Physical Characteristics of Belgium

Your goal: Be able to give examples of the physical characteristics of Belgium.

Landforms

North Sea

Belgium can only send ships out by the North Sea.

Bordering Countries

Shares borders with• The Netherlands• Germany• Luxembourg• France

Human Characteristics of Belgium

Your goal: Be able to give examples of the human characteristics of Belgium.

Politics

NATO Headquarters

•North Atlantic Treaty Organization•Political, military and economic cooperation of nations worldwide

EU Headquarters

•EU = European Union•Economic cooperation of European Countries

History

Population

• Population 11 million• 25% foreign born from– Morocco– Turkey– Congo

The Congo

• King Leopold II– Encouraged rubber companies– Forced Africans to collect sap

Congo River Valley

Belgium and the Belgian Congo

• Compare the sizes of the Belgian Congo to the nation of Belgium.

• How would a Belgian justify this?

Rubber Trees

The Schlieffen Plan

World War I plan for Germany to invade France by going through Belgium (1914)

Demographics

Population

• Population 11 million• 25% foreign born from– Morocco– Turkey– Congo

Culture

The Adventures of TinTin

Comic book about foreign explorations1930s-1940s

Industry

Diamonds

•Diamond center of the world•85% of all rough diamonds are sold in Antwerp, Belgium

Food

Brussels Sprout

•Named for the city of Brussels, Belgium