Limburg
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Limburg is the name of two adjoining provinces under the jurisdiction of two separate nations:
- Limburg (Netherlands), in the south of the Netherlands. Its capital is Maastricht.
- Limburg (Belgium), in the Flanders region of Belgium. Its capital is Hasselt.
History
Main articles: Duchy of Limburg, Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg (Belgium)
The name Limburg originates from the small town Limbourg. It was a duchy south of current Dutch-Limburg, and partly in what is now the Pays d'Herve, in the Belgian province Liège.
In 1814, after the liberation of what is now Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (Old collective name: the Lowlands, or Low Countries; now the Benelux), the area united as one country, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. When the Catholic Belgians split away from the mainly Calvinist Netherlands in 1830, the province of Limburg was first under Belgian rule. In 1839 Limburg was split in two, as [[Limburg {Netherlands)|Dutch-Limburg]] and Belgian-Limburg. The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg was also created by the split, as it was no longer contiguous to The Netherlands.
Thus, currently, Limburg's namegiver Limbourg is no longer located in the Dutch province of Limburg itself, but in the Belgium province of Liège. Most regions of the current provinces of "Limburg" do not have a historical connection the the old Duchy of Limburg.
Language
Main articles: Limburgish language, Flemish language, Dutch language
Since Limburg is located in Flanders and the Netherlands, the official languages in Limburg are Flemish and Dutch, respectively, but Limburgish language, which has many divergent dialects, is spoken throughout the region. The status of Limburgish has been upgraded thanks to European legislation, whereas the Belgian national authorities refrain from being supportive. In the Netherlands the Limburgish language receives moderate protection under chapter 2 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In German sources, the Limburgish language is often called "Bergisch".
The region around Kleve (Dutch: Kleef) in Germany is sometimes also added to the region, since the dialect is very similar.
See also
de:Limburg eo:Limburg fr:Limbourg it:Limburgo ja:リンブルグ li:Lèmburg nl:Limburg sv:Limburg pl:Limburg