Editing Geography of Belgium (section)

==Physical geography==
[[File:Régions naturelles de Belgique.jpg|thumb|350px|The natural regions of Belgium.]]
[[Image:Hautes-Fagnes.jpg|thumb|200px|Landscape in the [[Hautes Fagnes]], in the [[Ardennes]]]]
[[Image:Hoge-Blekker.Koksijde.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Dune]]s in [[Koksijde]], at the [[North Sea]]]]

Belgium has three main geographical regions: the coastal [[Plain of Flanders|plain]] in the north-west, the central plateau, and the [[Ardennes]] uplands in the south-east. The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and [[polder]]s. Polders are areas of land, close to or below sea level that have been reclaimed from the sea, from which they are protected by [[Dike (construction)|dikes]] or, further inland, by fields that have been drained with canals. The second geographical region, the central plateau, lies further inland. This is a smooth, slowly rising area that has many fertile valleys and is irrigated by many waterways. Here one can also find rougher land, including caves and small [[Canyon|gorges]]. The third geographical region, called the Ardennes, is more rugged than the first two. It is a thickly forested plateau, very rocky and not very good for farming, which extends into northern France and in Germany where it is named [[Eifel]]. This is where much of Belgium's wildlife can be found. Belgium's highest point, the [[Signal de Botrange]] is located in this region at only {{convert|694|m|ft|0}}. Belgium has relatively few natural lakes and none of any great size.

Notable natural regions include the Ardennes, [[Campine]] and [[High Fens]].

===Rivers and lakes===
{{see also|Rivers of Belgium}}

All of Belgium is drained into the [[North Sea]], except the municipality of [[Momignies]] (Macquenoise), which is drained by the river [[Oise (river)|Oise]] into the [[English Channel]]. Three major rivers flow into the sea: the [[Scheldt]] (200&nbsp;km in Belgium, 350&nbsp;km in total), the [[Meuse]] (183&nbsp;km in Belgium, 925&nbsp;km in total) and the [[Yser]] (50&nbsp;km in Belgium, 78&nbsp;km in total). Other rivers are the [[Rupel]], [[Zenne|Senne]], [[Sambre]], [[Lesse]], [[Ourthe]], [[Leie|Lys]] and [[Dijle]]. The main lakes include the [[Lake Genval]], [[Lake Bütgenbach]], [[Lake Eau d'Heure]], [[Lake Gileppe]], [[Lake Eupen]] and [[Lake Robertville]].

===Artificial waterways===
Belgium has also many artificial waterways or canals, among others the [[Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal]], the [[Brussels–Charleroi Canal]], the [[Canal du Centre (Belgium)|Canal du Centre]] and the [[Albert Canal]] in [[Antwerp]].

===Climate===
The Belgian climate, like most of northwest Europe,<ref>{{cite journal |author1 =Peel, M. C. |author2 =Finlayson, B. L. |author3 = McMahon, T. A. | year=2007 | title= Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume=11 |issue =5 | pages=1633–1644 | url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html | issn = 1027-5606 | doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007|bibcode =2007HESS...11.1633P | doi-access=free }} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper])''</ref> is [[maritime temperate climate|maritime temperate]], with significant precipitation in all seasons ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfb''; the average temperature is {{convert|3|°C|°F|1|lk=on}} in January, and {{convert|18|°C|°F|1}} in July; the average precipitation is {{convert|65|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} in January, and {{convert|78|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} in July).<ref>[http://www.eurometeo.com/english/climate/city_EBBR/id_GT/meteo_brussels_belgium Eurometeo: The meteo at Brussels]</ref> Belgium usually has cool winters but temperatures as low as −16&nbsp;°C (3&nbsp;°F) have been registered and summers are comfortably warm but temperatures can occasionally rise as high as 30&nbsp;°C (86&nbsp;°F).

{{Weather box
|location = Uccle (Brussels-Capital Region) 1991–2020
|width=auto 
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Yes
|Jan record high C = 15.3
|Feb record high C = 20.0
|Mar record high C = 24.2
|Apr record high C = 28.7
|May record high C = 34.1
|Jun record high C = 38.8
|Jul record high C = 39.7
|Aug record high C = 36.5
|Sep record high C = 34.9
|Oct record high C = 27.8
|Nov record high C = 20.6
|Dec record high C = 16.7
|year record high C = 39.7
|Jan high C = 6.1
|Feb high C = 7.1
|Mar high C = 10.9
|Apr high C = 15.0
|May high C = 18.4
|Jun high C = 21.2
|Jul high C = 23.2
|Aug high C = 23.0
|Sep high C = 19.5
|Oct high C = 14.9
|Nov high C = 9.9
|Dec high C = 6.6
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 3.7
|Feb mean C = 4.2
|Mar mean C = 7.1
|Apr mean C = 10.4
|May mean C = 13.9
|Jun mean C = 16.7
|Jul mean C = 18.7
|Aug mean C = 18.4
|Sep mean C = 15.2
|Oct mean C = 11.3
|Nov mean C = 7.2
|Dec mean C = 4.3
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 1.4
|Feb low C = 1.5
|Mar low C = 3.5
|Apr low C = 6.0
|May low C = 9.2
|Jun low C = 12.0
|Jul low C = 14.1
|Aug low C = 13.9
|Sep low C = 11.3
|Oct low C = 8.1
|Nov low C = 4.6
|Dec low C = 2.1
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = -21.1
|Feb record low C = -18.3
|Mar record low C = -13.6
|Apr record low C = -5.7
|May record low C = -2.2
|Jun record low C = 0.3
|Jul record low C = 4.4
|Aug record low C = 3.9
|Sep record low C = 0.0
|Oct record low C = -6.8
|Nov record low C = -12.8
|Dec record low C = -17.7
|year record low C = -21.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 75.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 65.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 59.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 46.7
|May precipitation mm = 59.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 70.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 76.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 86.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 65.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 67.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 76.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 87.4
|year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 18.9
|Feb precipitation days = 16.9
|Mar precipitation days = 15.7
|Apr precipitation days = 13.1
|May precipitation days = 14.7
|Jun precipitation days = 14.1
|Jul precipitation days = 14.3
|Aug precipitation days = 14.3
|Sep precipitation days = 14.1
|Oct precipitation days = 16.1
|Nov precipitation days = 18.3
|Dec precipitation days = 19.4
|year precipitation days =
|Jan snow days = 3.8
|Feb snow days = 4.9
|Mar snow days = 2.7
|Apr snow days = 0.6
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.1
|Nov snow days = 1.2
|Dec snow days = 3.7
|year snow days = 
|Jan humidity = 84.1
|Feb humidity = 80.6
|Mar humidity = 74.8
|Apr humidity = 69.2
|May humidity = 70.2
|Jun humidity = 71.3
|Jul humidity = 71.5
|Aug humidity = 72.4
|Sep humidity = 76.8
|Oct humidity = 81.5
|Nov humidity = 85.1
|Dec humidity = 86.6
|year humidity = 
|Jan sun = 59.1
|Feb sun = 72.9
|Mar sun = 125.8
|Apr sun = 171.3
|May sun = 198.3
|Jun sun = 199.3
|Jul sun = 203.2
|Aug sun = 192.4
|Sep sun = 154.4
|Oct sun = 112.6
|Nov sun = 65.8
|Dec sun = 48.6
|year sun = 
| Jan uv = 1
| Feb uv = 1
| Mar uv = 3
| Apr uv = 4
| May uv = 6
| Jun uv = 7
| Jul uv = 6
| Aug uv = 6
| Sep uv = 4
| Oct uv = 2
| Nov uv = 1
| Dec uv = 1
|source 1 = [[Royal Meteorological Institute]]<ref name="Brusselseather1">{{Cite web |title=Normales climatiques à Uccle |url=https://www.meteo.be/fr/climat/climatologie-generale/normales-climatiques-a-uccle/temperature/temperature-moyenne |language=fr |access-date=5 March 2021 |publisher=Royal Meteorological Institute |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203022242/https://www.meteo.be/fr/climat/climatologie-generale/normales-climatiques-a-uccle/temperature/temperature-moyenne |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=monthlyrecords>{{Cite web |title=Le climat de la Belgique |url=https://www.meteo.be/fr/climat/atlas-climatique/mois-apres-mois/janvier |publisher=Royal Meteorological Institute |language=fr |access-date=5 March 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414225811/https://www.meteo.be/fr/climat/atlas-climatique/mois-apres-mois/janvier |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|source 2 = Weather Atlas;<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Yu Media Group |title=Brussels, Belgium - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast |url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/belgium/brussels-climate |access-date=2019-07-02 |website=Weather Atlas |language=en}}</ref> 2019 July record high from [[Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie|VRT Nieuws]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kristien Bonneure, Johan Droessaert, Gianni Paelinck, Denny Baert |date=25 July 2019 |title=Herlees onze Hitteblog: warmste dag ooit eindigt met chaos door propvolle treinen die terugkeren van de kust |publisher=VRT Nieuws |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/07/25/hitteblog-op-weg-naar-de-warmste-dag-ooit-in-belgie/}}</ref>
|date=June 2012

}}

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Antwerp (1981–2010 normals), sunshine 1984–2013
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|collapsed = y
|Jan high C = 6.2
|Feb high C = 7.0
|Mar high C = 10.8
|Apr high C = 14.4
|May high C = 18.4
|Jun high C = 20.9
|Jul high C = 23.2
|Aug high C = 23.1
|Sep high C = 19.7
|Oct high C = 15.3
|Nov high C = 10.1
|Dec high C = 6.6
|year high C = 14.7
|Jan mean C = 3.4
|Feb mean C = 3.7
|Mar mean C = 6.8
|Apr mean C = 9.6
|May mean C = 13.6
|Jun mean C = 16.2
|Jul mean C = 18.5
|Aug mean C = 18.2
|Sep mean C = 15.1
|Oct mean C = 11.3
|Nov mean C = 7.0
|Dec mean C = 4.0
|year mean C = 10.6
|Jan low C = 0.7
|Feb low C = 0.5
|Mar low C = 2.8
|Apr low C = 4.8
|May low C = 8.8
|Jun low C = 11.7
|Jul low C = 13.8
|Aug low C = 13.2
|Sep low C = 10.6
|Oct low C = 7.4
|Nov low C = 4.1
|Dec low C = 1.5
|year low C = 6.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 69.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 57.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 63.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 47.1
|May precipitation mm = 61.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 77.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 80.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 77.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 77.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 78.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 79.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 79.5
|year precipitation mm = 848.4
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 12.3
|Feb precipitation days = 10.6
|Mar precipitation days = 12.0
|Apr precipitation days = 9.2
|May precipitation days = 10.6
|Jun precipitation days = 10.4
|Jul precipitation days = 10.2
|Aug precipitation days = 9.9
|Sep precipitation days = 10.3
|Oct precipitation days = 11.4
|Nov precipitation days = 12.9
|Dec precipitation days = 12.8
|year precipitation days = 132.7
|Jan sun = 57
|Feb sun = 77
|Mar sun = 122
|Apr sun = 177
|May sun = 208
|Jun sun = 202
|Jul sun = 214
|Aug sun = 202
|Sep sun = 144
|Oct sun = 116
|Nov sun = 62
|Dec sun = 47
|year sun = 1625
|source 1 = [[Royal Meteorological Institute]]<ref name =AntwerpIRM>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170125023508/http://www.meteo.be/resources/climateCity/pdf/climate_INS11002_ANTWERPEN_fr.pdf
| archive-date = 25 January 2017
| url = http://www.meteo.be/resources/climateCity/pdf/climate_INS11002_ANTWERPEN_fr.pdf
| title = Statistiques climatiques des communes belges: Antwerpen (ins 11002)
| publisher = Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium
| language = fr
| access-date = 25 January 2017}}</ref>

}}

===Mountain and hills===
{{see also|List of mountains and hills in Belgium}}

Belgium's highest point is the [[Signal de Botrange]] at 694 metres above the sea level. Other hills in Belgium include the [[Kemmelberg]] (159 m high) and the [[Koppenberg]] (77 m high) both known as part of the route of the cycle races [[Gent–Wevelgem]] and the [[Tour of Flanders]] respectively.

===Extreme points===
[[File:Extreme points Belgium.png|right|250px|thumb|Extreme points of Belgium]]

This is a list of the extreme points of Belgium, the points that are farther north, south, east, west, high or low than any other location.
* Northernmost point — [[Dreef]], municipality of [[Hoogstraten]], [[Antwerp Province]]
* Southernmost point — [[Torgny (village)|Torgny]], municipality of [[Rouvroy, Belgium|Rouvroy]], [[Luxembourg (Belgium)|Luxembourg]]
* Westernmost point — [[De Panne]], [[West Flanders]] (also the northernmost point in France)
* Easternmost point — [[Krewinkel]], municipality of [[Büllingen]], [[Liège Province]]
* Highest point — [[Signal de Botrange]] (694 m)
* Lowest point — [[De Moeren]] (−3 m)

The [[Belgian National Geographic Institute]] calculated that the central point of Belgium lies at coordinates {{coord|50|38|28|N|4|40|05|E|region:BE_type:landmark}}, in [[Nil-Saint-Vincent-Saint-Martin]] in the municipality of [[Walhain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walhain.be/template.asp?m=2&sm=3&smenu=Centre%20g%E9ographique&tmp=4 |title=Centre géographique – Le Site |language=fr |publisher=Municipality of Walhain |access-date=2007-03-09 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5msIVitEZ?url=http://www.walhain.be/template.asp?m=2 |archive-date=January 18, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>