Explore Belize in North America

Description and Basic Information

Belize with its capital Belmopan is located in North America (Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea). It covers some 22,967 square kilometres (slightly smaller than Massachusetts) with 301,000 citizens. English and Spanish are the some of the languages spoken by the majority in Belize. It is charing borders with Guatemala and Mexico.

Belize is the only country in Central America without a coastline on the Pacific Ocean (though to the Caribbean Sea) and the only one in the region with English as its official language. Several cruise lines call on Belize City. Unfortunately they usually stay only one day, which doesn't allow the opportunity to really see Belize. Belize is a fairly small country, and transportation between most destinations is rarely long and tedious. The Belize dollar is officially worth exactly 1/2 of a U.S. dollar. Because of this simple and consistent exchange rate, U.S. dollars are widely accepted, but this means you should be careful to clarify which "dollars" you're talking about when negotiating prices. Violent gang related crime is extremely high as of late, especially in Belize City and surrounding areas. The violence is a relate of narcotic trafficking and the struggle for power in the streets. Rape, theft and assaults are daily occurrences in many parts of the country. Human trafficking also plays a role. Travelers should maintain a high degree of vigilance when traveling the country. Belize is a relatively healthy country. Bottled water is a must in most areas. And, unless you eat only at ultra-touristic restaurants, dysentery will probably strike at some point; be prepared with over-the-counter medication and prescription antibiotics.

Pictures from Belmopan (Capital)

Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.

About Belize

The terrain offers flat, swampy coastal plain having low mountains in south. The average density of population is about 13 per km². The climate in can be described as tropical with very hot and humid, rainy season (May to November), dry season (February to May). Possible natural disasters include frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south).

To reach someone in Belize dial +501 prior to a number. There are 31,200 installed telephones. And there are 161,800 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks operate on frequencies of 1900 Mhz. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".bz". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery charger), keep in mind the local 110/220V - 60Hz.

The country consists of 6 regions/states which are listed below.

Regions/States of Belize

Tourism Information

Official Tourism Office

Website: Belize Tourism

New Central Bank Building, Level 2
Gabourel Lane
P.O Box 325
Belize City
Belize

Phone: +501 223 1913
Fax: +501 223 1943

Unesco World Heritage Properties

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal...

Demographic Information

Age Distribution in Belize

Each pair of bars represents a single age group (male/female). Each group is spanning 5 years. E.g. 0 to 5 years, 5 to 10 etc. and group "0 to 5" being at the left end and "100 +" at the right end of the chart.

Natural Population Growth

Population, Migration and Growth: The population in Belize is growing at an rate of 2.1% (or by 6,611 citizens). Each year 0 people enter this country (or 0.00 per thousand citizens) - making it an immigration country. This leads to an absolute natural increase rate of the population of 2.1%. Or an total increase of 6,611 citizens.

Based on content from wikitravel.org. The original article can be found here based on the work of these users.
Geographic information is based on the data provided by geonames.org, CIA factsbook and Unesco.