The border with Baarle-Hertog, Belgium Baarle-Nassau is closely linked, with complicated borders, to the Belgian exclaves of
Baarle-Hertog. Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Apart from the main parcel, known as
Zondereigen and located north of the Belgian town of
Merksplas, there are 22 Belgian exclaves in the Netherlands and three other parcels on the
Dutch-Belgian border. There are also six Dutch exclaves located within the largest Belgian exclave, one within the second-largest, and an eighth within Zondereigen. The smallest Belgian parcel, H7, locally named , measures . The border's complexity results from numerous medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of
Breda and the
Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant, while other parts devolved to Breda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the borderline settlements arrived at during the
Treaty of Maastricht in 1843. For clarification and the interest of tourists, the border is made visible on all streets with iron pins. This way it is always clear whether one is in Belgium (Baarle-Hertog) or in the Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau). This is also visible on the house numbers: the style of house numbers is different in both countries, and often the Dutch or Belgian flag next to the house number indicates which country it belongs to.
Localities •
Baarle-Nassau (population: 5,330) •
Ulicoten (1,110) •
Castelré (140)
List of enclaves Dutch enclaves These are all part of Baarle-Nassau municipality.
Belgian enclaves These are all part of Baarle-Hertog municipality, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau municipality (Netherlands). == Education ==