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Located between Germany, France, and the Netherlands, Belgium has a short coastline on the North Sea. The south includes the forested Ardennes region, while the north is crisscrossed by canals. Belgium has been fought over many times in its history; it was occupied by Germany in both world wars. Tensions have existed between the Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons since the 1830s. These have been somewhat defused by Belgium's move to a federal political structure and the national consensus on the benefits of EU membership.