INTRODUCTION TO BELGIUM

Geography:
Belgium constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe south of the Netherlands west of Germany, and north of France.The total area is 30,528 sq km (11,787 sq mi). The capital city is Brussels.

Land and Resources
Belgium has three land regions: the coastal plain, the central plateau, and the Ardennes highlands. The coastal plain lies in the northwest along the North Sea. This low-lying region consists of sand dunes and polders, large sections of land reclaimed from the sea and protected by dikes. The central plateau is a rolling, well-irrigated area of fertile valleys. The Ardennes highlands, a wooded plateau extending across southeastern Belgium into France, has Belgium's highest peak, Botrange (694 m/2277 ft).

Animals range from foxes and hedgehogs to deer and wild boar. Forest trees include oak, beech, elm, and pine. Abundant plants include the hyacinth, goldenrod, periwinkle, and lily of the valley.

Climate:
The climate is humid and mild along the coastlines, with more extreme temperatures farther inland. Heavy rains fall almost exclusively in the highlands. In Brussels the average temperature ranges from -1^° to 4^° C (30^° to 40^° F) in January and 12^° to 23^° C (54^° to 73^° F) in July.

Population
The population of Belgium (1997 estimate) is 10,165,059. Belgians descend from two ethnic groups: the Flemings (Teutonic origin) and the Walloons (Celtic origin), distinguishable by their language. The Flemings speak Dutch, and the Walloons speak French. The Flemish provinces, called Flanders, are in the north, and the Walloon provinces, called Wallonia, are in the south. The capital city of Brussels, an enclave within Flanders, is mixed.