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
Area
Map of Belgian regions and provinces.
Belgium has an area of 30,689 km² (11,849 sq mi), with 16,901 km2 (6,526 sq mi) or 55.1% for the Walloon Region, 13,626 km2 (5,261 sq mi) or 44.4% for the Flemish Region, and 162 km2 (63 sq mi) or 0.5% for the Brussels Capital Region.[1]
Its land area is 30,494 km² (11,774 sq mi) or 99.36%, and its water area is 195 km² (75 sq mi) or 0.64%. Belgium has also 3,454 km² (1,334 sq mi) of sea territories in the North Sea; including this, its total territory is 34,143 km² (13,183 sq mi).[2]
By provinces, the area (of 30,689 km²) is distributed as such:[1]
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.[4]
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.
The Belgian climate, like most of northwest Europe,[5] is maritime temperate, with significant precipitation in all seasons (Köppen climate classification: Cfb; the average temperature is 3 °C (37.4 °F) in January, and 18 °C (64.4 °F) in July; the average precipitation is 65 mm (2.6 in) in January, and 78 mm (3.1 in) in July).[6] Belgium usually has cool winters but temperatures as low as −16 °C (3 °F) have been registered and summers are comfortably warm but temperatures can occasionally rise as high as 30 °C (86 °F).
Climate data for Uccle (Brussels-Capital Region) 1991–2020
Belgium's highest point is the Signal de Botrange at 694 metres above the sea level. Other hills in Belgium include the Kemmelberg (159 m high) and the Koppenberg (77 m high) both known as part of the route of the cycle races Gent–Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders respectively.
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.
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:
As of 2007, the estimated area of irrigated land was of 233.5 km2.
Environment
Because of its high population density and location in the centre of Western Europe, Belgium faces serious environmental problems. A 2003 report[13] 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.
In Belgium forest cover is around 23% of the total land area, equivalent to 689,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 677,400 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 251,200 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 438,200 hectares (ha). For the year 2015, 47% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 53% private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown. [14]
