Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Guatemala and Mexico

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 22,960 sq km
land area: 22,800 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Land boundaries: total 516 km, Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south
note: from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 miles; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala

International disputes: maritime border with Guatemala in dispute; desultory negotiations to resolve the dispute have begun

Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)

Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 44%
other: 52%

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff
natural hazards: frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change

Note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

NOTE: The information regarding Belize on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belize Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belize Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.