Country · Europe
Belgium
Kingdom of Belgium
Belgium is a country in Western Europe. About 11.4 million people live there, in an area of 30 528 square kilometres. Its capital city is Brussels.
Picture credit: EmDee (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Jean-Pol GRANDMONT (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Jean-Pol GRANDMONT (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Ank Kumar (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Martin Falbisoner (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Belgium?
Belgium lies in Western Europe, on the continent of Europe.
It sits in the northern half of the world, roughly 5 659 km from the equator.
Its coastline is about 67 km long.
It shares a border with 4 countries: France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
How big is Belgium?
Belgium covers 30 528 square kilometres.
That is about 12 times the size of Luxembourg.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 136th largest.
Spread everybody out evenly and you get about 374.5 people on every square kilometre.
That is busier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in Belgium?
About 11.4 million people live in Belgium.
That is the 78th biggest population in the world.
People here speak German, French and Dutch.
They pay with the Euro (€).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 78 years.
The land of Belgium
Its coast runs for about 67 km. Walking it end to end, at twenty kilometres a day, would take roughly 3 days.
It lies between the tropics and the poles, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes Belgium different?
A dish the country is known for: Moules-frites.
Websites from here often end in .be.
Belgium and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about one lives in Belgium.
It takes up about 0.02 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Europe the country ranks 33rd of 45 by size, and 11th by population.
Belgium and its neighbours
France, its largest neighbour, is about 18.1 times bigger.
France has more people: 67 million against 11.4 million.
Nature and animals
Of the animals on this site, 5 live wild in Belgium: European mole, Carrion crow, Muskrat, Millipede and Common woodlouse. The highest mountain in the country is Signal de Botrange, at 694 metres. The longest river in the country is the Scheldt. The country has no large natural lake; its largest body of water, Lac de la Plate Taille, is a reservoir.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons under free licences — every credit is on the page itself and in the picture credits.
How big is Belgium compared with the United States?
- The United States is about 307 times as big as Belgium: 9 372 610 km² against 30 528 km².
- The United Kingdom is about 8 times as big as Belgium: 242 900 km² against 30 528 km².
Questions children ask
What is the capital of Belgium?
The capital of Belgium is Brussels. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in Belgium?
About 11.4 million people live in Belgium, which makes it the 78th most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
Which countries border Belgium?
Belgium borders France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — 4 neighbours in total.
How big is Belgium?
Belgium covers 30 528 square kilometres, making it the 136th largest country in the world. That is about 12 times the size of Luxembourg.
What is the highest mountain in Belgium?
The highest mountain in Belgium is Signal de Botrange, 694 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in Belgium?
The longest river in Belgium is the Scheldt. Of its 350 kilometres, about 200 run through the country.
What is the largest lake in Belgium?
The largest body of water in Belgium is Lac de la Plate Taille, a reservoir of about 4 km²; there is no large natural lake in the country.
Which continent is Belgium in?
Belgium is in Europe, in the part called Western Europe.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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