Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/768

 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 : —