Sint-Genesius-Rode
From Free net encyclopedia
Sint-Genesius-Rode (French: Rhode-Saint-Genèse) is a municipality located in Flanders, one of three regions of Belgium, in the province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality only comprises the town of Sint-Genesius-Rode proper. On January 1 2005 the town had a total population of 17,904. The total area is 22.77 km² which gives a population density of 786.21 inhabitants per km².
The official language is Dutch.
In the 1960s, special linguistic facilities were given to local French-speakers, mostly coming from neighbouring Brussels, to allow them to request official documents from the local administration in French. Actually the majority of residents are Francophone.
Today, this district remains a controversial area of local and national politics.
Some Belgian French-speakers would like to see this area become a joining corridor between Wallonia and Brussels.
This is equally as much opposed by the Flemish administration, who, despite the statistical dominance of Francophone residents, continues to use Dutch as the first official language.