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'Chimay' (Walloon: ''Chimai'') is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006, Chimay had a total population of 9,774. The total area is 197.10 km² which gives a population density of 50 inhabitants per km². The source of the Oise River is located in the municipality.
Situated in the administrative district of Thuin, the municipality was created with a merger of 14 old communes on January 1, 1977.

Contents

Subdivisions

Population

Etymology

Information

Attractions

Personalities

Twin cities/towns

External links

Subdivisions

The Walloon names of the place names are in brackets and Italics.

★ Baileux (''Balieu'')

★ Bailièvre (''Bailleve'')

★ Bourlers (''Bourlé'')

★ 'Chimay' (''Chimai'')

★ Forges (''Foidjes'')

★ L'Escaillère (''L'Ecayire'')

★ Lompret (''Lompré'')

★ Rièzes (''Rieze'')

★ Robechies (''Robchiye'')

★ Salles (''Sale'')

★ Saint-Remy (''Sint-Rmey'')

★ Vaulx (''Vå'')

★ Villers-la-Tour (''Vilé-al-Tour'')

★ Virelles (''Virele'')

Population

Year	Population	Change	Density
2003	9,871	-	-
2006	9,774	22 or 0,23%	50/km²

Etymology

The origin of the name comes either from the Celtic word ''coimos'' or the Old French: ''Chimeye jameye les pieyes''

Information

Chimay Trappist beers and cheeses are produced in the monastery in the town, and are internationally renowned.

Attractions

★ The château des Princes de Chimay

★ Virelles Lake

★ The source of Oise
Chimay has traditionally hosted an annual motor racing event, run on a street circuit formed from local public roads. From the 1920s to 1960s the event was run for contemporary Grand Prix and sportscar categories, and included the famous Grand Prix des Frontières. In recent times, while the event has persisted it has been run for historic race series. The track briefly lost its licence in 2006 due to bureaucratic intransigence related to safety fears, but has since had it reinstated.

Personalities

★ Daniel van Buyten (b. 1978), football player

★ Emile Coulonvaux (1892-1966), politician

★ François Duval (b. 1980 ), automobile pilot

★ François-Joseph-Philippe de Riquet (1771-1843), Prince of Chimay, and his wife Thérésa Tallien (1773-1835), French social figure

Twin cities/towns

★ - Ramsgate, England

★ - Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France

External links

All external links are only in French unless noted otherwise:

★ The Regional Portal

★ Official website

★ Chimay at the Union des Villes et Communes de Wallonie asbl.

★ http://www.chimay.be

★ Collège Saint-Joseph de Chimay

★ http://atheneeroyaldechimay.free.fr/