De Panne in the context of Belgium–France border

The Belgium–France border, or more commonly the Franco-Belgian border, separates France and Belgium and is 620 km (390 mi) long. Part of it is defined by the Lys river. The western end is at the North Sea (51°5′22″N 2°32′43″E / 51.08944°N 2.54528°E / 51.08944; 2.54528 near De Panne and Bray-Dunes). The eastern end is at the Belgium–France–Luxembourg tripoint (at 49°32′46″N 5°49′5″E / 49.54611°N 5.81806°E / 49.54611; 5.81806 near Athus and Mont-Saint-Martin). The straight distance between these points is 289 km (180 mi).

Since 1995, Belgium and France have been parts of the Schengen Area. This means there are no permanent border controls at this border, but there have been temporary controls.

West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemish province of East Flanders to the east, the Walloon province of Hainaut in the south and the French department of Nord to the west. Its capital is Bruges (Brugge). Other important cities are Kortrijk in the south and Ostend (Oostende) on the coast, Roeselare and Ypres (Ieper). The province has an area of 3,197 km (1,234 sq mi) which is divided into eight administrative districts (arrondissementen) containing 64 municipalities.As of January 2024, West Flanders has a population of over 1.22 million.

The North Sea coast of Belgium, an important tourism destination, lies in West Flanders. A tram line runs the length of the coast, from De Panne on the French border to Knokke-Heist on the Dutch border. West Flanders has two seaports, the Port of Zeebrugge and the Port of Ostend.