Ardennes, << ahr DEHN, >> Mountains and Forest extend from northern France into Belgium and Luxembourg. They contain some of the largest oak and beech forests in Europe. The Ardennes Mountains average about 1,600 feet (488 meters) in height. Sandstone ridges and limestone valleys along the Sambre and Meuse rivers form the northernmost part of the region. Farther south is the Famenne, a woodland area where rivers have carved numerous caves in the soft limestone. The remainder of the Ardennes consists mainly of forest-covered hills separated by winding rivers. Botrange Mountain, the highest point in Belgium, rises 2,277 feet (694 meters). La Roche-en-Ardenne is a popular resort village within the Belgian Ardennes.
The Ardennes is sparsely populated and poorly suited for agriculture, but the area is rich with wildlife—especially deer and wild boar. Springs throughout the region are rich in minerals. Coal, iron, and slate are extracted from the northern part of the Ardennes.
The Ardennes Forest was known in Roman times as the Arduenna. In the first month of World War I (1914-1918), heavy fighting occurred between German and French forces in the Ardennes. Early in World War II (1939-1945), the Germans broke through the area in their invasion of Belgium. In December 1944, there was again fierce fighting in the Ardennes, as German and American forces met in the Battle of the Bulge—the bloodiest American battle of World War II. See Bulge, Battle of the .
