Borgerhout
Encyclopedia
Borgerhout is a district of the municipality
and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region
of Belgium
. The district houses 41,614 inhabitants (as of 31 May 2006) reflecting 90 nationalities. It is divided in two by three adjoining traffic arteries (the Ring highway, the Singel boulevard, and the main railway Brussels-Amsterdam).
The Ring highway surrounding Antwerp follows the line of the old city walls which is why the portion of Borgerhout 'within' the ring highway is known as Borgerhout 'intra muros' (within the walls) whereas the portion outside the ring highway is known as Borgerhout 'extra muros' (outside the walls). Population density is lower in the more recently developed 'extra muros' part of the town. The 'inter muros' part of the town is more densely populated and also contains the main shopping street.
Local references to this part of the town as "Borgerokko" are believed to derive from the higher proportion of residents from north Africa, many being of Morrocan
descent. In 2002, there were widespread riots in the neighborhood after a Flemish man murdered Mohammed Achrak, an Islamist leader. The riots were organized by activist Dyab Abou Jahjah
, who later served a prison term for forming a private militia. In 2011, a smaller riot occurred in the neighborhood after a the Moroccan soccer team defeated the Algerian team 4-0. Many residents, however, feel the news coverage of these events has been overblown because of fears of ethnic minorities.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The district houses 41,614 inhabitants (as of 31 May 2006) reflecting 90 nationalities. It is divided in two by three adjoining traffic arteries (the Ring highway, the Singel boulevard, and the main railway Brussels-Amsterdam).
The Ring highway surrounding Antwerp follows the line of the old city walls which is why the portion of Borgerhout 'within' the ring highway is known as Borgerhout 'intra muros' (within the walls) whereas the portion outside the ring highway is known as Borgerhout 'extra muros' (outside the walls). Population density is lower in the more recently developed 'extra muros' part of the town. The 'inter muros' part of the town is more densely populated and also contains the main shopping street.
Local references to this part of the town as "Borgerokko" are believed to derive from the higher proportion of residents from north Africa, many being of Morrocan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
descent. In 2002, there were widespread riots in the neighborhood after a Flemish man murdered Mohammed Achrak, an Islamist leader. The riots were organized by activist Dyab Abou Jahjah
Dyab Abou Jahjah
Dyab Abou Jahjah is an Arab political activist who came from Lebanon to Belgium as an asylum seeker. He is the founder and former leader of the Arab European League , a Pan-Arabist movement that supports the interests of Muslim immigrants in Europe.-Personal life:He was born and grew up in...
, who later served a prison term for forming a private militia. In 2011, a smaller riot occurred in the neighborhood after a the Moroccan soccer team defeated the Algerian team 4-0. Many residents, however, feel the news coverage of these events has been overblown because of fears of ethnic minorities.