Belize

Location

• Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
• only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Belize City	65,222
San Pedro	16,117
Orange Walk	15,298
Belmopan	13,381	Capital

Size

• 8,867 square miles
• 22,966 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Massachusetts

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 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.

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

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.)major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

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.)

Government

parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

• Constitution: history: previous 1954, 1963 (pre-independence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981amendment process: proposed and adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the National Assembly House of Representatives except for amendments relating to rights and freedoms, changes to the Assembly, and to elections and judiciary matters, which require at least three-quarters majority vote of the House; both types of amendments require assent of the governor general
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: English common law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Froyla TZALAM (since 27 May 2021)head of government: Prime Minister John BRICEÑO (since 12 November 2020)cabinet: governor general appoints Cabinet from among members of the National Assembly, on the advice of the prime minister election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor-general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor-general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 10 justices); the Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appealjudge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Family Court
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assemblylegislative structure: bicameral 

Demographic Profile

n/a

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
• Budget: revenues: $554.405 million (2017 est.)expenditures: $506.316 million (2017 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
• Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
• Agricultural Products: sugarcane, maize, bananas, sorghum, soybeans, chicken, rice, oranges, fruits, plantains (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 8% (2022 est.)arable land: 4.4% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 1.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 2.2% (2022 est.)forest: 55% (2022 est.)other: 37% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, orthopedic appliances, ships, garments, tobacco (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 37%, China 17%, Guatemala 10%, Mexico 8%, Costa Rica 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: raw sugar, bananas, fish, shellfish, refined petroleum (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 22%, UK 14%, Spain 9%, Guatemala 7%, Portugal 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports