Kelmis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kelmis
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View of Kelmis
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Region | Wallonia | ||
| Community | German-speaking Community | ||
| Province | Liège | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 18.12 km2 (7.00 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(January 2010)
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| • Total | 10,700 | ||
| • Density | 590.5/km2 (1,529/sq mi) | ||
Kelmis is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, named for the historical deposits of calamine (zinc ore) nearby.
The territory around the Vieille Montagne zinc mine in Kelmis was a neutral condominium of the Netherlands and Prussia (later Belgium and Germany) from 1816 to 1919 as Neutral Moresnet, with the Mayor of Kelmis being nominated by two commissioners from the neighbouring countries. Although there were attempts by locals at making it evolve into a fully independent microstate, all of them were thwarted and it remained under double-sovereignty and neutrality until its eventual annexation by Belgium after World War I.
In the nineteenth century a Low Dietsch dialect was spoken in Kelmis. Today Kelmis is bilingual: German and French and one of the nine municipalities of the German‑speaking Community of Belgium.
Images for kids
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Church in the centre of Kelmis
See also
In Spanish: Kelmis para niños
