Antwerp is a city in Belgium, and is the capital of Antwerp province in Flanders. It has a population of 520,504 and its metropolitan area houses around 1,200,000 people, coming in second behind the capital Brussels.
The Port of Antwerp is one of the biggest in the world, ranking second in Europe. Importantly it handles high volumes of economically attractive general and project cargo, as well as bulk cargo. Antwerp's docklands, with five oil refineries, are home to a massive concentration of petrochemical industries. Electricity generation is also an important activity, with four nuclear power plants at Doel, a conventional power station in Kallo, as well as several smaller combined cycle plants. There is a wind farm in the northern part of the port area.
Antwerp is a major trade and cultural centre. It is also known as "the diamond capital of the world" for its large diamond district. Antwerp World Diamond Centre plays an important role in setting standards, regulating professional ethics, training and promoting the interests of Antwerp as the capital of the diamond industry.
The city has four diamond bourses. In its center, the centuries-old Diamond District houses thousands of diamond traders, cutters and polishers. Antwerp’s Flemish Renaissance architecture is typified by the Grote Markt, a central square in the old town. At the 17th-century Rubens House, period rooms display works by the Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens.
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