Menen (Belgium)

Menen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmeːnə(n)] ; French: Menin [mənɛ̃]; West Flemish: Mêenn [ˈmeːnən] or Mêende [ˈmeːndə]) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413. The total area is 33.07 km2 which gives a population density of 980 inhabitants per km2. The city of Menen gives its name to the Menin Gate in Ypres, which is a monument to those killed in World War I. The gate is so called as the road from that gate is the road to Menen. The town hall of Menen, with its large belfry, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, because of its civic importance and architecture.