Garde Grenadier Posted 5 October , 2003 Share Posted 5 October , 2003 When talking about Flanders I usually think of this region as an entirely Belgian (Flemish speaking) region. But there must be a part in France too. Can anyone help me with my geography? The atlases I consulted were not of much help. Thanks Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 5 October , 2003 Share Posted 5 October , 2003 Garde, You are right, Flanders covers both Belgium and France. The French part being known as Flandre and the Belgian Vlaanderen. I noticed that the "Battleground Europe" books that cover Loos-Hill 70 and Loos- Hohenzollern Redoubt are undertitled as being in "French Flanders3. Best regards Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 5 October , 2003 Share Posted 5 October , 2003 Daniel If memory serves me right French Flanders starts about half-way between Calais and Dunkerque; about where the A16 crosses the river Aa. The area includes Cassel and Hazebrouck; and possibly Bailleul and Estaires. However I believe that St. Omer and Armentieres are outside the area. Hope I'm right and that I've clarified the situation for you. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 5 October , 2003 Share Posted 5 October , 2003 In the Middle Ages, Flanders was the territory between the North Sea, the river Schelde and the river Aa (IRRC). The largest cities in Flanders were Brugge, Gent, Ieper, Rijsel (Lille). Cities in Flanders but now in France are f.i. Duinkerken (Dunkerque), Rijsel (Lille), Belle (Bailleul), Dowaai (Douai) and Sint-Winoksbergen (Bergues). The French Département 59 is more or less this part of Flanders lost to France to King Louis XIV. Further back, large parts of the département 62 were also in possession of the Count of Flanders, who was nearly as powerful (and sometimes more powerful) than the King of France in the Middle Ages. There is also a part of Flanders in the Netherlands: "Zeeuws Vlaanderen". Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmbennett Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the Flemings the descendants of ancient Gothic/Germanic tribes which settled there after the fall of the Roman Empire? I'm not up on my ancient history, but I had always regarded the Flemings as "Germanic" and the Walloons as "Frankish"... Regards, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 Matt, the flemish people are descendants from different peoples, just like the British: quite a few tribes settled in Flanders. We even have quite a lot in common with the British: did you know we in Western Flanders use the verb "to do" like the British (like in f.i. yes I do etc.) and we also use the Saxon genitive... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmbennett Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 Thank you for your corrections, Jan. Regards, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 We even have quite a lot in common with the British: did you know we in Western Flanders use the verb "to do" like the British (like in f.i. yes I do etc.) and we also use the Saxon genitive... I've also noticed similarities between certain (West)Flemish words and those of the old Lancashire (and some Yorkshire) dialects. Mind you, with the links in the "cloth trade" between the two regions, it's not really surprising. I've known quite a few people local to me who can trace their ancestry back to the region of Flanders. Oh yes, and another thing. Wasn't the "ever-so-English" game of cricket originated in Flanders and brought over to these shores by the Flemish cloth traders? Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 I have always been intruiged by the term France and Flanders, not least because records relating to the war dead often say "France and Flanders (including Italy)" Given that Italy is not in France can one assume that it is in .......... ? I might also relate the interesting experience I once had going to the theatre in Brussels. When buying the programme (which was a hardback publication) one was offered the choice of a volume in French or in Flemish. In either case it came with a summary in English. I find it fascinating that the two languages survive and work side by side in a relatively small country. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 17 October , 2003 Share Posted 17 October , 2003 A Belgian NATO colleaugue told me a few years back that to be commissioned in the Belgian military one had to speak French, Flemish and English to a high standard. His German was better than mine, too. Wouldn't be long queues forming for Sandhurst, would there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zijde26 Posted 18 October , 2003 Share Posted 18 October , 2003 To Dave Your posting remembers me a Norvegian colleague (he comes from the Lofoten islands, north of Norway). The sounding of some words in the Norvegian language is similar to the Westvlaams (West-Flanders in Belgium). They are all 'coast languages'. Sorry, if this remark is off topic. Gilbert Deraedt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 18 October , 2003 Share Posted 18 October , 2003 My mother in law is a Geordie (from the Newcastle area in NE England), and she uses words and expressions that I know to be very similar to Dutch. I have heard it said that the Friesland language is also rather similar in some ways to English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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