Luxembourg vs. Belgium
Geography
| Luxembourg | Belgium | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Europe, between France and Germany | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands |
| Geographic coordinates | 49 45 N, 6 10 E | 50 50 N, 4 00 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 2,586 sq km land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Rhode Island; about half the size of Delaware | about the size of Maryland |
| Land boundaries | total: 327 km border countries (3): Belgium 130 km, France 69 km, Germany 128 km | total: 1,297 km border countries (4): France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 66.5 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors |
| Climate | modified continental with mild winters, cool summers | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy |
| Terrain | mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m lowest point: Moselle River 133 m mean elevation: 325 m | highest point: Botrange 694 m lowest point: North Sea 0 m mean elevation: 181 m |
| Natural resources | iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land | construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 24% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.) forest: 33.5% (2018 est.) other: 15.8% (2018 est.) | 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.) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (2012) | 230 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | occasional flooding | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes |
| Environment - current issues | air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland; unsustainable patterns of consumption (transport, energy, recreation, space) threaten biodiversity and landscapes | 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 |
| 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, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification | 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 |
| Geography - note | landlocked; the only grand duchy in the world | crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO |
| Total renewable water resources | 3.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most people live in the south, on or near the border with France | 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 |
Source: CIA Factbook
