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Hainaut
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Hainaut
Hainautĕnō', Du. Henegouwen, province (1991 pop. 1,278,791), 1,437 sq mi (3,722 sq km), S Belgium, bordering on France in the south. The chief cities of the predominately French-speaking province are Mons, the capital; Charleroi; and Tournai. It is low-lying, except in the southeast, and has considerable productive farmland where wheat, grains, sugar beets, and dairy cattle are raised. Manufactures include chemicals and electrical equipment. The province is drained by the Scheldt, Dender, and Sambre rivers and is served by a dense rail network and the Charleroi-Brussels Canal. The county of Hainaut was created in the late 9th cent., and in the divisions of the Carolingian empire became a fief of Lotharingia. Count Reginar Long-Neck made himself master (late 9th–early 10th cent.) of the duchy of Lower Lorraine, which continued under his elder son (see Lotharingia), while his younger son inherited Hainaut. The widow of Reginar V, the last count of Hainaut, married (1036) Count Baldwin V of Flanders, but at his death (1070) Hainaut and Flanders were again separated. In 1191, Flanders again passed, through marriage, to the counts of Hainaut. Baldwin VI of Hainaut (as Baldwin IX, count of Flanders) took part in the Fourth Crusade and became (1204) emperor of Constantinople as Baldwin I. After Baldwin's death the two counties were united; in 1278 they were again separated. In 1433, Philip the Good of Burgundy added Hainaut and Holland to his dominions after overcoming the resistance of his cousin, Countess Jacqueline. Hainaut remained under the house of Burgundy until the death (1482) of Mary of Burgundy when its history became that of the Austrian Netherlands (see Netherlands, Austrian and Spanish). By the treaties of the Pyrenees (1659) and of Nijmegen (1678) parts of Hainaut, including the city of Valenciennes, were permanently annexed by France; they form part of the present Nord dept.

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Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Hainaut
Results 1 - 10  of 33
  • Jacqueline

    Jacqueline, 1401–36, countess of Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland (1417–33). The daughter and heiress of William IV, duke of Bavaria and count of Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland, and of Margaret of...

  • Borinage

    Borinage, region, Hainaut prov., S Belgium, surrounding Mons and extending to the French border. Traditionally a coal-mining district, most of the mines have been closed. Glass-making and meta...

  • Seneffe

    Seneffe or Seneff, small town, Hainaut prov., S central Belgium, near Charleroi. At Seneffe, the French under Louis II de Condé defeated (1674) the Dutch, and the French under Marceau defeated...

  • Steenkerque

    Steenkerque, Du. Steenkerke, village, Hainaut prov., S Belgium, near Mons. There, in 1692, the French under Marshal François Henri de Luxembourg defeated William III of England in the War of t...

  • Jemappes

    Jemappes, town, Hainaut prov., S Belgium. It is a coal-mining center of the Borinage region. Manufactures include iron and steel. At Jemappes in 1792 the French under Dumouriez defeated the Au...

  • Louvière, La

    Louvière, La, commune (1991 pop. 76,432), Hainaut prov., S Belgium. It was an industrial center of the Bassin du Centre coal-mining region but has changed its economic focus since the coal min...

  • Fleurus

    Fleurus, town (1991 pop. 22,507), Hainaut prov., S Belgium. It is a coal-mining and manufacturing center; domestic appliances, furniture, and machinery are produced. At Fleurus, Mansfield and ...

  • Fontenoy

    Fontenoy, village, Hainaut prov., SW Belgium, near Tournai. There, in 1745, Count Maurice de Saxe, in his most celebrated victory, led the French against the British and their allies under the...

  • Soignies

    Soignies, Du. Zinnik, commune (1991 pop. 23,793), Hainaut prov., S Belgium. Paper and hollow glass are manufactured, and limestone is quarried nearby. Of note is the Church of St. Vincent (10t...

  • Enghien

    Enghien, Du. Edingen, town (1991 pop. 10,258), Hainaut prov., W central Belgium. It is a tourist center and has industries that manufacture linen and lace. Enghien was founded in the 11th cent...

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