislative powers in Europe for 2008 . <ref>[http://www.flanders.be/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1166590837392&context=1166590833692--EN&p=1166590837082&pagename=flanders_site%2FView Flanders is president of REGLEG (Tuesday 1 January 2008)]
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== Culture ==
The thriving international trade during the [[Middle Ages]] led to a natural openness towards other cultures that then gave Flanders its own rich and internationally-oriented culture.
In the field of classical [[music]], there were the Flemish Polyphonists, such as Josquin des Prez, then the Michelangelo of music, and Orlandus Lassus.
[[Flemish School of Painting|Flemish]] [[painting]] from that period reigned supreme and has now become a by-word in the worldwide history of art. Works of Flemish Primitives such as the Van Eyck brothers, Dirk Bouts, Rogier van der Weyden, [[Hans Memling]] and Jeroen Bosch hang in the world’s foremost museums.
During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, succeeded the brilliant [[Peter Bruegel|Pieter Bruegel]], [[Peter Paul Rubens|Pieter Paul Rubens]] and [[Antony van Dyck|Antoon Van Dyck]]. <ref>[http://www.flanders.be/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1166590837701&context=1166590833692--EN&p=1166590837082&pagename=flanders_site%2FView Culture]
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Ned Flanders, often nicknamed "Flanders," is a character on the TV show [[The Simpsons]].
== See also ==
*[[Netherlands]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]
== References ==
<references/>
[[Category:Europe]]