Flanders, Plain of

a low-lying plain in the historical region of Flanders. Occupying parts of Belgium, the southern Netherlands, and northern France, the plain stretches along the North Sea and rises to an elevation of 150 m in the south and southeast. It is composed primarily of alluvial and marine deposits.

Most of the area has been brought under cultivation and is densely populated. Dunes, heath, and planted pine forests are found along the coast. Bocage landscape is typical of the plain. The principal cities of the plain are the Belgian cities of Ghent, Bruges (Brugge), and Ostend (Oostende) and the French cities of Dunkerque and Lille.