Antwerp
Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of
the Antwerp
province of Flanders. Antwerp's total
population is 512,000 (as of 1 January 2013) making it the largest
municipality in both Flanders and Belgium in terms of its population. However
the Brussels-Capital
Region is considered as the
largest Belgian city internationally.
Its total area is
204.51 km2 (78.96 sq mi), giving a population
density of 2,308 inhabitants per km². The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers
an area of 1,449 km2 (559 sq mi) with a total of
1,190,769 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008. The French name of Antwerp is
Anvers [ɑ̃vɛʁ(s)]; it may be found
written this way on signposts in French-speaking parts of Belgium, and of
course in French publications.
Antwerp is located on
the right (eastern) bank of the river Scheldt, which is linked to
the North Sea by the Westerschelde estuary. The city has
one of the largest seaports in Europe. Antwerp
has long been an important city in the Low Countries both economically and
culturally, especially before the Spanish Fury(1576) in the period
of the Dutch Revolt. The inhabitants of
Antwerp are locally nicknamed Sinjoren, after the Spanish honorific señor or French seigneur, "lord".
It refers to the leading Spanish noblemen who ruled
the city during the 17th century.
Investments
by foreign companies particularly from the U.S.A Britain, Germany in new
industries located in Antwerp is providing the stimulus for growth so that
Antwerp seems certain to become one of Europe's biggest industrialized areas.
Functions of
Antwerp
·
It is the chief port for Belgium as
well as one of the world's greatest way link with the Sambre - Meuse industrial
Region.
·
It is the chief Port foe Belgium as
well as one of the world's greatest ports. It handles over 4/5 of the foreign
trade for Belgo - Luxembourg Union.
·
It imports food stuffs and raw
materials namely: cotton, wool, tobacco, iron ore, zinc ore, copper ore. Rubber
palm kernels. Palm oil, wheat, meat among others
·
The exports include Iron and steel
Bars, Chemicals textiles, glassware among others Its hinterland covers not only
Belgium but also North East France, Luxembourg the Rhine Valley Region up to Switzerland.
Industries
Its traditional part industries are vegetable oil, sugar
- refineries, flour mills, tobacco factories, soap, magarine plants.
Besides
it has large chemical industries, oil refineries, petro-chemical works,
metallurgical works, engineering construction of cranes and bridges car
assembly plants among others