East Flanders

The northwest Belgian province of Oost-Vlaanderen was historically part of the medieval duchy of Flanders. A great textile-producing region since the Middle Ages, it continues as such, producing cotton, jute, rayon, and nylon, along with lace, linen, and some wool. Agriculturally, it produces potatoes, flax, hops, market vegetables, sugar beets, and livestock. The capital city is Ghent. One of Europe's most densely populated areas, it covers some 1,151 square miles and has a population, by a 2003 estimate, of 1,370,600.