Dyle (department)

Dyle ([dil], Dutch: Dijle) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium. It was named after the river Dyle (Dijle), which flows through the department. Its territory corresponded more or less with that of the Belgian province of Brabant, now divided into Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and the Brussels-Capital Region. It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic[4]. Before the annexation, its territory was partly in the Duchy of Brabant, partly in the County of Hainaut, and partly in some smaller territories.

Department of Dyle Département de la Dyle (fr) Departement Dijle (nl)
1795–1814
Flag
Dyle and other annexed departments
Status	Department of the French First Republic and the French First Empire
Chef-lieu	Bruxelles 50°50′N 04°21′E
Official languages	French
Common languages	Dutch
Historical era	French Revolutionary Wars
• Creation	1 October 1795
• Treaty of Paris, disestablished	30 May 1814
Area
1812	3,428 km2 (1,324 sq mi)
Population
• 1784	390,535[1]
• 1800	363,661[2]
• 1806	432,019[1]
• 1812	431,969[3]
Preceded by Succeeded by Austrian Netherlands Prince-Bishopric of Liège United Kingdom of the Netherlands
Today part of	Belgium

The Chef-lieu of the department was the City of Brussels (Bruxelles in French). The department was subdivided into the following three arrondissements and cantons (as of 1812):[5]

• Bruxelles: Anderlecht, Asse, Bruxelles (4 cantons), Hal, La Hulpe, Lennik, Woluwe-Saint-Étienne, Uccle, Vilvorde and Wolvertem.
• Louvain: Aerschot, Diest, Glabbeek, Grez-Doiceau, Haecht, Léau, Louvain (2 cantons) and Tirlemont (2 cantons).
• Nivelles: Genappe, Hérinnes, Jodoigne, Nivelles (2 cantons), Perwez and Wavre.

After the defeat of Napoleon the department became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, as the province of (South) Brabant.