Geography of Belgium have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges. The main cities in Belgium in terms of population are Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège. Other notable cities include Bruges, Namur, Leuven, Mons and Mechelen. Geography of Belgium Belgium is a federal state located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea. Belgium shares borders with France (556 km), Germany (133 km), Luxembourg (130 km) and the Netherlands (478 km). Belgium comprises the regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Total renewable water resources: 18.3 cu km (2011) Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Reichskommissariat of Belgium and Northern France Reichskommissariat of Belgium and Northern France The "Reichskommissariat" of Belgium and Northern France was a German civil administration ("Zivilverwaltung") which governed German-occupied Belgium during World War II. The "Reichskommissariat" replaced an earlier military government, the Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France, established in the same territory in 1940. On 18 July 1944, the first Gauleiter, Josef Grohé, was named the first "Reichskommissar" of the territory, known as the "Reichskommissariat Belgien und Nordfrankreich" or "Reichskommissariat für die besetzten Gebiete von Belgien und Nordfrankreich". The territory was mostly liberated by the Allies in September 1944, in the aftermath of the Normandy