AREA AND POPULATION
661
commiiual electors. To be eligible to the Provincial or Communal Council, persons must be twenty-five years of age and domiciled in the province or commune. Half the Provincial Council is renewed every four years, and it meets fifteen days each year. There is a permanent deputation of six members elected, which is presided over by the Governor of the province. All provincial and communal interests, including local finances, are under the care of the Council, as far as they are not provided for in the general administration. The Communal Councils are elected for eight years, half being renewed every four years. In each commune there is a college com- posed of the burgomaster, president, and a certain number of aldermen, corresponding almost to the permanent deputation of the Provincial Council, and both are the organs of the central administration.
Area and Population
Belgium has an area of 29,451 square kilometres, or 11,373 English square miles. The following table shows the population at various dates : —
Census Years
Population
Total Increase
Increase
per cent.
per annum
Census Years
Population
Total Increase
549,312 624,227 730,236
Increase
per cent.
per annum
1866 1876 1880
4,827,833 5,336,185 5,520,009
298,372 508,352 183,824
•65 1-05
•85
1890 1900 1910
6,069,321 6,693,548
7,423,784
•99 1-03 1-09
Area and population of provinces
- —
Population
Provinces
Area : Eng. gq. miles
Population per
Census
Estimated
sq. mile, 1910
Dec. 31, 1910
Dec. 31, 1911
Antwerp (Anvers)
1,093
968,677
987,201
884
Brabant
1,268
1,469,677
1,494,416
1,158
„, , rWest Flanders |j,^^^
1,249
874,135
878,417
699
1,158
1,120,335
1,125,814
967
Hainaut
1,437
1,232,867
1,239,712
857
Liege .
1,117
888,341
890,918
798
Limbourg .
931
275,691
279,170
296
Luxembourg
1,706
231,215
231,314
135
Namur
1,414
326,846
363,449
231
Total .
11,373
7,423,784
7,490,411
652
In 1910 there were 3,680,790 males and 3,742,994 females, or 98 males for every 100 females. Of the population in 1900 (exclusive of children under 2 years of age), 2,574,805 spoke French only, 2,822,005 Flemish onl}', 28,314 German only, 801,587 French and Flemish, 66,447 French and German, 7,238 Flemish and German, and 42,889 spoke all three languages. Civil condition of the population in 1900 : —
— Unmarried
Married
Widowed 1 Divorced
Males . . 2,047,607 Females . 1,968,383
1,146,774 1,143,483
127,014 3,439
252,202 ; 4,646