World Atlas 2010 (4th edition)

172 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

Belize

FACTFILE

OFFICIAL NAME: Belize

DATE OF FORMATION: 1981

CAPITAL: Belmopan

POPULATION: 306,800

TOTAL AREA: 8867 sq. miles

(22,966 sq. km)

DENSITY: 35 people per sq. mile

LANGUAGES: English Creole, Spanish,

English*, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib)

RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 62%,

other 20%, Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%

ETHNIC MIX: Mestizo 49%, Creole 25%,

Maya 11%, other 9%, Garifuna 6%

GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system

CURRENCY: Belizean dollar = 100 cents

Belize lies on the eastern shore of the Yucatan

Peninsula. Formerly called British Honduras, Belize was the last

Central American country to gain its independence, in 1981.

GEOGRAPHY

Almost half the land area is

forested. Low mountains in southeast.

Flat swampy coastal plains.

CLIMATE

Tropical. Very hot and humid, with

May–December rainy season.

PEOPLE & SOCIETY

English-speaking black Creoles

are outnumbered by Spanish speakers,

including native mestizos and immigrants

from neighboring states. The Creoles

have traditionally dominated society,

but high levels of emigration to the

US have weakened their influence.

The Afro-Carib garifuna have their

own language. Corruption, and

trafficking of people and narcotics,

are major problems.

THE ECONOMY

Tourism, agriculture, and offshore

banking. Oil extraction began in 2005.

Sugar, textiles, lobsters, and shrimp are

exported. Serious hurricane damage is a

recurring problem.

INSIGHT: Belize’s barrier reef is

the second-largest in the world

1000m/3281ft

500m/1640ft

200m/656ft

Sea Level

50 km

50 miles

0

0

G U A T E M A L A

M E X I C O

Caribbean

Sea

M

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a

M

ts

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B

a

r

r

ie

r

R

e

e

f

Sarstoon

B

el

iz

Ne^

ew

R

iv

er

H^

on

do

Maskall

Crooked Tree

Belize

Dangriga

Punta Gorda

San Ignacio

Orange Walk

Corozal

San Antonio

Louisville

Monkey River

Town

BELMOPAN