GENK

formerly Genck, municipality, Limburg province, northeastern Belgium, on the edge of the Kempenland (Campine) Plateau, north of Lige. Formerly a market centre and holiday resort with scenic marshes and woods (including the Bokrijk Nature Reserve), it has become industrialized with the discovery (before World War I) of rich coalfields in the Kempenland. Metallurgy and automobile assembly are now major economic factors, and natural gas (grison) is a local resource. Pop. (1982) mun., 61,643.