Hainaut Province Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Hainaut

Hinnot (Walloon)
Hénau (Picard)

Heynowes

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Belgium

Region

Wallonia

Capital

Mons

Largest city

Charleroi

Area

• Total

3,813 km² (1,472 sq mi)

Population

(1 January 2019)

• Total

1,344,241

• Density

352.54/km² (913.08/sq mi)

HDI (2018)

0.888
very high · 11th of 11

Pays des Collines, a beautiful hilly area in Hainaut.

Hainaut (say "Hay-noh") is a province in Wallonia, which is the southern part of Belgium. It's also known as Heynowes in English.

This province shares its southern border with the Nord department in France. Inside Belgium, Hainaut borders several other provinces. These include West Flanders, East Flanders, and Flemish Brabant to the north. It also borders Walloon Brabant and Namur to the east.

The capital city of Hainaut is Mons. The biggest city is Charleroi, which is a major center for business and culture. Charleroi is also the fifth-largest city in Belgium by population. Hainaut covers an area of about 3,831 square kilometers. As of January 2019, it had a population of 1,344,241 people. Another important city is Tournai, located on the Scheldt river. Tournai is one of Belgium's oldest cities and was once the first capital of the Frankish Empire.

Exploring Hainaut's Landscape
Languages Spoken in Hainaut
A Glimpse into Hainaut's Past
How Hainaut is Organized
- Hainaut's Arrondissements
- Hainaut's Municipalities
Hainaut's Economy
Interesting Facts About Hainaut
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Hainaut's Landscape

Hainaut has a landscape with gentle hills. However, the very southern part, sometimes called the Boot of Hainaut, is quite hilly. This area is part of the Ardennes mountains and its nearby regions like Fagne and Condroz.

The highest point in the province is the village of L'Escaillère. It sits at an altitude of 365 meters in the far southeastern corner.

In the Boot of Hainaut, near the border with Namur province, you'll find the five artificial Eau d'Heure lakes. This is the largest lake area in all of Belgium.

A well-known area in Hainaut is the Borinage. This region around Mons used to be a big coal mining area. Another famous spot is the Pays des Collines, which means "Hill Country" in English. This low hilly area connects with the Flemish Ardennes in the East Flanders province.

Languages Spoken in Hainaut

In the western and central parts of Hainaut, people mostly speak Picard. Picard is a language related to French. In the eastern part of the province, you'll hear a mix of Walloon and Picard, sometimes called Wallo-Picard.

Some people in the towns bordering the Flemish region also speak Flemish and Brabantic. These are dialects of Dutch.

A Glimpse into Hainaut's Past

Hainaut province has a rich history. It was created in 1795 by the French during the French Revolution. It was formed from parts of the old medieval County of Hainaut. It also included a small area called Tournai and the Tournaisis, part of the county of Namur (where Charleroi is), and a small piece of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (where Thuin is).

A large part of the original historical County of Hainaut is now actually located within France. This part is sometimes called French Hainaut.

How Hainaut is Organized

Hainaut province is divided into 7 main administrative areas called arrondissements. These arrondissements are then split into a total of 69 smaller towns and villages, which are called municipalities. The province covers an area of about 3,831 square kilometers.

Hainaut's Arrondissements

Ath
Charleroi
La Louvière
Mons
Soignies
Thuin
Tournai-Mouscron

Hainaut's Municipalities

A map showing all 69 municipalities in Hainaut province.

Hainaut has many municipalities, each with its own unique character. Here are some of them:

Hainaut's Economy

In 2018, the total value of goods and services produced in Hainaut, known as its Gross domestic product (GDP), was 34.2 billion Euros. This made up about 7.4% of Belgium's total economic output. When you look at the GDP per person, Hainaut's was 22,500 Euros. This was about 75% of the average for countries in the European Union. Hainaut is the province with the second-lowest GDP per person in Belgium.

Interesting Facts About Hainaut

The patron saint of Hainaut province is Saint Waltrude. A patron saint is a special saint believed to protect a place or group of people.

Images for kids

Historical map of the County of Hainaut, showing the current French-Belgian border in red.

Hainaut Province facts for kids

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