Brussels metropolitan area, Metropolitan area in north-central Belgium.
The Brussels metropolitan area covers 19 separate municipalities spread across a connected urban zone in central Belgium. The zone includes both the compact city center and surrounding residential neighborhoods that gradually blend into the farmland of neighboring provinces.
The region became increasingly French-speaking during the late 19th century, even though the surrounding countryside remained Flemish. This linguistic shift led to the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region as a separate administrative unit in 1989.
Walking through the city, you hear French conversations next to Flemish ones, often with English words mixed in. Signs appear in two languages and restaurants switch between them depending on who orders.
The entire zone connects through metros, trams, regional trains, and buses that run between all municipalities. Visitors move from one neighborhood to another on a single ticket, exploring the whole region without leaving the public transport network.
The area administers three separate governments at once: one for the French-speaking community, one for the Flemish, and one for the city itself. It also hosts most major institutions of the European Union, sharing the daily life of locals with international diplomats and officials.
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