Since 1830 and the creation of Belgium, Brabant has been one of the 9 Belgian provinces.Brussels was its capital, and the province's territory included present-day Walloon and Flemish Brabant and what is now the Brussels-Capital Region. This was a legacy of the past.As early as the end of the 11th century, the counties of Leuven and Brussels were united within the Duchy of Brabant.The evolution of this duchy over the centuries led to it becoming one of the Belgian provinces at the time of Belgium's independence.

From the 1970s onwards, the successive reforms of the Belgian state towards federalism complicated the situation of the province of Brabant.It became difficult for the province to continue to exist as it was, given that its territory spanned three regions (the Walloon Region, the Flemish Region and the Brussels Region).gion flamande et la Région Bruxelles-Capitale) and, for certain matters, was dependent on two Communities, the French Community and the Flemish Community.It was also a period of linguistic conflict between Flemish and French speakers. The events of "Wallen Buiten" in 1968, when Flemish students at the University of Leuven demanded the split of the university and the departure of the French-speaking students, are still fresh in people's minds. The first stones of the French-speaking university in the French-speaking part of Brabant were also laid at this time (1971) in Louvain-la-Neuve.

It would be some time before an institutional solution was found. In 1992, the decision was taken to split the province into two entities. In the north, there would be Flemish Brabant. In the south, it would be Walloon Brabant, with the 19 communes of the Brussels-Capital Region no longer belonging to either of these two provinces. The so-called Saint-Michel agreements sealed this division.The Constitution was revised, and the special and ordinary laws of July 1993 transformed Belgium into a federal state, and enacted the changes planned for Brabant.

The Province of Walloon Brabant officially came into being on January 1, 1995. Its territory, stretching from Rebecq in the west to Hélécine in the east, comprises 27 communes and merges with the Nivelles district, with Wavre chosen as its capital.

Three decades later, Walloon Brabant, Belgium's youngest province, has seen its population grow steadily. With just over 413,000 inhabitants on January 1, 2024, according to statistics from the FPS Interior, the province now has around 100,000 more inhabitants than when it was created.

The "BW" has also been able to count on a rather favorable alignment of the planets. In this formerly rather agricultural region, land has become more available for business and residential construction. Close to Brussels, a relatively affluent population has settled here. The development of a major university, the presence of researchers and a fairly well-educated population have also contributed to the establishment of companies, particularly in the technology sector. The presence of pharmaceutical giant GSK in Wavre is a case in point.

As a result, Brabant Wallon is a very prosperous province. In 2022, for example, the median income was higher here than elsewhere in Wallonia. There are, however, disparities between, for example, the wealthy commune of Lasne and that of Tubize, with its industrial past.

Source: www.rtbf.be/article/