 | |
| Continent | Americas |
|---|---|
| Region | Central America |
| Coordinates | 17°15′N 88°45′W / 17.250°N 88.750°W |
| 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 small Central American nation, located at 17°15' north of the equator and 88°45' west of the Prime Meridian on the Yucatán Peninsula. It borders the Caribbean 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 a Pacific coastline. Many coral reefs, cays, and islands to the east—such as Ambergris Caye, Lighthouse Reef, Glover's Reef, and the Turneffe Islands—are part of Belize's territory, forming the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere stemming approximately 322 km (200 mi) and the second longest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. Belize's largest river is the eponymous Belize River. Belize's lowest elevation is at sea level. Its highest point is Doyle'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 include hurricanes (mostly in the late Atlantic hurricane season, September to December) and coastal flooding, especially in the south.
Earthquakes also occurred in southern Belize but infrequent and originated from Guatemala.[1]
- ^ Humes, Aaron (11 November 2023). "Earthquake felt in Punta Gorda and Southern Belize this afternoon". Breaking Belize News. Retrieved 5 December 2023.