Geographical description of Belgium

Situation

Belgium is situated in the west of Europe, bordered to the north by the Netherlands, to the east by Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and to the south and the west by France. Although its surface area of 30,688 km2 makes it a small country, its location has made it the economic and urban nerve centre of Europe.

Belgium spans 2 degrees in latitude, from 51 degrees 30 minutes N at Meerle (northernmost point) to 49 degrees 30 minutes N at Torgny (southernmost point). In longitude, it spans less than 4 degrees, from 2 degrees 33 minutes E to 6 degrees 24 minutes E.

The geography of Belgium shows it to have three major areas: lower Belgium (up to 100m above sea level), central Belgium (between 100 and 200m above sea level) and upper Belgium (from 200 to over 500m above sea level).

More information

The National Geography Institute

The National Geography Institute (NGI) (nl - fr), carries out a number of tasks for the government and specialists among the public. In addition, it has a number of activities that are very interesting for the public at large and for business. For example, they sell topographical and tourist maps. This includes both paper-based versions and books, as well as digital media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs. The NGI also has a documentation centre with a photo library, a catalogue system and a scientific library. In 2007, the NGI's book ‘België in kaart’ received the IMTA Gold Award - Best Atlas 2007.

The Royal Institute of Meteorology

The website of the Royal Institute of Meteorology (KMI - IRM), provides an abbreviated and a full weather forecast for the current and following days, and it provides warnings of dangerous meteorological events in Belgium. You can even receive this information by SMS. The KMI also provides scientific information about the hole in the ozone layer, about solar radiation,... In the event that your house of business has sustained weather damage, the KMI will be able to provide copies of official records in support of insurance claims.