Economy, Transportation

The chief access to the sea for Belgian shipping is via the Schelde and Meuse estuaries, which lie within the territory of The Netherlands. Antwerp, on the Schelde River, although some 84 km (52 mi) from the sea, is one of the busiest ports in the world. The rivers of Belgium are connected by an important system of canals. The aggregate length of canals and navigable rivers totals about 1,520 km (about 940 mi). Supplementing the waterways is a system of 148,216 km (92,097 mi) of roads. There are 3,472 km (2,157 mi) of railroad track, which are state owned. No other country in the world has more railroad trackage per unit area. Sabena, the Belgian national airline, operates routes to major cities throughout the world.