Meuse

Meuse, river of Europe, traversing north-eastern France, southern Belgium, and the Netherlands. It rises in the Langres Plateau, France, and flows past Verdun, Sedan, and Charleville-Mézières into Belgium. The Meuse is joined by the Sambre River at Namur, from which it flows east to Liège, forms part of the Dutch-Belgian border, and enters the Netherlands at Maastricht. The Meuse flows past Venlo and Bergen and divides into two branches. The northern branch, called the Maas River, flows north-west to join the Waal River; the southern branch empties into the North Sea. The total length of the Meuse is about 900 km (560 mi); the river is one of the major waterways of Europe. The Meuse valley is an important mining and industrial region.