01
Physical geography
Flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south.
Local timeBelmopan ·
North America / Central America · Card 006
Belize
Belize is a country in Central America. Its capital is Belmopan.
Find Belize
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Languages
- Belizean Creole & English & Spanish
- Currency
- Belize dollar (BZD)
- Population
- 422,9242025 · World Bank
- Area
- 22,966 km²8,867.22 square miles
- Independence
- 1981from the UK
Belize in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Belmopan; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
English is the official language. Belizean Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna and Maya languages are also important.
03
Location
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico.
Flag
Royal blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; the coat of arms is on a large white disk at the center and shows a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree, with the motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom; a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves rings the coat of arms
History & independence
Maya civilizations flourished in the region long before British settlement. The territory became British Honduras in 1862 and gained internal self-government in 1964. Negotiations led to independence on 21 September 1981. The territorial dispute with Guatemala is separate from Belize’s independence and remains subject to international legal proceedings.
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British Honduras becomes a colony
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Internal self-government begins
-
Belize becomes independent
Economy
Main activities
Tourism and agriculture are major activities. Marine attractions and Maya sites draw visitors, while sugar, bananas and citrus are important crops. Fishing, food processing and other services also contribute.
Industry and production
garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people422.92025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 120,736 | 120.736 |
| 1980 | 145,062 | 145.062 |
| 1990 | 183,076 | 183.076 |
| 2000 | 240,799 | 240.799 |
| 2010 | 320,245 | 320.245 |
| 2020 | 390,812 | 390.812 |
| 2025 | 422,924 | 422.924 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars2.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 752,917,474 | 0.753 |
| 1991 | 841,601,389 | 0.842 |
| 1992 | 948,789,622 | 0.949 |
| 1993 | 1,007,025,242 | 1.007 |
| 1994 | 1,006,823,975 | 1.007 |
| 1995 | 1,014,189,476 | 1.014 |
| 1996 | 1,025,399,371 | 1.025 |
| 1997 | 1,068,821,096 | 1.069 |
| 1998 | 1,110,430,515 | 1.110 |
| 1999 | 1,215,068,544 | 1.215 |
| 2000 | 1,363,800,371 | 1.364 |
| 2001 | 1,431,902,589 | 1.432 |
| 2002 | 1,509,212,058 | 1.509 |
| 2003 | 1,655,080,826 | 1.655 |
| 2004 | 1,734,204,697 | 1.734 |
| 2005 | 1,772,690,003 | 1.773 |
| 2006 | 1,852,664,108 | 1.853 |
| 2007 | 1,914,531,925 | 1.915 |
| 2008 | 1,883,373,344 | 1.883 |
| 2009 | 1,874,960,133 | 1.875 |
| 2010 | 1,901,536,024 | 1.902 |
| 2011 | 1,899,062,675 | 1.899 |
| 2012 | 1,973,959,679 | 1.974 |
| 2013 | 2,054,230,071 | 2.054 |
| 2014 | 2,134,186,060 | 2.134 |
| 2015 | 2,193,095,150 | 2.193 |
| 2016 | 2,192,684,131 | 2.193 |
| 2017 | 2,152,487,028 | 2.152 |
| 2018 | 2,170,181,948 | 2.170 |
| 2019 | 2,262,557,633 | 2.263 |
| 2020 | 1,956,594,233 | 1.957 |
| 2021 | 2,308,584,057 | 2.309 |
| 2022 | 2,522,139,932 | 2.522 |
| 2023 | 2,534,753,859 | 2.535 |
| 2024 | 2,623,588,473 | 2.624 |
| 2025 | 2,695,693,010 | 2.696 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.721High human developmentRank 115 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.617
20000.671
20100.727
20200.713
20230.721
73.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
8.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy. A Governor-General represents the monarch and a Prime Minister heads the government. The National Assembly has an elected House of Representatives and an appointed Senate.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Belize.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
What is the capital of Belize?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.