Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. The most widely-spoken is Dutch, which is spoken by more than 50% of the population. The variety of Dutch spoken in Belgium is often called Flemish. French is spoken by approximately one-third of the population. Many Belgian cities and towns have two names, a Dutch name and a Belgian name.
Here is a list of Belgian towns and cities with the names in English, Dutch and French:
Aalst Aalst Alost
Ambleve Amel Amblève
Antwerp Antwerpen Anvers
Arlon Aarlen Arlon
Bruges Brugge Bruges
Brussels Brussel Bruxelles
Ghent Gent Gand
Kortrijk Kortrijk Courtrai
La Calamine Kelmis La Calamine
Leuven Louvain Leuven
Liege Luik Liège
Mons Bergen Mons
Namur Namen Namur
Ostend Oostende Ostende
Ronse Renaix Ronse
Saint-Gilles Sint-Gillis Saint-Gilles
Tournai Doornik Tournai
Mechelen Mechelen Malines
Voeren Voeren Fourons
Ypres Ieper Ypres
A few Belgian cities have an English name that is different from the Dutch and French names. Towns and cities in the Dutch-speaking region often have the Dutch name in English, and towns and cities in the French-speaking region often have the French one. However, with certain cities such as Bruges and Ypres, this rule does not apply.
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