Belize

Map of Belize 

Country Name	Belize (Former: British Honduras)
Capital	Belmopan
Population	327,719 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	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: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Belizean(s)
Religions	Roman Catholic 39.3%, Pentacostal 8.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.3%, Anglican 4.5%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.5%, Methodist 2.8%, Nazarene 2.8%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.6%, other 9.9% (includes Bahai Faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Mormon), other (unknown) 3.1%, none 15.2% (2010 census)
Languages	Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)
Literacy	age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 76.9% Male: 76.7% Female: 77.1% (2000 census)
National holiday	Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
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: Doyle's Delight 1,160 m
Natural resources	arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Exports - commodities	Sugar, Bananas, Citrus, Clothing, Fish products, Molasses, Wood, Crude Oil
Imports - commodities:	Machinery and transport equipment, Manufactured Goods; Fuels, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals; Food, Beverages, Tobacco
Land use	Arable land: 3.05% Permanent crops: 1.39% Other: 95.56% (2005)
Irrigated land	40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	18.6 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Total: 0.15 cu km/yr (7%/73%/20%) Per capita: 556 cu m/yr (2000)
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