km water: 160 sq km land: 22,806 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: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM 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 the negotiation of a definitive agreement on
territorial differences with Guatemala

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% permanent crops: 1% other: 96% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands 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: 262,999 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 55,716; female 53,581) 15-64
years: 54.9% (male 73,068; female 71,368) 65 years and over: 3.5%
(male 4,511; female 4,755) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.65% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 31.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 73.87 years (2002 est.) male: Total