Charleroi

City and railway junction in Hainaut province, Belgium, 48 km/30 mi south of Brussels, on the River Sambre; population (1997) 204,900. Set in a former coal-mining area, its industries include electronics and electrical engineering, as well as the production of steel, pharmaceuticals, glass, and cement. The Charleroi canal connects the town with Brussels. Founded by the Spanish in 1666, the city was named after Charles II of Spain.