Hainaut

province, Belgium

Also known as: Hainault, Henegouwen

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June 29, 2026

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Hainaut is a province in southwestern Belgium, located in the Wallonia region. Historically, it was a medieval county in the Low Countries, encompassing parts of modern Belgium and northern France.1

The province has an area of 1,463 square miles (3,789 square kilometers) and a population of 1,330,000, with Mons serving as its capital. Hainaut is known for its industrial past, particularly in coal mining and metallurgy, with regions like Borinage and Centre being significant industrial districts. Although many mines have closed, heavy industry, including steelworks and refineries, continues to operate. Hainaut also boasts several UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Neolithic flint mines at Spiennes and the Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre.1234

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history of the Low Countries
Unification after Alba
…in the south among Artois, Hainaut, and the town of Douay, based on the Pacification of Ghent but retaining the Roman Catholic religion, loyalty to the king, and the privileges of the estates. As a reaction to the accommodation of Artois and Hainaut, the Union of Utrecht was declared, at…
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…in the south among Artois, Hainaut, and the town of Douay, based on the Pacification of Ghent but retaining the Roman Catholic religion, loyalty to the king, and the privileges of the estates. As a reaction to the accommodation of Artois and Hainaut, the Union of Utrecht was declared, at…
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history of the Low Countries
Upper Paleolithic (35,000–10,000 bp)
…site of Maisières Canal in Hainaut province, Belgium, is exceptional for its preservation of glacial fauna (from about 28,000 bp) in later river deposits. Several late Magdalenian sites (hunting stands) were discovered in southern (Belgian and Dutch) Limburg. A wide uninhabited area separated the Magdalenian sites from sites of the…
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…site of Maisières Canal in Hainaut province, Belgium, is exceptional for its preservation of glacial fauna (from about 28,000 bp) in later river deposits. Several late Magdalenian sites (hunting stands) were discovered in southern (Belgian and Dutch) Limburg. A wide uninhabited area separated the Magdalenian sites from sites of the…
Read More