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Mons, Belgium

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The central square and town hall of Mons
This article is about the city in Belgium. For other uses, see Mons (disambiguation).

Mons (Dutch: Bergen) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. On January 1st, 2005 Mons had a total population of 91,083. The total area is 146.56 km² which gives a population density of 621.47 inhabitants per km².

Mons, The Sainte Waudru collegiate church and the belfry.


Located close to the French border, it is the centre of the Borinage district, the old coal mining centre of the country. Mons was the site of the first battle fought by the British Army in World War I. The British were forced to retreat and the town was occupied by the Germans, before being liberated by the Canadian Corps during the final days of the war.

NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) was relocated to Mons, Belgium from Fontainebleau, France after France's withdrawal from the military structure of the alliance in 1967.

The town hosts a football club named R.A.E.C. Mons.

See also