Region

Region as a general term

This is a generalized geographical concept, of course, used nationally and internationally, perhaps, and fairly certain to come up within our analyses of “social network” phenomena, of Early aero-technical development analyzed as a social network.

Région française

The region as a general concept is to be distinguished from the “région française”, the French administrative unit, which may only come up rarely.

Département français

These départements are the administrative unit found on virtually all French patent documents. We are noting them on their own page. Among other things, we are noting changes which have occurred, in some cases. That is, we may have specific location data, contemporaneous to us, reflecting some change in départemental status. The histories of these things are known, and bearing these things in mind we have found no contradictions, and few complications.

Régions belges

Francophone Belgian “région” opens up other matters. There are “régions belges”, the région Bruxelles-Capitale, the région wallonne, the région flamande. Thus far, the vast majority of our Belgian patent data puts the emphasis on patent agents and inventors located in Brussels, and therefore within the région Bruxelles-Capitale. These régions belges are divided into Provinces, such as Brabant flamand, Flandre-Orientale Then there are “communes”, in the manner of France, and these last are seemingly more or less the equivalent of cities.

région Bruxelles-Capitale

In any "metropolitan" sense, this refers to Brussels and its surroundings. It is an enclave surrounded by the région flamande. During the period on which we are focused, in particular, French may have been more bluntly the language of the élite, with this capital region being therefore somewhat of a francophone enclave.

région wallonne

province de Namur

This is also the name of the chief city within the province. This sort of thing comes up. References to provinces and to régions belges are somewhat of an administrative norm.