Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/783

 AREA AND POPULATION

661

commiiual electors. To be eligible to the Provincial or Communal Council, persons must be twenty-five years of age and domiciled in the province or commune. Half the Provincial Council is renewed every four years, and it meets fifteen days each year. There is a permanent deputation of six members elected, which is presided over by the Governor of the province. All provincial and communal interests, including local finances, are under the care of the Council, as far as they are not provided for in the general administration. The Communal Councils are elected for eight years, half being renewed every four years. In each commune there is a college com- posed of the burgomaster, president, and a certain number of aldermen, corresponding almost to the permanent deputation of the Provincial Council, and both are the organs of the central administration.

Area and Population

Belgium has an area of 29,451 square kilometres, or 11,373 English square miles. The following table shows the population at various dates : —

Census Years

Population

Total Increase

Increase

per cent.

per annum

Census Years

Population

Total Increase

549,312 624,227 730,236

Increase

per cent.

per annum

1866 1876 1880

4,827,833 5,336,185 5,520,009

298,372 508,352 183,824

•65 1-05

•85

1890 1900 1910

6,069,321 6,693,548

7,423,784

•99 1-03 1-09

Area and population of provinces



Population

Provinces

Area : Eng. gq. miles

Population per

Census

Estimated

sq. mile, 1910

Dec. 31, 1910

Dec. 31, 1911

Antwerp (Anvers)

1,093

968,677

987,201

884

Brabant

1,268

1,469,677

1,494,416

1,158

„,, rWest Flanders |j,^^^

1,249

874,135

878,417

699

1,158

1,120,335

1,125,814

967

Hainaut

1,437

1,232,867

1,239,712

857

Liege.

1,117

888,341

890,918

798

Limbourg.

931

275,691

279,170

296

Luxembourg

1,706

231,215

231,314

135

Namur

1,414

326,846

363,449

231

Total.

11,373

7,423,784

7,490,411

652

In 1910 there were 3,680,790 males and 3,742,994 females, or 98 males for every 100 females. Of the population in 1900 (exclusive of children under 2 years of age), 2,574,805 spoke French only, 2,822,005 Flemish onl}', 28,314 German only, 801,587 French and Flemish, 66,447 French and German, 7,238 Flemish and German, and 42,889 spoke all three languages. Civil condition of the population in 1900 : —

— Unmarried

Married

Widowed 1 Divorced

Males. . 2,047,607 Females. 1,968,383

1,146,774 1,143,483

127,014 3,439 252,202 ; 4,646