Sambre-et-Meuse

Department of Sambre-et-Meuse Département de Sambre-et-Meuse (French)
1795–1814
Sambre-et-Meuse within the northern French Empire (1811)
Status	Department of the French First Republic and the French First Empire
Chef-lieu	Namur 50°28′N 4°52′E / 50.467°N 4.867°E / 50.467; 4.867
Official languages	French
History
• Creation	1 October 1795
• Treaty of Paris, disestablished	30 May 1814
Population
• 1814[1]	180,655
Preceded by Succeeded by Austrian Netherlands Prince-Bishopric of Liège Province of Namur
Today part of	Belgium

Sambre-et-Meuse (French: [sɑ̃bʁ e møz]) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium. It was named after the rivers Sambre and Meuse. It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic.^[2] Prior to this annexation, the territory included in the department had lain in the County of Namur, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchies of Brabant and Luxembourg.

The Chef-lieu of the department was Namur. The department was subdivided into the following four arrondissements and cantons:

• Namur: Andenne, Dhuy, Fosses, Gembloux and Namur (2 cantons).
• Dinant: Beauraing, Ciney, Dinant, Florennes and Walcourt.
• Marche: Durbuy, Érezée, Havelange, La Roche, Marche and Rochefort.
• Saint-Hubert: Gedinne, Nassogne, Saint-Hubert and Wellin.

After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, the department was dissolved and later became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Namur and Luxembourg.

The Prefect was the highest state representative in the department.

The Secretary-General was the deputy to the Prefect.

The office of Subprefect of Namur was held by the Prefect until 1811.

• Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse - a poem, later set to music, and arranged as a military march.