BELGIUM
GEOGRAPHY |
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Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liege and Namur are the six largest
cities of Belgium, with populations above 100,000.Belgium has an area of
30,510 km˛. Belgium has three main physical regions: the coastal plain (located
in the northwest), the central plateau, and the Ardennes uplands (located in
the southeast).
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, fields
that have been drained by canals. |
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The second physical region, the central plateau, lies further inland. This
is a smooth, slowly rising area which has many fertile valleys and is
irrigated by many waterways. Here one can also find rougher land, including
caves and small gorges.
The third physical region (called the Ardennes) is somewhat 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. This is where much of
Belgium's wildlife can be found.
The two main rivers in Belgium are the Scheldt and the Meuse. These two
rivers bring prosperity to Tournai, Ghent, Antwerp, Ličge and Namur.
Although generally flat, the terrain becomes increasingly hilly and forested
in the southeast (Ardennes) region, where one can find Belgium's highest
point, the Signal de Botrange at only 694 metres.
The climate is cool, temperate, and rainy; summer temperatures average 25°C
/ 77°F, winters average 7.2°C / 45°F. Annual extremes (rarely attained) are
-12.2°C / 10°F and 32.2°C / 90°F. |
