Map of Belize | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1862. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Both nations have voted to send the dispute for final resolution to the International Court of Justice. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high crime rates, high unemployment combined with a majority youth population, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.


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

Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 22,966 km²
Land: 22,806 km²
Water: 160 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries
Total: 542 km
Border countries: (2) Guatemala 266 km; Mexico 276 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 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

Elevation
Highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 173 m

Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 6.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 3.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Forest: 60.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 32.5% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 35 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 70 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 21.73 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)

Geography
Note: only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean


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Population
Distribution: approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east: 419,137 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.47% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 41% (2013 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Belizean(s)
Adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups: Mestizo 52.9%, Creole 25.9%, Maya 11.3%, Garifuna 6.1%, East Indian 3.9%, Mennonite 3.6%, White 1.2%, Asian 1%, other 1.2%, unknown 0.3% (2010 est.)
Note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin

Languages: English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.5%; note - shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2010 est.)
Major-language samples:

Religions: Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Church of Jesus Christ, Muslim, Rastafarian, Salvation Army), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile: Migration continues to transform Belize's population. About 16% of Belizeans live abroad, while immigrants constitute approximately 15% of Belize's population. Belizeans seeking job and educational opportunities have preferred to emigrate to the United States rather than former colonizer Great Britain because of the United States' closer proximity and stronger trade ties with Belize. Belizeans also emigrate to Canada, Mexico, and English-speaking Caribbean countries. The emigration of a large share of Creoles (Afro-Belizeans) and the influx of Central American immigrants, mainly Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans, has changed Belize's ethnic composition. Mestizos have become the largest ethnic group, and Belize now has more native Spanish speakers than English or Creole speakers, despite English being the official language. In addition, Central American immigrants are establishing new communities in rural areas, which contrasts with the urbanization trend seen in neighboring countries. Recently, Chinese, European, and North American immigrants have become more frequent.

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.93% (male 66,160/female 63,478)
15-64 years: 64.15% (male 134,019/female 134,867)
65 years and over: 4.92% (2023 est.) (male 9,741/female 10,872)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 49.7
Youth dependency ratio: 42.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.4
Potential support ratio: 13.5 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 26.4 years (2023 est.)
Male: 26.1 years
Female: 26.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.47% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

Urbanization
Urban population: 46.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 10.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.57 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.55 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 130 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.7 years (2023 est.)
Male: 71.9 years
Female: 75.6 years

Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 51.4% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 99.4% of population
Improved total: 99.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0.6% of population
Unimproved total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.9% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 1.08 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 1 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 5.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 8.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 15.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 1.8% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.6% (2015/16)

Education expenditures: 8.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2021)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 19.3% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 12.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 31.9%


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Belize
Former: British Honduras
Etymology: may be named for the Belize River, whose name possibly derives from the Maya word "belix," meaning "muddy-watered"

Government type: parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Belmopan
Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the decision to move the capital of the country inland to higher and more stable land was made in the 1960s; the name chosen for the new city was formed from the union of two words: "Belize," the name of the longest river in the country, and "Mopan," one of the rivers in the area of the new capital that empties into the Belize River

Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from the UK)

National holiday: Battle of St. George's Caye Day (National Day), 10 September (1798); Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Constitution
History: previous 1954, 1963 (preindependence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981
Amendments: proposed and adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the National Assembly House of Representatives except for amendments relating to rights and freedoms, changes to the Assembly, and to elections and judiciary matters, which require at least three-quarters majority vote of the House; both types of amendments require assent of the governor general; amended several times, last in 2017

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Froyla TZALAM (since 27 May 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Juan Antonio BRICENO (since 12 November 2020); Deputy Prime Minister Cordel HYDE (since 16 November 2020)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Assembly
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 10 justices); note - in 2010, Belize acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75; in 2013, the Supreme Court chief justice overturned a constitutional amendment that had restricted Court of Appeal judge appointments to as short as 1 year
Subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Family Court

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador [link]

$3.505 billion (2021 est.)
$3.042 billion (2020 est.)
$3.513 billion (2019 est.)

15.23% (2021 est.)
-13.4% (2020 est.)
4.5% (2019 est.)

$8,800 (2021 est.)
$7,700 (2020 est.)
$9,000 (2019 est.)

8.22% (2021 est.)
8.46% (2020 est.)
6.71% (2019 est.)

99% of GDP (2017 est.)
95.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

3.24% (2021 est.)
0.12% (2020 est.)
0.19% (2019 est.)

-$162.434 million (2021 est.)
-$127.92 million (2020 est.)
-$184.646 million (2019 est.)

$1.044 billion (2021 est.)
$714.624 million (2020 est.)
$1.102 billion (2019 est.)

$1.252 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$901.819 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.203 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$420,102,800 (31 December 2021 est.)
$348,090,100 (31 December 2020 est.)
$277,578,800 (31 December 2019 est.)

$1.315 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.338 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2021 est.)
2 (2020 est.)
2 (2019 est.)
2 (2018 est.)
2 (2017 est.)

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Belize-Guatemala: demarcated but insecure boundary due to Guatemala’s claims to more than half of Belizean territory; a Line of Adjacency operates in lieu of an international boundary to control influx of Guatemalan squatters onto Belizean territory, as well as smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation and debt bondage; Belize and Honduras 12-nm territorial sea claims close off Guatemalan access to Caribbean in the Bahia de Amatique; maritime boundary remains unresolved pending further negotiation

Belize-Honduras: Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum