BRABANT  , the central and

metropolitan province of Belgium, is formed out of part of the ancient duchy . From 1815 to 1830; that is to say, during the existence of the kingdom of the Nether-lands, Belgian Brabant was distinguished from Dutch by the employment of the geographical terms South and North . The surface of Brabant is undulating, and the highest points, some 400 ft. in altitude, are to be found at and near Mont St Jean . The province is well cultivated, and the people are well known for their industry . There are valuable stone quarries, and many manufactures flourish in the smaller towns, such as Ottignies, as well as in the larger cities of Brussels and Louvain . Brabant contains 820,740 acres or 1268 sq. m . Its principal towns are Brussels, Louvain, Nivelles, Hal, Ottignies, and its three administrative divisions are named after the first three of those towns . They are subdivided into 5o cantons and 344 communes . In 1904 the population of the province was 1,366,389 or a proportion of 1077 per sq.m .