Belgium vs. Netherlands
Geography
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany |
| Geographic coordinates | 50 50 N, 4 00 E | 52 31 N, 5 46 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km | total: 41,543 sq km land: 33,893 sq km water: 7,650 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about the size of Maryland | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,297 km border countries (4): France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km | total: 1,053 km border countries (2): Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km |
| Coastline | 66.5 km | 451 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
| Terrain | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Botrange 694 m lowest point: North Sea 0 m mean elevation: 181 m | highest point: Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m mean elevation: 30 m note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m |
| Natural resources | construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land | natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 44.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 16.1% (2018 est.) forest: 22.4% (2018 est.) other: 33.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 55.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.) forest: 10.8% (2018 est.) other: 34.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 230 sq km (2012) | 4,860 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes | flooding volcanism: Mount Scenery (887 m), located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, last erupted in 1640;; Round Hill (601 m), a dormant volcano also known as The Quill, is located on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean;; these islands are at the northern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends south to Grenada |
| Environment - current issues | intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries | water and air pollution are significant environmental problems; pollution of the country's rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals, including heavy metals, organic compounds, nitrates, and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO | located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde); about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level |
| Total renewable water resources | 18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas | an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country |
Source: CIA Factbook
