About Belize

• Date: 7/16/2007

Geography:
Area 22,963 sq km (8,866 sq. miles) slightly larger than Massachusetts. Capital: Belmopan (pop. 4,500). Belize borders the Caribbean Sea along the eastern shore of Central America just below the Yucatan Peninsula. It is bounded an the north and west by Me%ico and on the south and west by Guatemala. Click here for fairly complete descriptions of the major areas of Belize. Southern Barrier Reef Islands, Atolls, Northern Atolls, and Mainland areas.

Belize, only 8,867 square miles in size, is situated on the northeast coast of Central America. The Caribbean Sea lies to the east and from the air its turquoise waters are clear, allowing the multicolored coral formation of the Great Barrier Reef to be easily observed. Coral islands called cayes, covered with stands of mangrove trees, dot the coast. Lying in aquamarine and jade-colored bays, these cayes protect the jungled coastline from the ravages of the sea.

North of Belize lies the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The Rio Hondo, which empties into Chetumal Bay, is the border between the two countries. The eastern border is demarcated by a surveyed line through the jungle separating Belize from the El Peten Department of Guatemala. To the south, the Belize/Guatemalan border is the Rio Sarstoon which flows east to the Caribbean Sea. The country is divided by the eastward flowing Belize River which is a major transportation route for native goods. The north half of the country is made up of synclinal folds of low lying, parallel limestone ridges running NNE to SSW. These jungle covered ridges are the spines of fossil coral reefs. In the valleys between run the perennial rivers, the Hondo, Nuevo, and Freshwater Creek. The Northern Peten and Campeche Regions of the Yucatan are drained by these river basins. This area, known as the "Maya Heartland," contains the classic Maya center of Tikal as well as many minor ceremonial centers and hundreds of occupation sites. The lagoons along the Nuevo River and Freshwater Creek are also areas of Maya site concentration. Great mangrove swamps line the northern coast, extend inland for many miles, and cover much of the northern district.

Southern Belize is the site of large plantations that grow citrus, an important export. Rising out of the palm-covered coastal plain of southern Belize are the Maya Mountains. Mostly unexplored, they are covered by verdant jungle and a canopy of tropical rain clouds. The paleozoic horst is comprised of granite and metamorphosed sandstone which sustains stands of pine in its infertile acidic soil. Unsuitable for agriculture, the ridge (note that in Belize, ridge refers to any change in vegetation) was exploited by Preceramic peoples and Maya hunters. Averaging approximately 1,000 feet, the main divide is relatively dwarfed by Victoria Peak which reaches 3,680 feet. The southern plateau becomes broader and descends westwardly. The northern part of this region, known as the Mountain Pine Ridge area, lies in the Capo District.

The higher elevation (1,500-2,700 feet) provides spectacular falls for the many streams that lace the land. The plateau's northern edge is a broken limestone escarpment descending steeply to the Sibun River Valley, an area dotted with many unexplored caves.

Physical Features:
Belize (formerly British Honduras until the name of the country was changed in 1973) lies on the eastern or Caribbean coast of Central America, bounded on the north and part of the west by Mexico, and on the south and the remainder of the west by Guatemala. The inner coastal waters are shallow and are sheltered by a line of coral reefs, dotted with islets called cayes', extending almost the entire length of the country.

There is a low coastal plain, much of it covered with mangrove swamp, but the land rises gradually towards the interior.The Maya Mountains and the Cockscomb Range form the backbone of the southern half of the country, the highest point being Victoria Peak (3,669 feet) in the Cockscomb Range. The Cayo District in the west includes the Mountain Pine Ridge, ranging from 305 to around 914 metres above sea level. The northem districts contain considerable areas of low tableland. There are many rivers, some of them navigable for short distances by shallow-draught vessels. A large part of the mainland is forest.

The area of the mainland and cayes is 8,866 square miles. The country's greatest length from north to south is 280 kilometres and its greatest width is 109 kilometres.

The climate is sub-tropical, tempered by trade winds. Temperatures in coastal districts range from about 10*C (50*F) to about 35.6*C (96*F); inland the range is greater. Rainfall varies from an average of 1,295 millimetres in the north to 4,445 millimetres in the extreme south. The dry season usually extends from February to May and there is sometimes a dry spell in August.

CLIMATE- BELIZE

COROZAL DISTRICT is located farthest north in the country and borders Mexico. ORANGE WALK is located in the northwestern part of Belize. BELIZE DISTRICT is on the east coast of Belize and encompasses Belize City, San Pedro on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. CAYO DISTRICT includes St Ignacio and Central Farm (Central Farm is just west of St Ignacio) and is located in the western Part of Belize bordering Guatemala. STANN CREEK is located in the southern part of Belize and includes the town of Placencia. PUNTA GORDA is located farthest south in Belize and is actually in Toledo District. and borders on Guatemala to the south.

Temperature C J F M A M J J A S 0 N D

Absolute max 33 34 37 38 37 37 35 36 37 35 35 34

Mean max 28 29 30 31 32 32 32 32 32 30 29 30

Mean min 20 20 22 23 23 24 24 24 23 22 20 20

Absolute min 10 09 10 12 13 16 17 16 15 14 11 07

Mean Precip 14.5 6.9 4.1 6.1 12.7 23.1 19.3 18.524.1 31.5 24.9 18.3

Avg days

Precip 12 06 04 07 14 18 16 18 15 13 14 15

Subtropical climate: Mar-Sep Hot/Humid; Temperatures cooler late Oct - Feb;

Coastal Temp range 10-360 C; Inland Temp Mar-Nov as low as 70C Lowlands &

30C Highlands; Avg Temps 270C Lowland 220 C highlands
Literacy:
92% Work Force: 65, 000, Agriculture 30%, Industry and Commerce 27%, Services 250%, Government 16%, Unemployment 15%.

Government type:
Parliamentary Democracy