Ghent

Ghent or Gent (French Gand), city in western Belgium, capital of East Flanders Province, at the confluence of the Schelde (Escaut) and Lys rivers, near Brussels. The rivers and canals traversing the city divide it into a number of small islands, which are connected by a network of about 200 bridges. Two important ship canals connect Ghent's waterways with the sea. One canal connects the Grand Basin along the northern side of the city with the large harbor at Terneuzen, Netherlands, on the Schelde; the other connects Ghent with Brugge (Bruges) and Oostende. Because of these important sea outlets, Ghent is one of the foremost trading and export centers in the North Sea region. Although the city has decreased relatively in industrial importance since the 15th century, when it was one of the chief textile-producing centers in Europe, the number of its manufacturing establishments is large. The principal commodities produced include lace, woolens, leather, soap, paper, cotton and linen goods, machinery, sugar, beer, and tobacco products. Horticulture, both in Ghent and in the surrounding area, is a flourishing industry, with hundreds of establishments in the city. Ghent is the site of the flower shows called Floralies, held every five years, which attract visitors from all over the world.

The most important educational institution in the city is the University of Ghent (1817). The city is also the site of a noted art gallery. The Begijnhof, or Béguinage, a small walled town containing numerous small houses, 18 convents, and a church, is situated in the suburbs of Saint Amandsberg. It is inhabited by 700 members of the Beguines, a lay sisterhood devoted to charitable work. The Cathedral of Saint Bavon, with a crypt dating from 941, houses the celebrated Ghent Altarpiece (1432), painted by the Flemish artists Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck.

Ghent is mentioned as early as the 7th century, and in the latter half of the 9th century Baldwin I, count of Flanders, known as Bras de Fer (French for “Iron Arm”), built a fortress in Ghent as a defense against the coastal incursions of the Norse. The subsequent history of the city is closely integrated with that of Flanders. Seized by France in 1792, Ghent was made part of the Netherlands in 1814. In 1830 it became part of independent Belgium. Ghent has been a site for the signing of important treaties such as the Pacification of Ghent, which united the Low Countries against Spanish rule in 1576, and the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, which ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain. The city was occupied by German forces during World War I (1914-1918) and for most of World War II (1939-1945). Population (2006 estimate) 233,925.