The terrain of Belgium is divided into three parts. The coastal plain includes many dunes. The plateau is flat pastures and canals. Finally, a high arc into the dense forest.
The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Further inland lies a smooth, slowly rising landscape irrigated by numerous waterways, with fertile valleys and the northeastern sandy plain of the Campine (Kempen). The thickly forested hills and plateaux of the Ardennes are more rugged and rocky with caves and small gorges.