Editing Signal de Botrange

{{Short description|Highest point in Belgium}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Signal de Botrange
| photo = Belgium, Botrange, Monument.JPG
| photo_caption = The 6&nbsp;m high tower at the Signal de Botrange
| photo_size = 225
| elevation_m = 694
| elevation_ref = <ref name="pb">[http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=9606 "Signal de Botrange" on Peakbagger.com] Retrieved 29 September 2011</ref>
| prominence = 119 m (390 ft)
| map = Belgium
| map_caption = Location of Signal de Botrange in Belgium
| map_size = 240
| label_position = left
| listing = [[List of countries by highest point|Country high point]]
| location = [[Liège Province]], [[Wallonia]], Belgium
| range = [[Hautes Fagnes]]
| coordinates = {{coord|50|30|06|N|6|05|34|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = <ref name="pb"/>
| first_ascent = 
| easiest_route = 
}}
[[File:Signal_de_Botrange,_communicatiemast_boven_op_de_berg_foto5_2017-03-28_11.58.jpg|left|125px|thumb|Communication tower on the Signal de Botrange]]
'''Signal de Botrange''' is the highest point in [[Wallonia]] and in Belgium, located in the ''[[High Fens]]'' (''Hautes Fagnes'' in [[French language|French]], ''Hohes Venn'' in [[German language|German]], ''Hoge Venen'' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]), at {{convert|694|m|ft|0|abbr=off}}. It is the top of a broad [[plateau]] and a road crosses the summit, passing an adjacent [[café]]. It is also the highest point in the [[Ardennes]] and in the European part of the [[Benelux]].

For several decades a meteorological station was installed at signal de Botrange. Since 1999, it was replaced by an automatic station of the [[Royal Meteorological Institute|Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium]] installed on Mount Rigi (scientific station of the High Fens - [[University of Liège]]), which is between the Signal and [[Baraque Michel]] which was formerly the highest point in Belgium prior to the annexation of the [[Eupen-Malmedy|Eastern Cantons]] in 1919.

Signal de Botrange experiences stronger winds than the centre of Belgium. Average and extreme temperatures are usually lower than at any other place in Belgium: the minimum temperature recorded ({{cvt|-25.6|°C|disp=sqbr}}) does not, however, exceed the absolute record ({{cvt|-30.1|°C|disp=sqbr}}), observed in the valley of the Lomme, at [[Rochefort, Belgium|Rochefort]] during a temperature inversion. In winter, for three months, on average, the average temperature remains below {{cvt|0|°C}}.

Rainfall is much greater than most of the rest of the country, at an annual average of {{cvt|1450|mm}} compared with {{cvt|800|mm}} in [[Uccle]]: there are over 200 days of precipitation per year (against just over 170 in Uccle). Maximum temperatures in summer rarely exceed {{cvt|30|°C}}. The number of days of frost is over 130 days per year and the number of days of snowfall exceeds 35 days. The maximum thickness of snow was measured on 9 February 1953, at {{cvt|115|cm}} of snow. Frost and early snowfall can occur in late September, but that is exceptional. Late snow may sometimes occur until mid-May.{{citation needed|date=January 2011}}

At the height of winter the site is used as the start of a number of [[cross-country skiing]] routes.<ref>[http://www.ski-botrange.be/index.asp?l=en&rub=carte Cross-country ski map of Botrange]</ref>

== Towers and Transmitters Botrange ==
In 1923, the {{convert|6|m|ft|adj=on|abbr=off}} [[Herman Baltia|Baltia]] tower was built on the summit to allow visitors to reach an altitude of {{convert|700|m|ft|abbr=on}}. A stone tower built in 1933/34 by François Fagnoul from [[Ovifat]] on the Botrange crowned a steel weather vane with the relieved name '' SICCO CAMPO '' until [[World War II]]. Meanwhile, the spire serves as transmitter of [[Radio Contact (Eupen)|Radio Contact]] and reaches a de facto height of {{convert|718|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

In November 2013, at the Signal de Botrange, a {{convert|50|m|ft|adj=mid|-high|abbr=off}} tower with [[parabolic antenna]]s was agreed to provide data interchange by [[Microwave transmission]] between [[London Stock Exchange]] and [[Frankfurt Stock Exchange]], because the data transmission via [[Communications satellite]] or [[fibre optic]] involves a small delay, which interferes the stock exchange trading. The data transfer takes place in [[Real-time data|real time]] via the intermediate station Botrange, which was set up directly next to the existing tower.<ref>[http://brf.be/nachrichten/regional/678187/ ''New Tower at Botrange'']</ref>

== Hydrography ==

The summit of Belgium is home on its flanks to several sources of Ardennes rivers, all belonging to the Mosan basin, including the Helle, Roer and Schwarzbach to the north (but flowing here to the east), Bayehon to the south, and the Trôs Marets to the west.

As in the names of these rivers, although the Signal de Botrange is not a state border, it marks a language border in the area between the Romance languages (south and west) and Germanic languages (north and east)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Highest points of Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Signal De Botrange}}
[[Category:Mountains under 1000 metres]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Ardennes (Belgium)]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Eifel]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Liège Province]]
[[Category:Waimes]]
[[Category:Highest points of countries]]
[[Category:Towers in Belgium]]