Belgium is situated in the west of Europe, bordered to the north by the Netherlands, to the east by Germany and Luxembourg and to the south and the west by France.

Although its surface area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 square miles) makes it a small country, its location has made it the economic and urban nerve centre of Europe.

There are three official languages in Belgium: French, Dutch and German. Belgium is a Member State of the European Union. Its currency is the Euro. The capital of Belgium, Brussels, is also the capital of the European Union.

Belgium is a federal state in which considerable powers are delegated to the regional governments of Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders. These three regional governments are responsible for the economy, industrial development, agriculture, the environment and transport.

Facts and figures about Belgium