Hainaut

Hainaut, or Hainaut Province, is a province of the Walloon Region of Belgium. It lies in the western part of the country, bordered by France to the west and by other Belgian provinces within Wallonia. The provincial capital is Mons, and the largest cities include Charleroi and Tournai. The name Hainaut derives from the historic County of Hainaut, a medieval feudal lordship in the Low Countries that at times extended across parts of present-day Belgium and northern France.

Historically, Hainaut was an important industrial and urban region. In the late Middle Ages it was part of the Burgundian and then Habsburg Netherlands, before being annexed by France during the revolutionary era. After the Napoleonic Wars it became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and, from 1830, part of Belgium. Since the regional reorganization of Belgium in 1995, it has been a province within the Walloon Region.

Economically, Hainaut has moved from coal mining and steel production—areas concentrated around Charleroi—toward diversification into services, logistics, and manufacturing. The province preserves a number of historic towns and architectural landmarks. Notable sites include Tournai Cathedral and the Belfry of Tournai, which is part of the UNESCO-listed Belfries of Belgium and France.

The province is served by rail and road networks that connect it with Brussels, Lille, and other urban centers. Its geography combines urban areas with rural landscapes, educational institutions, and cultural heritage that reflect its industrial and medieval roots.