Belgium

The kingdom of belgium is known as the “crossroads of Western Europe” because most other western European capitals are located within 1,000 kilometers of the capital city of Brussels. Bordering [Page 106]on the North Sea, the climate of Belgium is temperate with mild winters and wet, cool summers. The topography of Belgium varies from the flat coastal plains of the northwest to hills in the central part of the country to the mountains of the Ardennes Forest in the southeast. Belgium has protected large areas of land, particularly in the Ardennes, which is home to many of the 191 species of birds and the 58 mammal species endemic to Belgium. Close attention is also paid to the peat bogs of the Hautes Fagnes Reserve. Flooding ...