How does the geography of Belgium rise from the North Sea to the Ardennes?

Belgium is a low-lying country that features a gradual rise in elevation as one moves from the northwest to the southeast. The landscape transitions from the coastal plains along the North Sea into the higher terrain of the Ardennes in the southeast, where it reaches a maximum elevation of 2,277 feet (694 meters) at Botrange.1

The progression of the terrain includes several distinct regions:

• Coastal and Low-lying Plains: Bordering the North Sea is the plain of Flanders, which includes reclaimed land (polders) protected by dunes and dikes, as well as interior areas of sand and silt soils.1
• Central Plateaus: Moving inland, the landscape rises into the Central Plateaus, which sit at elevations between 150 and 650 feet (45 and 200 meters).1
• Foothills and Depressions: Further southeast, the terrain becomes more complex, featuring the Sambre-Meuse valley and the Condroz plateau, which exceeds 1,100 feet (335 meters) in elevation.1
• The Ardennes: This region forms the highest part of the country, characterized as a plateau deeply cut by the Meuse River and its tributaries.1