Total area: 22,960 km2
land area: 22,800 km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

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

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 3 nm

Disputes: claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve dispute are nearing completion

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 NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 52%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment: frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south); deforestation

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 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belize Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belize Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.