Dyle (department)

Map of French Imperial départements in the Low Countries

Dyle is a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium. It was named after the river Dijle, which flows through the département. Its territory corresponds more or less with that of the Belgian provinces Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital was Brussels.

The département came into existence on 1 October 1795, after the Southern Netherlands were occupied by the French. The département de la Dyle was formed from the southern part of the Duchy of Brabant, part of the County of Hainaut, (Halle) and some smaller territories. See the 130 départements of the Napoleonic Empire.

It was subdivided into the following arrondissements and cantons:

• Brussels, cantons: Anderlecht, Asse, Brussels, Halle, La Hulpe, Lennik, Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Uccle, Vilvoorde and Wolvertem.
• Leuven, cantons: Aarschot, Diest, Glabbeek, Grez, Haacht, Leuven, Tienen and Zoutleeuw.
• Nivelles, cantons: Genappe, Herne, Jodoigne, Nivelles, Perwez and Wavre.

After the defeat of Napoleon the département became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, as the province of Brabant.

Coordinates: 50°50′N 4°21′E / 50.833°N 4.35°E / 50.833; 4.35