Baarle-Hertog | |
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![]() Former town hall | |
Coordinates: 51°27′N04°56′E / 51.450°N 4.933°E Coordinates: 51°27′N04°56′E / 51.450°N 4.933°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Community | Flemish Community |
Region | Flemish Region |
Province | Antwerp |
Arrondissement | Turnhout |
Government | |
• Mayor | Frans de Bont (Forum+) |
• Governing party/ies | N-VA, Forum+ |
Area | |
• Total | 7.41 km2 (2.86 sq mi) |
Population (2020-01-01) [1] | |
• Total | 2,865 |
• Density | 390/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
Postal codes | 2387 |
Area codes | 014 |
Website | Official website |
Baarle-Hertog (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌbaːrlə ˈɦɛrtɔx] ; French : Baerle-Duc, pronounced [baʁl(ə)dyk] ) is a Flemish municipality of Belgium, much of which consists of a number of small Belgian enclaves fully surrounded by the Netherlands.
Parts of Baarle-Hertog are surrounded by the Dutch province of North Brabant, but it is part of the Belgian province of Antwerp. As of 2021 [update] , it has a population of 2,935. The total area is 7.48 square kilometres (2.89 square miles). [2]
Baarle-Hertog is noted for its complicated borders with Baarle-Nassau , Netherlands. [3]
The border's complexity results from a number of medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant and other parts devolved to Breda . These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the border settlements agreed under the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843. The tight integration of the European Union and in particular the Schengen Agreement have made many of the practicalities of the situation substantially simpler since the 1990s.
In total, it consists of 24 separate parcels of land. The largest single section of the municipality of Baarle-Hertog , namely Zondereigen (named after its main hamlet) is located within mainland Belgium right on the contiguous border (north of the town of Merksplas ). In addition to this, there are twenty Belgian exclaves fully within the Netherlands and three other sections straddling the contiguous Dutch-Belgian border. There are also seven Dutch enclaves within the Belgian exclaves (i.e., counter-exclaves) that are part of the territory of the Netherlands. Six of these Dutch enclaves are located within the largest Belgian exclave, and a seventh in the second-largest Belgian exclave. An eighth Dutch exclave is located near Ginhoven .
During the First World War, this situation meant that the Imperial German Army could not occupy these parts of Belgium without crossing the Netherlands, which the Dutch government did not allow. Thus, these pieces of Belgium became a place where refugees could safely stay. [4] A clandestine radio transmitter was smuggled in and from there worked with the Belgian resistance. The Dutch government fenced off these areas and controlled access in or out of them, building a church and school for the Belgian people who were effectively stranded within the enclaves. [5] [ circular reference ] This situation did not exist in the Second World War, as both countries were occupied by Nazi Germany.
Some houses in the town of Baarle-Hertog /Baarle-Nassau are divided between the two countries. At one time, according to Dutch laws, restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border, this simply meant that the customers had to move to a table on the Belgian side. [6] In 2020, restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic differed between the two countries; for instance, preventing a Belgian citizen living metres away from an open Dutch bar from patronising it. [7]
Many fireworks shops are found in Baarle-Hertog , as Belgian laws controlling the sale of fireworks are more lenient than those of the Netherlands. Many Dutch tourists come to Baarle-Hertog to buy fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
Two villages in the municipality, Zondereigen and Ginhoven, are located in the main territory of Belgium.
These are all part of Baarle-Nassau municipality.
Serial no. and local name [8] | Area (ha) | area acre | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 5.3667 | 13.2615 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog ; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building. |
![]() | 1.3751 | 3.3981 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog ; contains 8 dwellings. |
![]() | 0.2863 | 0.7075 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog ; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store. |
![]() | 1.2324 | 3.0454 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog ; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse. |
![]() | 1.9212 | 4.7475 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog ; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn. |
![]() | 1.4527 | 3.5898 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog ; consists of farmland with two buildings. |
![]() | 0.5812 | 1.4363 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian Oordeel exclave H8, in Baarle-Hertog ; occupies part of a field. |
![]() | 2.8528 | 7.0496 | Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border. |
These are all part of Baarle-Hertog municipality, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau municipality (Netherlands).
Serial no. and local name [8] | Area (ha) | area acre | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 153.6448 | 379.6717 | Forms a quadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path. |
![]() | 2.4116 | 5.9594 | Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field. |
![]() | 0.3428 | 0.8471 | Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance. |
![]() | 1.476 | 3.6474 | Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds. |
![]() | 0.9245 | 2.2846 | Consists of farmland with a dwelling. |
![]() | 1.7461 | 4.3148 | Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory. |
![]() | 0.2469 | 0.6102 | Boundary runs through two dwellings, including the middle of one front door (giving it two house numbers: Loveren 2, Baarle-Hertog / Loveren 19, Baarle-Nassau ). |
![]() | 41.8781 | 103.485 | Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses. |
![]() | 0.4005 | 0.9897 | Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area. |
![]() | 0.65 | 1.6063 | Consists of farmland. |
![]() | 0.93 | 2.2982 | Consists of farmland. |
![]() | 0.2822 | 0.6974 | Consists of farmland. |
![]() | 1.5346 | 3.7922 | Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings. |
![]() | 0.7193 | 1.7774 | Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings. |
![]() | 1.7211 | 4.2531 | Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings. |
![]() | 4.4252 | 10.9352 | Boundary runs through a house and three sheds; inside one of the sheds, the linear boundary changes direction three times |
![]() | 14.9248 | 36.8807 | Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path. |
![]() | 2.9247 | 7.2273 | Consists of farmland. |
![]() | 0.6851 | 1.693 | Consists of several ponds and a field. |
![]() | 1.1681 | 2.8865 | Consists of farmland. |
![]() | 1.1845 | 2.9271 | Consists of farmland. |
![]() | 0.2632 | 0.6504 | South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974) |
Climate data for Baarle-Hertog (1991−2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.4 (45.3) | 11.0 (51.8) | 15.4 (59.7) | 18.9 (66.0) | 21.6 (70.9) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.4 (74.1) | 19.8 (67.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 10.1 (50.2) | 6.7 (44.1) | 14.9 (58.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) | 4.0 (39.2) | 6.8 (44.2) | 10.1 (50.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.7 (65.7) | 18.3 (64.9) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.2 (52.2) | 7.1 (44.8) | 4.2 (39.6) | 10.8 (51.4) |
Average low °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) | 0.8 (33.4) | 2.6 (36.7) | 4.8 (40.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 11.8 (53.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 10.3 (50.5) | 7.3 (45.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 1.6 (34.9) | 6.7 (44.1) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 75.8 (2.98) | 69.9 (2.75) | 59.3 (2.33) | 45.3 (1.78) | 62.3 (2.45) | 76.1 (3.00) | 84.5 (3.33) | 83.2 (3.28) | 71.7 (2.82) | 73.9 (2.91) | 83.6 (3.29) | 96.6 (3.80) | 882.2 (34.73) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.9 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 8.9 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 11.2 | 13.2 | 14.7 | 136.6 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 63 | 81 | 136 | 190 | 217 | 215 | 220 | 205 | 162 | 117 | 69 | 53 | 1,726 |
Source: Royal Meteorological Institute [9] |
Baarle-Hertog has two elementary schools: De Vlinder and De Horizon. [10]
It has a joint library with Baarle-Nassau with Belgian and Dutch staff. [11]
Flanders is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics, and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. The official capital of Flanders is the City of Brussels, although the Brussels-Capital Region that includes it has an independent regional government. The powers of the government of Flanders consist, among others, of economic affairs in the Flemish Region and the community aspects of Flanders life in Brussels, such as Flemish culture and education.
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Baarle-Nassau is a municipality and town in the southern Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. It had a population of 6,847 in 2019. The town is the site of a complicated borderline between Belgium and the Netherlands, with 22 small exclaves of the Belgian town Baarle-Hertog, some of which contain counter-exclaves of Nassau.
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Baarle is a village whose territory is divided into a patchwork of Belgian and Dutch territories. The Belgian parts of the village are called Baarle-Hertog and the Dutch elements are called Baarle-Nassau. The Belgian part includes 16 exclaves within Dutch territory. The exclaves, in turn, surround seven Dutch areas. Belgian territory also surrounds an eighth Dutch area near Ginhoven. In 1995, the border was finalized to include a formerly neutral grassland. Baarle also includes a quadripoint shared by two of the exclaves.
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Heikant or Oordeel Heikant is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is a part of the municipality of Baarle-Nassau, and lies about 15 km south of Tilburg.
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The Wire of Death was a lethal electric fence created by the German military to control the Dutch–Belgian frontier after the occupation of Belgium during the First World War.
Zondereigen is a village in the municipality of Baarle-Hertog, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. In 2021, it was home to 478 inhabitants. Zondereigen borders the Dutch province of North Brabant, and contains a Dutch enclave.
The Belgium–Netherlands border separates Belgium and the Netherlands and is 450 km (280 mi) long.