Baarle-Nassau () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

and town in the southern

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, located in the province of

North Brabant North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to t ...

. It had a population of in . The town is the site of a complicated borderline between

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and the Netherlands, with 22 small

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

s of the Belgian town Baarle-Hertog, some of which contain counter-exclaves of Nassau.

Geography

The border with Baarle-Hertog, Belgium

Baarle-Nassau is closely linked, with complicated borders, to the Belgian exclaves of Baarle-Hertog. Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Apart from the main parcel, known as

Zondereigen Zondereigen is a village in the municipality of Baarle-Hertog, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. In 2021, it was home to 478 inhabitants. Zondereigen borders the Dutch province of North Brabant, and contains a Dutch enclave. History The vill ...

and located north of the Belgian town of Merksplas, there are 22 Belgian exclaves in the Netherlands and three other parcels on the Dutch-Belgian border. There are also six Dutch exclaves located within the largest Belgian exclave, one within the second-largest, and an eighth within Zondereigen. The smallest Belgian parcel, H7, locally named , measures . The border's complexity results from numerous medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant, while other parts devolved to Breda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the borderline settlements arrived at during the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843. For clarification and the interest of tourists, the border is made visible on all streets with iron pins. This way it is always clear whether one is in Belgium (Baarle-Hertog) or in the Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau). This is also visible on the house numbers: the style of house numbers is different in both countries, and often one will find the Dutch or Belgian flag next to the number. Baarle-Nassau - Baarle-Hertog-en

Localities

*Baarle-Nassau (population: 5,330) * Ulicoten (1,110) *

Castelré Castelré () is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is a part of the municipality of Baarle-Nassau, and lies some 20 km south of Breda. In 2000 a millennium chapel was built at the "Kempische-driehoek" 't Groesje. Castelr� ...

(140)

List of enclaves

Netherlands enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Nassau municipality.

Belgian enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Hertog municipality, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau municipality (Netherlands).

Education

Baarle-Nassau has two primary schools: Basisschool De Uilenpoortand and Bernardusschool, the latter in the Ulicoten section. There is a single secondary school in Baarle-Nassau, De La Salle, which has , lower , and levels. It has a joint library with Baarle-Hertog with Belgian and Dutch staff.bibliotheek
" Baarle-Hertog. Retrieved on January 6, 2017.

Notable people

Petrus Christus Petrus Christus (; 1410/1420 – 1475/1476) was an Early Netherlandish painter active in Bruges from 1444, where, along with Hans Memling, he became the leading painter after the death of Jan van Eyck. He was influenced by van Eyck and Rogier v ...

( in Baarle – 1475/1476) an Early Netherlandish painter; was a leading painter after the death of

Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. A ...

* Jan Hendrikx (born 1944) a former Dutch politician, mayor of Baarle-Nassau 1990 to 2012

Gallery

File:Baarle Nassau, Onze Lieve Vrouw van Altijddurende bijstand foto5 2010-10-13 11.43.JPG, Baarle-Nassau, church File:Baarle-Nassau Rathaus.jpg, Baarle-Nassau, town hall File:Grensovergang Poppel-Baarle.jpg, Grensovergang Poppel-Baarle File:P1020712Baarle-Nassau.JPG, Baarle-Nassau, bij Singel, water pump

References

External links

Official Web site Baarle-Nassau

Official Web site Baarle-Hertog

Photograph of H-22, the smallest enclave of B.-Hertog
(with maps)
English Website about the Baarle Enclaves / with maps
ead linkbr>Dutch pages about Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau / with maps
{{Authority control Belgium–Netherlands border crossings Enclaves and exclaves Municipalities of North Brabant Twin cities