Editing Limburg (Belgium) (section)

==Language==
{{Main|Limburgish language}}
As in all Flemish provinces, the official language is [[Dutch language|Dutch]], but two municipalities, [[Herstappe]] and [[Voeren]], are to a certain extent allowed to use French to communicate with their citizens. They are two of the [[municipalities with language facilities]] in Belgium.

Several variations of [[Limburgish]] are also still actively used, these being a diverse group of dialects which share features in common with both German and Dutch. ''[[Limburg mijn Vaderland]]'' is the official [[national anthem|anthem]] of both Belgian and Dutch Limburg, and has versions in various dialects of Limburgish, varying from accents closer to standard Dutch in the west, to more distinctive dialects near the Maas. Outside of the two Limburgs related dialects or languages are found stretched out towards the nearby [[Ruhr valley]] region of Germany. And there are also related dialects around [[Aachen]] in Germany as well as in the extreme northeast of the mainly French-speaking province of Liège.

As in the rest of Flanders a high level of [[multi-lingualism]] is found in the population.

Limburg is close to Germany and [[Wallonia]], and because of the natural political, cultural and economics links, [[French language|French]] and [[German language|German]] have long been important [[second language]]s in the area.

[[English language|English]] has also now become a language which is widely understood and used in business and cultural activities, and is supplanting French in this regard.

Veldeke, the medieval property of the family of [[Hendrik van Veldeke]], was near Hasselt, along the river Demer, to the west of Kuringen.