Hove, Belgium Hove, Belgium Hove () is a municipality ("gemeente") located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Hove proper. On January 1, 2006, Hove had a total population of 8,307. The total area is 5.99 km² which gives a population density of 1,388 inhabitants per km². The municipality lies approximately from the city of Antwerp, the capital of the province. It is a small community, and is said to be one of the most expensive areas in Belgium. Many people pay large sums of money to live there because it is one of the safest
Albert I of Belgium prepared himself strenuously for the task of kingship. In his youth, Albert was seriously concerned with the situation of the working classes in Belgium, and personally travelled around working class districts incognito, to observe the living conditions of the people. Shortly before his accession to the throne in 1909, Albert undertook an extensive tour of the Belgian Congo, which had been annexed by Belgium in 1908 (after having been previously owned by King Leopold II of Belgium as his personal property), finding the country in poor condition. Upon his return to Belgium, he recommended reforms to protect the native population