BELGIUM

Located in western Europe, Belgium has about 40 mi of seacoast on the North Sea, at the Strait of Dover, and is approximately the size of Maryland. The Meuse and the Schelde, Belgium's principal rivers, are important commercial arteries.

Location

Located in Western Europe, Belgium has a coast line on the North Sea. Netherlands is to the north-east, West Germany to the east Luxembourg to the south-east and France to the south.

Geography

Crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO

Capital

Brussels

Population

10 300 000

Climate

Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy.

Language

Flemish (Dutch), 56%; French, 32%; Dilingual (Brussels), 11%; German, 1%.

Monetary Unit

Begian Franc

Largest Cities

Antwerp, Leuven, Ghent, Hasselt, Bruges, Malines, Courtrai, Namur, Mons, Ostend

Principal rivers

Seheldt, Meuse, Sambre

Places to Visit

Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Ostend, Liege, Leuven

Air Ports

Lesquin International Air Port, Brussels International Airport.