(This article is about the oldest known geographical entity called Brabant. For other uses, see Brabant.) The pagus of Brabant (Latin: Pagus Bracbantensis, Dutch: Brabantgouw) was a geographical region in the early Middle Ages, in what is now Belgium. It was the first region known to have been called Brabant, and it included the modern capital of Belgium, Brussels.
(This article is about the oldest known geographical entity called Brabant. For other uses, see Brabant.) The pagus of Brabant (Latin: Pagus Bracbantensis, Dutch: Brabantgouw) was a geographical region in the early Middle Ages, in what is now Belgium. It was the first region known to have been called Brabant, and it included the modern capital of Belgium, Brussels. Although it was eventually divided between powerful neighbouring counties, the parts which went to the Counts of Leuven, not only kept the name in use, but became the primary name of their large lordship. This led to many other regions now being named Brabant, such as the French and Dutch-speaking areas east of the Dyle, including Leuven and Wavre; and the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. It is and was multi-lingual, divided between Dutch (Flemish) speakers in the north, and French (and Picard) speakers in the south. Today the region is divided between the modern Belgian provinces of Vlaams Brabant and East Flanders (Dutch speaking), Hainaut and Walloon Brabant (French speaking), as well as Brussels, which is officially bi-lingual.