The Houtland (Flemish for "Woodland") is a region in

French Flanders French Flanders (french: La Flandre française) is a part of the historical County of Flanders in present-day France where a dialect of Dutch was or still is traditionally spoken. The region lies in the modern-day region of Hauts-de-France and r ...

which is a part of the French Westhoek, in the Nord department of France. In the region, like the rest of French Flanders,

French Flemish French Flemish (French Flemish: , Standard Dutch: , french: flamand français) is a West Flemish dialect spoken in the north of contemporary France. Place names attest to Flemish having been spoken since the 8th century in the part of Fland ...

is historically spoken but in decline. In contrast to the name, a lot of the region is used for agricultural purposes. The highest hill is ''Kasselberg'' (French: ''

Mont Cassel Mont Cassel () is a hill in northern France, in the Nord department. The hill rises to a height of above sea level, making it the highest of the Westhoek region. At the top of Mont Cassel is the commune of Cassel (Dutch: ''Kassel''), about fro ...

''), on which

Cassel Cassel may refer to: People * Cassel (surname) Places ;France * Cassel, Nord, a town and commune in northern France ** Battle of Cassel (1071) ** Battle of Cassel (1328) ** Battle of Cassel (1677) ;Germany * Cassel, Germany, a city in Hesse renam ...

is located, with a height of 176 meter.

Communes of Houtland

Arnèke Arnèke (; vls, label=French Flemish, Arnyke; nl, Arneke) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Geography Arnèke is situated on the D55 (''route de Wormhout''). The small river Peene Becque is flowing through the village. The ...

, Bailleul,

Bavinchove Bavinchove (; from Dutch; ''Bavinkhove'' in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nor ...

Boeschepe Boeschepe () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France, next to the Belgian border. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of the F ...

Buysscheure Buysscheure (; from Dutch, ''Buisscheure'' in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The source of the river Yser is located here. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The ...

Eecke Eecke (; from Flemish; ''Eke'' in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is northeast of Hazebrouck. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 commun ...

Godewaersvelde Godewaersvelde (; French Flemish: ''Godsvelde'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France, near the Belgian border. Heraldry Etymology The name of the commune means "Godafritha's Heath" or "Godefried Fields". British soldiers ...

, Hardifort,

Hazebrouck Hazebrouck (, nl, Hazebroek, , vls, Oazebroeke) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1 ...

Houtkerque Houtkerque (; from ) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located near the Belgian border, north of Steenvoorde, on the Steenvoorde/Hondschoote road. The river Yser crosses the border at Houtkerque. Houtkerque saw much ...

Ledringhem Ledringhem ( vls, Ledringem) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. It is situated also in the ancient territory of the County of Flanders, in the ''Houtland ( ...

Noordpeene Noordpeene ( nl, Noordpene, vls, Nôordpene) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. The small river Peene Becque flows through the village. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of ...

Ochtezeele Ochtezeele (; from Flemish; ''Ochtezele'' in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The small river Peene Becque flows through the village. The closest airport to Ochtezeele is Lille Airport (56 km) ...

Oudezeele Oudezeele (; from Flemish; ''Oudezele'' in modern Dutch spelling) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. It is around 45 km north-west of Lille. The populati ...

, Oxelaëre,

Renescure Renescure (; nl, Ruisscheure) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. Renescure is the village where Bonduelle S.A. opened its first cannery. Heraldry See als ...

Rubrouck Rubrouck (; , once ''Ruysbroeck'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. History Rubrouck was first mentioned in 1104. It was the home of the 13th century expl ...

Saint-Sylvestre-Cappel Saint-Sylvestre-Cappel (; Dutch ''Sint-Silvesterkappel'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also * Brasserie de Saint-Sylvestre * Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes ...

, Sainte-Marie-Cappel, Steenbecque,

Steenvoorde Steenvoorde () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Once part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Low Countries, Steenvoorde was the site of the beginning of the Beeldenstorm, or "Iconoclastic Fury." Today the city is known for i ...

, Terdeghem,

Volckerinckhove Volckerinckhove (; nl, Volkerinkhove) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the arrondissement of Dunkirk and the canton of Wormhout. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a lis ...

Watten Watten may refer to: Places * Watten, Nord, a commune in the Nord ''département'' of France ** ''Blockhaus d'Éperlecques'' or Watten bunker, intended to be a launching facility for the V-2 ballistic missile * Watten, Highland, a village in Cai ...

, Wemaers-Cappel,

Winnezeele Winnezeele (; from Flemish; ''Winnezele'' in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry Population See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the ...

Wormhout Wormhout (; before 1975: ''Wormhoudt''; vls, Wormout) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Several people in Wormhout still speak West Flemish, a local dialect of Dutch and the traditional language of the region, while French ...

Zermezeele Zermezeele (; nl, Zermezele) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The northern border between Ledringhem and Zermezeele is marked by the river Peene Becque. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department ...

, Zuytpeene...

Intercommunality

There is also a former intercommunality called ''

Communauté de communes A ''communauté de communes'' (, "community of communes") is a federation of municipalities (communes) in France. It forms a framework within which local tasks are carried out together. It is the least-integrated form of ''intercommunalité'' (int ...

de l'Houtland'' Communauté de Communes de l'Houtland
/ref> comprising

Caëstre Caëstre (; French Flemish: Kaester and Dutch language, Dutch: Kaaster) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord departm ...

, Ebblinghem, Hondeghem, Lynde,

, Sercus and Staple. It was merged into the new Communauté de communes de Flandre Intérieure in 2014.

References

Geography of Nord (French department) {{Nord-geo-stub