Belgium Tour

Belgium is a highly industrialized,relatively small country in north-west Europe with a short coastline on the North Sea.The Meuse river divides Belgium into two distinct geographical regions.To the north of the river the land slopes continuously for 150 km/93 miles until it reaches the North Sea where the coastlands are flat and grassy.To the south of the river is the forested plateau area of the Ardennes.Between these two regions lies the Meuse valley.Belgium is a densely populated country with few natural resources.Agriculture,which uses about 45% of the land for cultivation or rearing of livestock,employs only 3% of the workforce.About one fifth of the country is covered with forests with the wooded areas mainly used for recreation.The metal-working industry,orginally based on the small mineral deposits in the Ardennes,is the most important industry,and in the northern cities new textile industries are producing carpets and clothing.Nearly all raw materials are now imported through the main port of Antwerp.There are three officially-recognized languages in Belgium- Dutch,French and German.

Belgium Tour Quick facts:

Area : 30,528 sq km

Population : 10,414,336

Capital : Brussels

Other major cities: Antwerp, Bruges, Charleroi, Ghent, Liege

Form of government : federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Religion : Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%

Currency: Euro

Belgium

Belgium Tour

Belgium Tour: Belgium - Fact and Info