| Geography and Climate |
Belgium is located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands. The area is comparatively about the size of Maryland . Total land boundary
is 1,385 km, border countries are France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km.
Belgium has a temperate climate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy. Terrain consists of flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast. The elevation extreme has lowest point in North Sea 0 m and
highest point in Signal de Botrange 694 m. Belgian natural resources are coal, natural gas.
Land use: arable land: 24%, permanent crops: 1%, permanent pastures: 20%, forests and woodland: 21%, other: 34%. Natural hazard is flooding which is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes.
Environment—current issues: Meuse River, a major source of drinking water, polluted from steel production wastes; other rivers polluted by animal wastes and fertilizers; industrial air pollution contributes to acid rain in neighboring countries.
Geography—note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of both the EU and NATO
Ref. Anonymous, 1999 |