| Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area | total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
| Land boundaries | total: 542 km border countries (2): Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 276 km |
| Coastline | 386 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| 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 |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 173 m |
| Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 6.9% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 2.2% (2018 est.) forest: 60.6% (2018 est.) other: 32.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 35 sq km (2012) |
| Total renewable water resources | 21.734 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
| Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
