include high unemployment, growing involvement in the South
American drug trade, and increasing urban crime.
Geography Belize
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: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 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:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Natural resources:
arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 3.05%
permanent crops: 1.39%
other: 95.56% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal
flooding (especially in south)
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents,
agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, 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
Geography - note:
only country in Central America without a coastline on the North
Pacific Ocean
People Belize
Population:
287,730 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678)
15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.6 years
male: 19.5 years
female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)
Popula
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