Belize vs. Mexico
Geography
| Belize | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 23 00 N, 102 00 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | North America |
| Area | total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km | total: 1,964,375 sq km land: 1,943,945 sq km water: 20,430 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | slightly less than three times the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 542 km border countries (2): Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 276 km | total: 4,389 km border countries (3): Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3155 km |
| Coastline | 386 km | 9,330 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 | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | varies from tropical to desert |
| Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 173 m | highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m mean elevation: 1,111 m |
| Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber |
| 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.) | agricultural land: 54.9% (2018 est.) arable land: 11.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.7% (2018 est.) forest: 33.3% (2018 est.) other: 11.8% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 35 sq km (2012) | 65,000 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts volcanism: volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja California are mostly dormant; Colima (3,850 m), which erupted in 2010, is Mexico's most active volcano and is responsible for causing periodic evacuations of nearby villagers; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Popocatepetl (5,426 m) poses a threat to Mexico City; other historically active volcanoes include Barcena, Ceboruco, El Chichon, Michoacan-Guanajuato, Pico de Orizaba, San Martin, Socorro, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note" |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste | scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural freshwater resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion note: the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | note 1: strategic location on southern border of the US; Mexico is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire note 2: some of the world's most important food crops were first domesticated in Mexico; the "Three Sisters" companion plants - winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans - served as the main agricultural crops for various North American Indian groups; all three apparently originated in Mexico but then were widely disseminated through much of North America; avocado, amaranth, and chili peppers also emanate from Mexico, as does vanilla, the world's most popular aroma and flavor spice; although cherry tomatoes originated in Ecuador, their domestication in Mexico transformed them into the larger modern tomato |
| Total renewable water resources | 21.734 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 461.888 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | 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 | most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City |
Source: CIA Factbook
