Introduction
Ghent
[key], Du. Gent, Fr. Gand, city, capital
of East Flanders prov., W Belgium, at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie
rivers. Connected with the North Sea by the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal and by a
network of other canals, Ghent is a major port and the chief textile and
banking center of Belgium. Other products of the city include metals,
chemicals, paper, processed food, and motor vehicles. It is also the trade
center of a flower- and bulb-producing region. Ghent is an episcopal seat
and has a university (founded 1816) as well as numerous museums.
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