Watermael-Boitsfort
Encyclopedia
Watermael-Boitsfort or Watermaal-Bosvoorde (Dutch
) is one of the nineteen municipalities
located in the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium
.
On 1 January 2006 the municipality had a total population of 24,056. Its total area is 12.93 km² which gives it a population density
of 1,860 inhabitants per km². It is the lowest population density of the 19 communities in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Watermael-Boitsfort is in the south of the capital and borders the communes of Uccle
, Auderghem
and Ixelles as well as the province of Flemish Brabant
. The Sonian Forest
(Forêt de Soignes or Zoniënwoud) covers almost 60% of the municipality.
The municipality is twinned
with Chantilly
in France
, Annan
in Scotland
and Hegyvidék
in Hungary
.
Michel Roger Lafosse, false claimant to the Scottish throne, was born in the commune in 1958, but was never a resident.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) is one of the nineteen municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
located in the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
On 1 January 2006 the municipality had a total population of 24,056. Its total area is 12.93 km² which gives it a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,860 inhabitants per km². It is the lowest population density of the 19 communities in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Watermael-Boitsfort is in the south of the capital and borders the communes of Uccle
Uccle
Uccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates.-History:...
, Auderghem
Auderghem
Auderghem or Oudergem is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium....
and Ixelles as well as the province of Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven...
. The Sonian Forest
Sonian Forest
The Sonian Forest is a forest that lies across the south-eastern part of Brussels, Belgium.The forest lies in the Flemish municipalities of Sint-Genesius-Rode, Hoeilaart, Overijse and Tervuren, in Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre in the Brussels-Capital Region and in...
(Forêt de Soignes or Zoniënwoud) covers almost 60% of the municipality.
The municipality is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Chantilly
Chantilly, Oise
Chantilly is a small city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune in the department of Oise.It is in the metropolitan area of Paris 38.4 km...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Annan
Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
The royal burgh of Annan is a well-built town, red sandstone being the material mainly used. Each year in July, Annan celebrates the Royal Charter and the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Hegyvidék
Hegyvidék
Hegyvidék is the official name of the XII district of Budapest , capital of Hungary. It is a region of Buda, on the west bank of river Danube.- Geography :...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Pronunciation
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: wɑteʁmɑl bwɑˈfɔʁ - DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: ˈwaːtərmaːl ˈbɔsfoːrdə
Notable inhabitiants
- Willy CoppensWilly CoppensWilly Omer Francois Jean Coppens was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I.-Background and Early Military Service:...
, fighter ace of World War I (1892–1986). - Antoine DepageAntoine DepageDr. Antoine Depage , was the Belgian royal surgeon, the founder and president of the Belgian Red Cross, and one of the founders of Scouting in Belgium....
, surgeon (1862–1925). - Rik WoutersRik WoutersHendrik Emil Wouters was a Belgian fauvist painter and sculptor. Wouters was educated at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.-External links:...
, artist (1882–1916). The municipality has given his name to a place: Place Rik Wouters (in French) or Rik Wouters plein (Dutch).
Michel Roger Lafosse, false claimant to the Scottish throne, was born in the commune in 1958, but was never a resident.