Wezembeek-Oppem

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Wezembeek-Oppem town hall

Wezembeek-Oppem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality only comprises the town of Wezembeek-Oppem proper. On January 1, 2006 Wezembeek-Oppem had a total population of 13,504. The total area is 6.82 km² which gives a population density of 1,980 inhabitants per km².

The official language is Dutch (as everywhere in Flanders). In the 1960s, when the borders between administratively French-speaking, Dutch-speaking and bilingual parts of Belgium were finalized, special 'linguistic facilities' were given to local French-speakers — mostly immigrants from Wallonia and Brussels. All inhabitants can request official documents from the local administration in French.

Many Flemings regard these measures as only transitory for the time needed for French-speaking locals to "integrate themselves in Flanders", that is to convert to using Dutch. Many French-speaking people however see these facilities as a permanent right, that compensates for the irreversible attribution of the commune to Flanders. This situation is made more difficult by this commune's satellite status to the Brussels-Capital Region, in which both French and Dutch are official languages.

It is a popular home to a large community of international expatriates, in part because of the presence of the 'Internationale Deutsche Schule Brüssel' in Wezembeek-Oppem itself, and the Britisch School in nearby Tervuren.

[edit] See also

Municipalities with linguistic facilities

[edit] External links

Deutsche Schule - This is the official web site of the Internationale Deutsche Schule.

Coordinates: 50°51′N, 4°29′E

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	Municipalities in the Province of Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium
Halle-Vilvoorde: Affligem \| Asse \| Beersel \| Bever \| Dilbeek \| Drogenbos \| Galmaarden \| Gooik \| Grimbergen \| Halle \| Herne \| Hoeilaart \| Kampenhout \| Kapelle-op-den-Bos \| Kraainem \| Lennik \| Liedekerke \| Linkebeek \| Londerzeel \| Machelen \| Meise \| Merchtem \| Opwijk \| Overijse \| Pepingen \| Roosdaal \| Sint-Genesius-Rode \| Sint-Pieters-Leeuw \| Steenokkerzeel \| Ternat \| Vilvoorde \| Wemmel \| Wezembeek-Oppem \| Zaventem \| Zemst Leuven: Aarschot \| Begijnendijk \| Bekkevoort \| Bertem \| Bierbeek \| Boortmeerbeek \| Boutersem \| Diest \| Geetbets \| Glabbeek \| Haacht \| Herent \| Hoegaarden \| Holsbeek \| Huldenberg \| Keerbergen \| Kortenaken \| Kortenberg \| Landen \| Leuven \| Linter \| Lubbeek \| Oud-Heverlee \| Rotselaar \| Scherpenheuvel-Zichem \| Tervuren \| Tielt-Winge \| Tienen \| Tremelo \| Zoutleeuw