What are Belgium's physical features?


Quick Answer

Most of Belgium's physical features include flatlands, but there are some mountainous regions. Additionally there are rivers and the country is bordered by the North Sea for about 40 miles. Belgium is divided by three distinct areas including lower Belgium, the Ardennes tableland and the central plains.

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Full Answer

The North Sea border is located in the flat region of lower Belgium. Many valleys make up the fertile region of Belgium's central plains; this is where the majority of Belgium's population live. The country sits about 526 feet above sea level, but the entire upper third of the country sits above the ocean at only 60 feet.

The rivers Sambre and Meuse separate the central plains from the mountainous region of the Ardennes tableland. Other major rivers, the Lys and Scheidt, are located in the northwest section of Belgium. The central plains have no other major rivers.

The Ardennes mountains boast an elevation of 2,277 feet at its highest point. Besides the highest elevation and the short shoreline of the North Sea, there are no other natural borders surrounding the country. The mountains provide scenery for hikers and travelers with their limestone cliffs, wooded hills and rugged terrain. Even though these features exist in the mountainous region, only 18 percent of the land in Belgium is forest country.

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