Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (French, pronounced [molənbeːk sɛ̃ ʒɑ̃]) or Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (Dutch, pronounced [sɪɲˈcɑns ˈmoːlə(m)ˌbeːk] (listen)), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, from which it is separated by the Brussels–Charleroi Canal, as well as by the municipalities of Anderlecht, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Dilbeek, Jette and Koekelberg. The Molenbeek brook, from which it takes its name, flows through the municipality. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
From its origins in the Middle Ages until the 18th century, Molenbeek was a rural village on the edge of Brussels, but around the turn of the 19th century, it experienced major growth brought on by a boom in commerce and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. Its prosperity declined after the Second World War, owing to deindustrialisation, leading to extensive investment and regeneration. Knowing a strong movement of immigration, mainly Moroccan, from the 1950s and 1960s, Molenbeek became increasingly multicultural with a minority Muslim population. In the early 21st century, it gained international attention as the base of Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both Paris and Brussels. Nowadays, it is a mostly residential municipality consisting of several historically and architecturally distinct districts.As of 1 January 2020, the municipality had a population of 97,979 inhabitants. The total area is 5.89 km2 (2.27 sq mi), which gives a population density of 16,314/km2 (42,250/sq mi), twice the average of Brussels. Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.
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