County of Flanders

The County of Flanders was one of the most powerful political entities in the medieval Low Countries, located on the North Sea coast of what is now Belgium and northeastern France, existing from 862 until it was annexed by France in 1797 during the Revolutionary period. Its counts held status as among the original twelve peers of the French kingdom, and unlike neighboring regions such as Brabant and Hainaut, Flanders operated within French suzerainty for much of its history. For centuries its major cities, including Ghent, Bruges, Ypres and Lille, generated such considerable economic activity through international trade that Flanders became one of the most affluent regions in Europe.