provincesHainaut
Hainaut, officially the Province of Hainaut, is a province of Wallonia, the French-speaking southern region of Belgium. It sits in the western part of the country and includes several historic towns. The capital is Mons, and the largest city is Charleroi.
The province covers about 3,800 square kilometers and is traversed by the Sambre and Scheldt (Escaut) rivers.
The name derives from the medieval County of Hainaut. It became a Belgian province in the 1830s
The province is home to around 1.5 million people. It includes major urban centers such as Charleroi,
The decline of coal mining and heavy industry gave way to services, logistics, and specialized manufacturing.
French is the predominant language; local culture is part of the broader Walloon heritage.
The province is served by rail and road links to Brussels, Lille, and other major hubs. Brussels