Dialing code +501
ISO 2 code BZ
ISO 3 code BLZ
Capital Belmopan
Main Language English
Currency Dollar (BZD)
GDP $2.8 billion 169th
Population 314,522 178th

Geography

Continent North America
Location Central America bordering the Caribbean Sea between Guatemala and Mexico
Land 22,966 km2 152nd
Terrain Flat swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Climate Tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Natural Hazards Flat swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Note: Only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

Neighbouring Countries

Guatemala Mexico

History

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 1854. 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. Guatemala and Belize are gearing up for a simultaneous referendum to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include an unsustainable foreign debt high unemployment growing involvement in the South American drug trade growing urban crime and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.
Read more on Wikipedia

Demographics

Life Expectancy 68.2 years 138th
Median Age 20.4 years 159th
Birth Rate 27.33 births/1,000 population 54th
Death Rate 5.8 births/1,000 population 154th
Sex Ratio 0.92 male(s)/female 30th
Literacy 76.9% 151st
Population

314522

Transportation

Roadways 3007 km 164th
Railways None km
Airports 44 97th
Waterways 825 km 69th
Heliports None
Airports paved 1 201st

Economy

Currency Dollar (BZD)
GDP $2.8 billion 169th
GDP per capita (PPP) $8600 103rd