Charleroi

In the early 19th century, Belgium was the first industrialised country on the European mainland after the United Kingdom. In Charleroi and the surrounding area, iron and coal were the main minerals extracted. Glass production also boomed. From the 1970s onwards, however, industry went into decline, resulting in high unemployment. And although there were some investments, the city and the region have never fully recovered. Unemployment and poverty rates there are above average.