Hasselt, Belgium

Hasselt is a municipality in Belgium. It is the capital of the Belgian province Limburg. It lies about half way between Liège and Antwerp. The city is at the river demer and the albertchannel. The city has city privileges since 1232. Today, about 79.089 people live there, the people who live there are called Hasselaars.Most of them are native Dutch speakers.
Well-known people from Hasselt include Hendrick van Veldeke, probably one of the first writers who did no longer write in Latin, but rather used the German of the time, 12th century. Willy Claes, who was NATO secretary in 1994 and 1995, and Axelle Red a contemporary singer-songwriter.
It is located at 50° 55 North, 05° 20 East.