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.

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

17 15 N, 88 45 W

Central America and the Caribbean

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

386 km

tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

35 sq km (2012)

approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)

only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

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.)

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.)

1.47% (2025 est.)

17.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.87 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)

67 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

2.02 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.99 (2025 est.)

1.09 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

1 beds/1,000 population (2018 est.)

24.1% (2016)

4.6% (2015/16)

deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste

tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

10.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

21.734 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

English common law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Belize People’s Front or BPF<br>Belize Progressive Party or BPP (formed in 2015 from a merger of the People's National Party, elements of the Vision Inspired by the People, and other smaller political groups)<br>People's United Party or PUP<br>United Democratic Party or UDP<br>Vision Inspired by the People or VIP

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

21 September 1981 (from the UK)

Battle of St. George's Caye Day (National Day), 10 September (1798); Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

<strong>description:</strong> royal blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; the coat of arms is on a large white disk at the center and shows a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree, with the motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom; a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves rings the coat of arms<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the figures, the mahogany tree, and the garland refer to the logging industry that led the British to settle Belize; blue and red are the colors of the two main political parties

Baird's tapir (a large forest-dwelling mammal), keel-billed toucan, black orchid

red, blue

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

$3.516 billion (2024 est.)

sugarcane, maize, bananas, sorghum, soybeans, chicken, rice, oranges, fruits, plantains (2023)

garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

4.8% (2024 est.)

190,000 (2024 est.)

21.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

USA 22%, UK 14%, Spain 9%, Guatemala 7%, Portugal 5% (2023)

raw sugar, bananas, fish, shellfish, refined petroleum (2023)

USA 37%, China 17%, Guatemala 10%, Mexico 8%, Costa Rica 6% (2023)

refined petroleum, orthopedic appliances, ships, garments, tobacco (2023)

8 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV provides access to foreign stations; about 25 radio stations broadcasting on roughly 50 different frequencies; state-run radio was privatized in 1998 (2019)

.bz

V3

27 (2025)

5 (2025)

Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Air Wing; Belize Coast Guard (BCG) (2025)

approximately 1,500 BDF personnel (2025)

the military has a small inventory consisting mostly of UK- and US-origin equipment (2025)

18-23 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient, but conscription has never been implemented; initial service obligation is 12 years (2025)

the Belize Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for external security but also provides some support to civilian authorities; it has limited powers of arrest within land and shoreline areas, while the Coast Guard has arrest powers and jurisdiction within coastal and maritime areas; the BDF traces its history back to the Prince Regent Royal Honduras Militia, a volunteer force established in 1817; the BDF was established in 1978 from the disbanded Police Special Force and the Belize Volunteer Guard to assist the resident British forces with the defense of Belize against Guatemala<br><br>the British Army has maintained a presence in Belize since its independence; the presence consists of a small training support unit that provides jungle training to troops from the UK and international partners (2025)