an important manufacturing and commercial city of Belgium. It is situated at the junction of the Sambre and the Meuse, thirty-five miles southeast of Brussels. Namur is an ancient city, dating from the time of Caesar. It has been the scene of many a deadly battle. The English and Dutch under William III of England took it by siege from Louis XIV in 1695. A citadel dating from 1784 still stands on a rocky promontory. The old walls have been leveled to make way for boulevards. There are few ancient buildings. The city has a modern aspect. The inhabitants are chiefly Walloon, that is to say, French. The streets, shops, public buildings, commercial houses, and churches imitate those of Paris. Coal, timber, and iron in the immediate vicinity form the basis of extensive manufactures. It is in the center of a productive agricultural region. The rivers afford facilities for navigation. Numerous railways connect with France, Germany, and Holland. The population in 1905 was about 35,000.