Belize Tourism - Travel to Belize

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Quick Facts
Capital	Belmopan
Government	parliamentary democracy
Currency	Belizean dollar (BZD)
Area	total: 22,966 sq km water: 160 sq km land: 22,806 sq km
Population	262,999 (July 2002 est.)
Language	English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Religion	Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000)

Belize, formerly the colony of British Honduras, is the only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean. It only has a Caribbean Sea coastline. The country is located between Guatemala to the west and Mexico to the north.

Along the Caribbean Sea it is culturally similar to much of the formerly British Caribbean colonies; inland are native Maya people, and especially in the north and northwest of the country Spanish is often spoken; many refugees from the Caste War of Yucatan settled here. In the south east is the Garifuna culture.

Attractions include jungle with exotic plants and animals, fishing, swimming, and diving in the sea with attractive reefs, and visiting Maya ruins.

Regions in Belize

Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Cities in Belize

Other destinations - Travel to Belize

Maya ruins

Islands

Map of Belize

Understand Belize Tourism

Climate in Belize

Tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May). Frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south).

Terrain

Flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south.

Highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m

History of Belize

Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime.

Get into Belize

Travel to Belize By Plane

The international airport is in Ladyville, to the north east of Belize City

Travel to Belize By Train

No railroads

Travel to Belize By car

From Mexico via Chetumal, in the north, or on a much rougher road from Guatemala via Tikal.

Travel to Belize By Bus

Travel to Belize By Boat

Get around in Belize

Belize Talk

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib), Creole

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Drink

Bottled or boiled water reccomended

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The rest of this article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and integrate it into the article above.

Geography in Belize

Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Area: total: 22,966 sq km
water: 160 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
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
Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 2.81%
permanent crops: 1.1%
other: 96.09% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Environment - current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal

People in Belize

Population: 262,999 (July 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.)
Infant mortality rate: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.46 years
female: 73.87 years (2002 est.)
male: 69.17 years
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.01% (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean
Ethnic groups: mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%
Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.3%
male: 70.3%
female: 70.3% (1991 est.)
note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%

Government in Belize

Government type: parliamentary democracy
Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Constitution: 21 September 1981
Legal system: English law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Flag description: blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Economy in Belize

Economy - overview: The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.4% in 1999 and 10.5% in 2000. Growth decelerated in 2001 to 3% due to the global slowdown and severe hurricane damage to agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Major concerns continue to be the rapidly expanding trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.

Population below poverty line: 33% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.5% (2000) (2000)
Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Electricity - production: 192 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42%
Agriculture - products: bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp
Exports - commodities: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Currency: Belizean dollar (BZD)
Currency code: BZD
Exchange rates: Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 31,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 3,023 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 133,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 41,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .bz
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 18,000 (2002)

Transportation in Belize

Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 2,880 km
paved: 490 km
unpaved: 2,390 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable)
Airports: 44 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 27 (2002)

Transnational Issues in Belize

Disputes - international: the "Line of Adjacency" established in 2000 as an agreed limit to check squatters settling in Belize, remains in place while the Organization of American States (OAS) assists states to resolve Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize and Guatemalan maritime access to the Caribbean Sea; Honduras claims the Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; some money-laundering activity related to offshore sector

Belize Tourism - Travel to Belize

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