Total area: 11,787 sq mi (30,528 sq km)
Population (2009 est.): 10,414,336
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Brussels - 1,750,600 (metro area)
Other large cities: Antwerp - 952,600 (metro area); Ghent - 226,900; Charleroi - 201,200; Liège - 185,700; Bruges - 117,200
Currency: Euro
Languages: Dutch (Flemish) 60%, French 40%, German less than 1% (all official)
Religion: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Time zone: GMT+1, Daylight Savings Time (DST): GMT+2
Electricity: AC 230V/50Hz; European plugs with two round pins are the standard
Belgium is a country in northwest Europe, on the North Sea, bordering France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. The terrain in Belgium is divided into there main regions: the coastal plain in the north-west that consists mostly of polders and sand dunes (Lower Belgium), the central plateau (Central Belgium) and the Ardennes uplands in the south-east (Upper Belgium), with a heavily forested but also rugged and rocky landscapes.
Belgian's population is divided into two main linguistic groups - the Flemish (Dutch) and French - speaking. Flemish-speaking population (about 59%) is concentrated in the region of Flanders in the North and the French-speaking population (about 31%) is concentrated in the southern region of Wallonia. Brussels, the capital, officially bilingual, is inhabited mostly by French-speaking people.
