Belgium

Belgium is the State in northwest of Europe. In the north it borders on the Netherlands, in the east — on Germany and Luxembourg, in the south and the southwest — on France. In northwest it is washed by Northern sea. The country is subdivided into three geographical regions: flat coastal plains, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest. The coastal plain is in northwest and consists of sandy dunes and polders (the sites of the ground, that are won from the sea by construction of dams). Width of a strip of this region is from 16 to 48 km, average height above sea level is about 10 m. The central rolling hills — the low site of territory, which consist of fertile plains. Ardennes — covered by woods of a plateau, which average height is about 460 m, located in a southeast of Belgium and partially in northeast of France. The highest point of Belgium — Botrange (694m) — is in Ardenness.

The Belgian Gallia is the beginning of the francs’ kingdom, stretched from modern Belgium up to Germany and from Pireneev up to the Alpes. At king of francs Charles The Great the kingdom covered practically all Western Europe. After section of kingdom in 843 Belgium became a part of East Francs Kingdom (Germany), except for Flanders, which belonged to French kings.

In 1384 Flanders has been attached to Burgundy and already to the middle of XV century the Burgundian dukes operated mostly Belgium. However after Charles the Courageous’s death and marriage of his daughter to German prince Maksimilian, Belgium has got under authority of the Gabsburg’s. But in the beginning of XVI century Maksimilian’s grandson has transferred the Netherlands and Belgium under management of Spain.

In 1581 some provinces, the Netherlands making now, have left authority of Spain, but Belgium remained to a true Spanish crown. In the end XVII and the beginning of XVIII centuries as a result of wars with Spain the part of Belgium has passed to France, and in 1797 Belgium has been completely attached to France. In 1815 Belgium has been incorporated with the Netherlands, however Catholics-Belgians did not wish to be under authority of king-Protestant, and in 1830 the independent Kingdom Belgium has been formed. Present Belgium renders the big influence on a life of the Europe: in Bruxelles there are a headquarters of NATO and the parliament of EU. 

Belgium is a member of the United Nations and all specialized agencies of this organization, NATO, EU, OSCE. 

A state system: 

the Head of the state — the monarch.
The highest legislature — two-chamber parliament (the Senate and the House of Representatives).
The highest executive authority is in hands of the monarch and the prime minister heading the Cabinet of Ministers.