Meuse–Rhine Euroregion
The Meuse–Rhine Euroregion (Dutch: Euregio Maas–Rijn, French: Eurorégion Meuse–Rhin, German: Euregio Maas–Rhein, Limburgish: Euregio Maas–Rien) is a Euroregion created in 1976, with judicial status achieved in 1991. It comprises 11.000 km² and has around 3.9 million inhabitants around the city-corridor of Aachen–Maastricht–Hasselt–Liège. The seat of the region has been in Eupen, Belgium since 1 January 2007. Within a wider context, the region is part of what is called the Blue Banana European urbanisation corridor.
Meuse–Rhine Euregion | |
|---|---|
| Type | Euroregion |
| Membership | |
| Establishment | 1976 |
| Area | |
• Total | 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 3,900,000 |
Governmental areas
The Meuse–Rhine Euregion comprises:
- The western part of the governmental Region of Cologne in Germany including the city of Aachen, the District of Aachen, the District of Düren, the District of Euskirchen and the District of Heinsberg, collectively referred to as the Region of Aachen.
- The German-speaking Community of Belgium; the seat of the Euroregion is located in its capital Eupen.
- The Belgian Province of Liège.
- The Belgian Province of Limburg.
- The southern part of the Dutch Province of Limburg, with the northern point of the Meuse–Rhine Euroregion being the city of Roermond. The Meuse–Rhine Euroregion includes the provincial capital city of Maastricht as well as the co-operative region Parkstad Limburg surrounding the city of Heerlen.
Languages
The official languages of the three countries involved in the Euregion are Dutch (in Belgium and the Netherlands), French (in Belgium) and German (in Belgium and Germany). Regional languages are also spoken namely Limburgish (which is recognised as a regional language in Dutch Limburg), Ripuarian and Walloon. The intra-cultural aspect of the Limburgish and Ripuarian is that they are spoken on both sides of the border. Limburgish, although only recognised as such in The Netherlands, is also spoken in Belgian Limburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Ripuarian is also spoken on both sides of the Dutch/German-border, but with the extra trait of having the same variant spoken on both sides of the border.
