FLANDERS, East (Fr. Flandre Orien tate), a province of Belgium, bounded north by Holland, east by the provinces of Antwerp and Brabant, south by Hainaut, and west by West Flanders; length, north to south, 34 miles; central breadth, east to west, 32 miles; area, 1,158 square miles. The surface forms an ex tensive plain, sloping gently eastward. It wholly belongs to the basin of the Schelde, which by itself, its tributaries, and canals connected with them, furnishes ample water communication. Its soil, partly of a sandy and partly of a clayey nature, is so industriously and skilfully culti vated that it has the appearance of a vast garden, and presents one of the richest rural landscapes which anywhere exists. The principal crops are wheat and flax, hut almost all the plants which can be grown under the same latitude are cultivated with success. There are no forests
properly so called, but owing to the general practice of planting hedge-row trees, there is no want of wood. In general, however, it consists of poplar and other soft-wood trees, and makes only indifferent timber. There are no minerals of any value, but manufactures have made great progress, and all the ordinary, as well as the fine tissues of wool, cotton and flax are well and largely made. There are also numerous tanneries, breweries, distilleries, soap-works, roperies, sugar and salt refineries, etc. The trade includes, in addition to these articles, flax, hops, and oil. For administrative purposes the prov ince is divided into six arrondissetnents—Gand, or Ghent, the capital; Alost, Audenarde, Ter monde, Saint Nicolas and Eecloo. Pop. (est.) 1,134,079.