Geography of Belgium

Total renewable water resources: 18.3 cu km (2011)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.22 cu km/yr (12%/88%/1%)
per capita: 589.8 cu m/yr (2007)

Natural hazards: flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

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

Longest Distances: 280 km SE-NW/ 222 km NE-SW

Map of Belgian regions and provinces.

Belgium has an area of 30,689 square kilometres,[1] with 16,901 km² (6,526 sq mi) for Wallonia, 13,625 km² (5,261 sq mi) for the Flemish Region and 162.4 km² (62.7 sq mi) for the Brussels Capital Region. By provinces, the area is distributed as such:

• Luxembourg: 4,459 km² (1,722 sq mi)
• Liège: 3,857 km² (1,489 sq mi)
• Hainaut: 3,813 km² (1,472 sq mi)
• Namur: 3,675 km² (1,419 sq mi)
• West Flanders: 3,197 km² (1,234 sq mi)
• East Flanders: 3,007 km² (1,161 sq mi)
• Antwerp: 2,876 km² (1,110 sq mi)
• Limburg: 2,427 km² (937 sq mi)
• Flemish Brabant: 2,118 km² (818 sq mi)
• Walloon Brabant: 1,097 km² (424 sq mi)

For the purpose of total area, the Brussels-Capital Region should also be included, though no longer a province since the Brabant was split. Belgium has also 3,462 square kilometres of sea territories in the North Sea. On 29 May 2000, 2,000 square meters were granted by the Netherlands to Belgium (a piece of land in Zelzate along the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal).

Compared to other countries, Belgium is 44% larger than Wales in the United Kingdom and about the size of Maryland in the United States. Belgium is actually used as an unusual unit of measurement in comparing country sizes.[2]

In November 2016, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to cede small, uninhabited parcels of land to reflect a change in course of the river Meuse (or Maas, in Dutch). The land swap is to take effect as of 2018.[3]

The natural regions of Belgium.

Landscape in the Hautes Fagnes, in the Ardennes

Dunes in Koksijde, at the North Sea

Belgium has three main geographical regions: the coastal plain in the north-west, the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands in the south-east. The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Polders are areas of land, close to or below sea level that have been reclaimed from the sea, from which they are protected by dikes or, further inland, by fields that have been drained with canals. The second geographical region, the central plateau, lies further inland. This is a smooth, slowly rising area that has many fertile valleys and is irrigated by many waterways. Here one can also find rougher land, including caves and small gorges. The third geographical region, called the Ardennes, is more rugged than the first two. It is a thickly forested plateau, very rocky and not very good for farming, which extends into northern France and in Germany where it is named Eifel. This is where much of Belgium's wildlife can be found. Belgium's highest point, the Signal de Botrange is located in this region at only 694 metres (2,277 ft). Belgium has relatively few natural lakes and none of any great size.

Notable natural regions include the Ardennes, Campine and High Fens.

Extreme points

Extreme points of Belgium

This is a list of the extreme points of Belgium, the points that are farther north, south, east, west, high or low than any other location.

• Northernmost point — Dreef, municipality of Hoogstraten, Antwerp Province
• Southernmost point — Torgny, municipality of Rouvroy, Luxembourg
• Westernmost point — De Panne, West Flanders
• Easternmost point — Krewinkel, municipality of Büllingen, Liège Province
• Highest point — Signal de Botrange (694 m)
• Lowest point — De Moeren (−3 m)

The Belgian National Geographic Institute calculated that the central point of Belgium lies at coordinates 50°38′28″N 4°40′05″E, in Nil-Saint-Vincent-Saint-Martin in the municipality of Walhain.[11]

Natural resources in Belgium include construction materials, silica sand and carbonates. Belgium used to have coal mines. As of 2012, the land use was as follows:

• Arable land: 26.49%
• Permanent crops: 0.79%
• Other: 72.72%

As of 2007, the estimated area of irrigated land was of 233.5 km².

Because of its high population density and location in the centre of Western Europe, Belgium faces serious environmental problems. A 2003 report[12] suggested that the water in Belgium's rivers was of the lowest quality in Europe, and bottom of the 122 countries studied. The environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanisation, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding, and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighbouring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges.

The main cities in Belgium in terms of population are Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège. Other notable cities include Bruges, Namur, Leuven, Mons and Mechelen.

• CIA Factbook
• Belgian Federal Govt Online (accessed Dec. 24, 2006)
• Official statistics of Belgium website (accessed Dec. 24, 2006)

• Map of Belgium from lib.utexas.edu

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