
Fertile plains cover two thirds of France, which is the largest country in Western Europe. With more than half the land under cultivation, France leads the European Union in food exports. The mountain ranges are mostly in the south, including the Alps, Pyrenees, and Massif Central.

The second largest country in area after Russia, Canada has coastlines on the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific Oceans, giving it the longest coastline of any country. In area, Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but has only 11 percent as many people.

Belgium, a small country in Western Europe, is generally flat except for the hilly and forested southeast (Ardennes) region. After centuries of invasion and occupation, this crossroads of Europe now stands at center stage in the newly unifying continent.