Geography of Belize

Continent	Americas
Region	Central America
Coordinates	17°15′N88°45′W / 17.250°N 88.750°W /17.250; -88.750
Area	Ranked 147th
• Total	22,966 km2 (8,867 sq mi)
• Land	99.3%
• Water	0.7%
Coastline	386 km (240 mi)
Borders	Total land borders: 542 km (337 mi) Guatemala 266 km (165 mi), Mexico 276 km (171 mi)
Highest point	Doyle's Delight 1,124 m (3,688 ft)
Lowest point	Caribbean Sea 0 m (0 ft)
Longest river	Belize River 290 km (180 mi)
Largest lake	New River Lagoon 13.5 km2 (5.2 sq mi)
Exclusive economic zone	35,351 km2 (13,649 sq mi)

Belize is a smallCentral Americannation, located at 17°15' north of theequator and 88°45' west of thePrime Meridian on theYucatán Peninsula. It borders theCaribbean Sea to the east, with 386 km of coastline. It has a total of 542 km of land borders—Mexico to the north-northwest (272 km) and Guatemala to the south-southwest (266 km). Belize's total size is 22,966 km² (8,867 sq mi), of which 22,806 km² (8,805 sq mi) is land and 160 km² (62 sq mi) is water.

Belize is the only country in Central America without aPacific coastline. Manycoral reefs,cays, andislands to the east—such asAmbergris Caye,Lighthouse Reef,Glover's Reef, and theTurneffe Islands—are part of Belize's territory, forming theBelize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere stemming approximately 322 km (200 mi) and the second longest in the world after theGreat Barrier Reef. Belize's largest river is the eponymousBelize River. Belize's lowestelevation is atsea level. Its highest point isDoyle's Delight at 1,124 m (3,688 ft).

The climate in Belize is tropical, with a rainy season from June to November and a dry season from January to May.Natural hazards includehurricanes (mostly in the lateAtlantic hurricane season, September to December) andcoastal flooding, especially in the south.

Earthquakes also occurred in southern Belize but infrequent despite located beyondNorth American plate–circum-Caribbean plate at the southeastern edge.^[1]

Topographical feature divide the Belizean landscape into two main physiographic regions.^[2] The most visually striking of these regions is distinguished by theMaya Mountains and the associated basins and plateaus that dominate all but the narrow coastal plain in the southern half of the country.^[2] The mountains rise to heights of about 1,100 metres,^[2] with the highest point beingDoyle's Delight (1,124 m) in the Cockscomb Range, a spur of the Maya Mountains in Western Belize.^{[citation needed]} Covered with shallow, highly erodible soils of low fertility, these heavily forested highlands are very sparsely inhabited.^[2]

The second region comprises the northern lowlands, along with the southern coastal plain.^[2] Eighteen major rivers and many perennial streams drain these low-lying areas.^[2] The coastline is flat and swampy, with many lagoons, especially in the northern and central parts of the country.^[2] Westward from the northern coastal areas, the terrain changes frommangrove swamp to tropical pine savanna and hardwood forest.^[2] The country's largest lake is the approximately 13.5 km² (5.2 sq mi)New River Lagoon.^[3]

Belize claims anexclusive economic zone of 35,351 km² (13,649 sq mi) with 200nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) and aterritorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi). From the mouth of theSarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nmi (5.6 km; 3.5 mi); according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala.

Belize is the only country in Central America without a coastline on theNorth Pacific Ocean.

The interlocking networks of rivers, creeks, and lagoons have played a key role in the historical geography of Belize.^[2] The largest and most historically important river is theBelize River, which drains more than one-quarter of the country as it winds along the northern edge of the Maya Mountains across the center of the country to the sea near Belize City.^[2] Also known as the Old River, the Belize River is navigable up to the Guatemalan border and served as the main artery of commerce and communication between the interior and the coast until well into the twentieth century.^[2]

Other historically important rivers include theSibun River, which drains the northeastern edge of the Maya Mountains, and theNew River, which flows through the northern sugar-growing areas before emptying intoChetumal Bay.^[2] Both of these river valleys possess fertile alluvial soils and have supported considerable cultivation and human settlement.^[2]

In Belizeforest cover is around 56% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,277,050 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 1,600,030 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,274,670 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 2,390 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to beprimary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 59% of the forest area was found within protected areas.^[4][5]

Belize has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region.^[2] Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean.^[2] Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from 24 °C (75 °F) in January to 27 °C (81 °F) in July.^[2] Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, where it is noticeably cooler year round.^[2] Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.^[2]

Average rainfall varies considerably, ranging from 1,350 millimeters (53.1 in) in the north and west to over 4,500 millimeters (177.2 in) in the extreme south.^[2] Seasonal differences in rainfall are greatest in the northern and central regions of the country where, between January and April or May, fewer than 100 millimeters (3.9 in) of rain fall per month.^[2] The dry season is shorter in the south, normally only lasting from February to April.^[2] A shorter, less rainy period, known locally as the "little dry," usually occurs in late July or August, after the initial onset of the rainy season.^[2]

Hurricanes have played a devastating role in Belizean history.^[2] In 1931 an unnamed hurricane destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and killed more than 1,000 people.^[2] In 1955Hurricane Janet leveled the northern town of Corozal.^[2] Six years later,Hurricane Hattie struck the central coastal area of the country, with winds in excess of 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph) and 4-meter (13.1 ft) storm tides.^[2] The devastation of Belize City for the second time in thirty years prompted the relocation of the capital some 80 kilometers (50 mi) inland to the planned city ofBelmopan.^[2] A hurricane that devastated Belize wasHurricane Greta, which caused more than US$25 million in damages along the southern coast in 1978.^[2]

There was a period of 20 years that Belize was considered as a hurricane-free zone by many^{[citation needed]} untilHurricane Mitch (October 1998) gave rise to hurricane awareness and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). One year laterHurricane Keith hit Belize, followed the following year byTropical Storm Chantal.

In 2001,Hurricane Iris swept through the southern part of Belize causing damage that ranged in the hundreds of millions due largely to wiping away thebanana industry, crippling thecitrus and tourism in the area. Six years later, the fury ofCategory Five Dean landed on the Yucatán coast at Mahahual and Corozal in northern Belize, was not spared the brunt of reportedly Category 3 to 4 winds. Hurricane Dean did tens of millions in damages, especially to the infantilepapaya industry and to a lesser extent to the endemicsugar cane industry.

Belizean geology consists largely of varieties oflimestone, with the notable exception of theMaya Mountains, a large uplifted block of intrusivePaleozoicgranite and sediments running northeast to southwest across the south-central part of the country.^[2] Several majorfaults rive these highlands, but much of Belize lies outside thetectonically active zone that underlies most of Central America.^[2] During theCretaceous Period, what is now the western part of the Maya Mountains stood above sea level, creating the oldest land surface in Central America, the Mountain Pine Ridge plateau.^[2]

The hilly regions surrounding the Maya Mountains are formed from Cretaceous limestone.^[2] These areas are characterized by akarst topography that is typified by numeroussinkholes,caverns, and underground streams.^[2] In contrast to the Mountain Pine Ridge, some of the soils in these regions are quite fertile and have been cultivated during at least the past 4,000 years.^[2]

Much of the northern half of Belize lies on theYucatán Platform, a tectonically stable region.^[2] Although mostly level, this part of the country also has occasional areas of hilly, karst terrain, such as the Yalbac Hills along the western border with Guatemala and the Manatee Hills between Belize City andDangriga.^[2] Alluvial deposits of varying fertility cover the relatively flat landscapes of the coastal plains.^[2]

Environmental degradation issues in Belize includedeforestation,water pollution fromsewage, industrialeffluents,agricultural runoff, andsolid waste disposal.

Belize is party to theBasel Convention,Convention on Biological Diversity,Ramsar Convention,CITES,Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter,International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling,Montreal Protocol,MARPOL 73/78,United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, andUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Belize is highly vulnerable toclimate change due to its low-lying coastal areas, diverse ecosystems, and economic reliance on tourism and agriculture.^[12]Rising sea levels andcoastal erosion threaten coastal communities and coral reefs.^[13][14] Warming ocean temperatures are causingcoral bleaching, which impacts biodiversity andfisheries.^[15]Extreme weather events, such ashurricanes and floods, have become more frequent and intense, damaging infrastructure and livelihoods.^[12]

As a country, Belize's 2023greenhouse gas emissions are relatively low (7.46 million tonnes), however, it ranks as the 13th highest country for per capita emissions, at 18.13 tonnes per person.^[16][17]Land use change andforestry together is the highest source of emissions in Belize.^[18] The government has committed tonet zero emissions by 2050 and has developedclimate resilience andadaptation plans.^[18]

Although a number of economically important minerals exist in Belize, none has been found in quantities large enough to warrant their mining. Those minerals include dolomite, barite (source of barium), bauxite (source of aluminum), cassiterite (source of tin), and gold. In 1990 limestone, used in road building, was the only mineral resource being exploited for either domestic or export use.^[2]

The similarity of Belizean geology to that of oil-producing areas of Mexico and Guatemala prompted oil companies, principally from the United States, to explore for petroleum at both offshore and on-land sites in the early 1980s. Initial results were promising, but the pace of exploration slowed later in the decade, and production operations never commenced. As a result, Belize remains almost totally dependent on imported petroleum for its energy needs.^[2]

Belize has considerable potential for hydroelectric and other renewable energy resources, such as solar and biomass. In the mid-1980s a Belizean businessman proposed the construction of a wood-burning power station for the production of electricity, but the idea foundered in the wake of ecological concerns and economic constraints. In late 2005, a company named Belize Natural Energy found oil in commercial quantities in theSpanish Lookout area of Belize.^[19]

• Northernmost point –Subteniente Lopez
• Southernmost point – Southwestern border withGuatemala, nearChocon
• Westernmost point – Border withGuatemala, atSarstoon River
• Easternmost point –Lighthouse Reef
• Highest point –Doyle's Delight: 1124 m
• Lowest point –Atlantic Ocean: 0 m

• Great Blue Hole

Wikimedia Commons has media related toGeography of Belize.

• Maps at Belize.NetArchived 2013-08-08 at theWayback Machine
• Physical map of Belize

• Geography of Belize

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