West Flanders

The westernmost province of Belgium it runs inward from the North Sea, bordering the Netherlands on the east and France on the west and south. It once was part of the historic duchy of Flanders. Its southwest region was a major battleground for trench warfare during World War I and underwent great destruction, and many towns such as Ypres have been rebuilt. It is the leading agricultural province of Belgium, producing wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, tobacco and cattle. The main industries are shipbuilding, chemical production, lacemaking, and metallurgical industries. Tourism is extremely important along the coast, which features several seaside resorts, Ostend chief among them. It covers 1,214 square miles in area, and has a population, by a 2003 estimate, of 1,135,500.