Map of Belize
Belize is a country in North America with its capital at Belmopan, home to about 422,924 people across 22,966 km². The interactive map below plots 7 cities and towns and 1 mountain summits recorded for Belize in YearMaps.
- Population
- 422,924
- Area
- 22,966 km²
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Continent
- North America
Interactive Map of Belize
Centred on Belmopan at 17.2520° N, 88.7671° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Belize
Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. Part of the Caribbean region, Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth Caribbean, the historical British West Indies.
The Maya civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC and 300 AD and flourished until about 1200. European contact began in 1502–1504 when Christopher Columbus sailed along the Gulf of Honduras. European exploration was begun by English settlers in 1638. Spain and Britain both laid claim to the land until the British victory over the Spanish in the Battle of St. George's Caye (1798). It became a British colony in 1840 and a Crown colony in 1862. From then until 1973 it was known as British Honduras. Belize achieved its independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981. It is the only mainland Central American country which is a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as its monarch and head of state, represented by a governor-general.
Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine plants and animals and its diversity of ecosystems, including extensive coral reefs, give it a key place in the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. It is considered a part of both Central America and the Caribbean.
It has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of 397,483 (2022). Its mainland is about 290 kilometres (180 mi) long and 110 kilometres (68 mi) wide. It is the least populated and least densely populated country in Central America. Its population growth rate of 1.87% per year (2018 estimate) is the second-highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Its capital is Belmopan, and its largest city is the namesake city, Belize City. The country has a diverse society composed of various cultures and languages. It is the only Central American country where English is the official language, while Belizean Creole, Spanish, and the Mayan languages are widely spoken. Over half the population is multilingual due to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the population. It is known for its September Celebrations and punta music.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Belize (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Belize
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 still involved in an ongoing border dispute. 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.
- Location
- Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico.
- 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.
- Highest point
- Doyle's Delight 1,124 m.
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 386 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 542 km; border countries: Guatemala 266 km; Mexico 276 km.
- Natural resources
- Arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 8% (2023 est.); arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 2.2% (2023 est.); forest: 58.3% (2023 est.); other: 33.7% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
- Geographic note
- Only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean.
- 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% (2010 est.)
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Economy
- Tourism- and agriculture-driven economy; strong post-pandemic rebound; innovative and ecological bond restructuring that significantly lowered public debt and expanded marine protections; central bank offering USD-denominated treasury notes; high mobility across borders.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Belize in Numbers
- Population
- 422,924
- GDP
- US$3.3 billion
- GDP per person
- US$7,865
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years
- Population growth
- 1.39% a year
- Population density
- 18 per km²
- Urban population
- 41.6%
- Surface area
- 22,966 km²
- Forest cover
- 58.0%
- Arable land
- 4.6%
- Access to electricity
- 99.6%
- Internet users
- 80.0%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Belize in Depth
History
The Maya civilization emerged at least three millennia ago in the lowland area of the Yucatán Peninsula and the highlands to the south, in the area of present-day southeastern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and western Honduras. Many aspects of this culture persist in the area, despite nearly 500 years of European domination. Before about 2500 BC, some hunting and foraging bands settled in small farming villages; they domesticated crops such as corn, beans, squash, and chilli peppers.
A profusion of languages and subcultures developed within the Maya core culture. Between about 2500 BCE and 250 AD, the basic institutions of Maya civilization emerged.
The Maya civilization spread across the territory of present-day Belize around 1500 BC, and flourished until around 900 AD.
Geography
Belize is on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. It shares a border on the north with the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, on the west with the Guatemalan department of Petén, and on the south with the Guatemalan department of Izabal. To the east in the Caribbean Sea, the second-longest barrier reef in the world flanks much of the 386 kilometres (240 mi) of predominantly marshy coastline. The area of the country totals 22,960 square kilometres (8,865 sq mi), an area slightly larger than El Salvador, Israel, New Jersey, or Wales. The many lagoons along the coasts and in the northern interior reduces the actual land area to 21,400 square kilometres (8,263 sq mi). It is the only Central American country with no Pacific coastline.
Economy
Belize has a small, mostly private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance. The country is also a producer of industrial minerals, crude oil, and petroleum. As of 2017, oil production was 320 m3/d (2,000 bbl/d). In agriculture, sugar, like in colonial times, remains the chief crop, accounting for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the largest employer. In 2007 Belize became the world's third largest exporter of papaya.
The government of Belize faces important challenges to economic stability. Rapid action to improve tax collection has been promised, but a lack of progress in reining in spending could bring the exchange rate under pressure.
Demographics
According to the 2022 census, Belize's population is 397,483. Belize's total fertility rate in 2023 was 2.010 children per woman. Its birth rate was 17.8 births/1,000 population (2022), and the death rate was 6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2022).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Belize (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Belize: Key Facts
| Currency | Belize dollar |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Head of state | Charles III |
| Head of government | Johnny Briceño |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy |
| Calling code | +501 |
| Internet domain | .bz |
| Highest point | Doyle's Delight |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea |
| Established | 21 September 1981 |
Facts from Wikidata Q242 (CC0).
History of Belize: Empires and States
The atlas records 8 polities whose mapped territory included part of Belize, from Mayan City-States in 247 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Mayan City-States | 247 BCE – 849 CE | Nearly all |
| Later Mayan City-States | 850–1546 CE | A large part |
| Itza Mayans | 1547–1669 CE | A large part |
| Kingdom of England | 1670–1708 CE | Nearly all |
| English Colonial Empire | 1670–1712 CE | Nearly all |
| British Colonial Empire | 1709–1995 CE | Nearly all |
| The British Empire | 1709–1995 CE | Nearly all |
| Belize | 1983–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Belize
Belize on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Belize
Belize offers world-class attractions include exploring the lush jungles with exotic plants and animals, deep sea fishing, swimming, snorkelling and diving in the Caribbean Sea with its attractive reefs and visiting the Mayan ruins. While income levels are still very low and the infrastructure is very basic, Belizeans are very proud and friendly to visitors as the tourist industry grew greatly in the last decade. It is the only country in mainland Central America with English as its official language.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Belize (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Belize
7 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belize City | 63,028 | Belize | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Orange Walk | 20,835 | Orange Walk | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | El Cayo | 16,977 | Cayo | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Belmopan | 15,220 | Cayo | National capital |
| 5 | Dangriga | 10,750 | Stann Creek | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Corozal | 8,724 | Corozal | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Punta Gorda | 7,748 | Toledo | Admin-1 capital |
Highest Mountains in Belize
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doyle's Delight | 1,174 m | 3,852 ft | North America |
Doyle's Delight
Mountain · 1,174 m
Doyle's Delight is a mountain rising to 1,174 metres (3,852 ft) in Belize, in the North America region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Doyle's Delight is the highest peak in Belize at 1,124 m (3,688 ft). It lies on the Maya Divide, the main ridge line of the Maya Mountains in southwestern Belize.
The name Doyle's Delight was coined by Sharon Matola in a 1989 report. The name is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book The Lost World (1912), which contains the quote "there must be something wild and wonderful in a country such as this, and we're the men to find it out!"
This name has meanwhile achieved widespread acceptance. The official Government of Belize website lists Doyle's Delight as the highest point in Belize. The capital of Belize, Belmopan, has a "Doyle's Delight Street". Recently there has been an attempt to rename the peak to "Kaan Witz" which is Maya for "Sky Mountain", but the new name has not gained widespread acceptance.
Although Victoria Peak was for many years touted as the highest point in Belize, recent assessments determined that it is apparently slightly lower at 1,120 metres (3,675 ft). Victoria Peak is located east of the Maya Mountain Divide in the Stann Creek District, and in clear weather its dramatic peak is visible from the coast.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Doyle's Delight (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 1,174 m (3,852 ft)
- Global rank
- #535 of 641 indexed
- Region
- North America (#108)
- Subregion
- Central America
- Country
- Belize
- Coordinates
- 16.5000°, -89.0400°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Doyle's Delight ranks #535 by elevation, below Consuelo Pk (1,174 m) and above Saint Mary Peak (1,171 m).
- Ranges:
- Sierra Madre Oriental (North America), Ouachita Mountains (North America)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Cerro Las Minas (2,849 m), Cerro El Pital (2,730 m), Volcán Tajumulco (4,220 m)
- Settlements below:
- San Luis (54 km), Belmopan (89 km), Puerto Barrios (99 km)
More about Doyle's Delight
Doyle's Delight: Key Facts
| Mountain range | Maya Mountains |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q47490 (CC0).
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belize
1 World Heritage Site recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belize Barrier Reef | 1996 | Natural | (vii) (ix) (x) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Belize
3 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central America | 787,235 km² | Isthmus | North America |
| 2 | Maya Mountains | 10,395 km² | Range/mtn | North America |
| 3 | Pen. de YucatáN | 1,112 km² | Pen/cape | North America |
Central America
Isthmus · 787,235 km²
Central America is an isthmus in North America (Central America), covering an estimated 787,235 km². It extends across Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Belize. It is the 20th-largest of the 231 landforms with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, and also, in specialized contexts, including Mexico. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, is high, which has caused death, injury, and property damage.
Central America includes portions of two recognized cultural areas: the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area, which encompasses modern Panama, Costa Rica, and the eastern portions of Nicaragua and Honduras, along with regions to the east; and the Mesoamerican cultural area, encompassing Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and the western portions of Honduras and Nicaragua, along with the southern part of Mexico.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Central America (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Isthmus
- Mapped extent
- 787,235 km²
- Size rank
- #20 of 231 landforms
- Region
- North America
- Subregion
- Central America
- Countries
- Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Belize
- Coordinates
- 13.8877°, -85.5972°
- Summits:
- Doyle's Delight (1,174 m)
- Ranges:
- Sierra Madre Oriental (North America), Ouachita Mountains (North America)
- Settlements:
- Belmopan (41 km), Orange Walk (55 km), Belize City (56 km)
More about Central America
Geography
Central America is a part of North America consisting of a tapering isthmus running from the southern extent of Mexico to the northwestern portion of South America. Central America has the Gulf of Mexico, a body of water within the Atlantic Ocean, to the north; the Caribbean Sea, also part of the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast; and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Some physiographists define the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the northern geographic border of Central America, while others use the northwestern borders of Belize and Guatemala. From there, the Central American land mass extends southeastward to the Atrato River, where it connects to the Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America.
History
Central America was formed more than 3 million years ago, as part of the Isthmus of Panama, when its portion of land connected each side of water.
In the Pre-Columbian era, the northern areas of Central America were inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. Most notable among these were the Mayans, who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the Aztecs, who had created a vast empire. The pre-Columbian cultures of eastern Honduras, Caribbean Nicaragua, most of Costa Rica and Panama were predominantly speakers of the Chibchan languages at the time of European contact and are considered by some culturally different and grouped in the Isthmo-Colombian Area.
Economy
Signed in 2004, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is an agreement between the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The treaty is aimed at promoting free trade among its members.
Guatemala has the largest economy in the region. Its main exports are coffee, sugar, bananas, petroleum, clothing, and cardamom. Of its 10.29 billion dollar annual exports, 40.2% go to the United States, 11.1% to neighboring El Salvador, 8% to Honduras, 5.5% to Mexico, 4.7% to Nicaragua, and 4.3% to Costa Rica.
The region is particularly attractive for companies (especially clothing companies) because of its geographical proximity to the United States, very low wages and considerable tax advantages.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Central America (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Central America: Key Facts
| Area | 560,988 km² |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Volcán Tajumulco |
Facts from Wikidata Q27611 (CC0).
Countries Bordering Belize
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in North America
Belize: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Belize?
- The capital of Belize is Belmopan.
- What is the population of Belize?
- Belize has a population of about 422,924, the #176 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Belize?
- Belize covers 22,966 km², ranking #153 by area, with about 18 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Belize in?
- Belize is in North America.
- Which countries border Belize?
- Belize shares a land or maritime border with Mexico, Guatemala.
- What is the largest city in Belize?
- Belize City is the largest city in Belize, with a metropolitan population of about 63,028.
- What is the highest mountain in Belize?
- The highest summit recorded for Belize in YearMaps is Doyle's Delight at 1,174 m (3,852 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.