Brussels-Capital Region

Brussels-Capital Region, French Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Flemish Brusselse Hoofdstedelijke Gewest, region, north-central Belgium. The region is coextensive with Greater Brussels, a metropolitan area that contains the capital city of Brussels. The officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region was one of three self-governing regions created during the federalization of Belgium in the 1980s and ’90s; the other two were the French-speaking Wallonia (Walloon Region) and the Flemish-speaking Flanders (Flemish Region). The Brussels-Capital Region has its own elected regional assembly and is composed of 19 administratively autonomous municipalities (French: communes; Flemish: gemeenten). Area 63 square miles (162 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 1,024,492.