Ghent (; ; ) is a city and a
municipality located in the
Flemish Region of
Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the
East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers
Scheldt and
Leie and in the late
Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe with some 50,000 people in 1300. Today it is a busy city with a
port and a
university.