Geography (Belize)
==================


     Total area:
         22,960 km2
     Land area:
         22,800 km2
     Comparative area:
         slightly larger than Massachusetts
     Land boundaries:
         516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
     Coastline:
         386 km
     Maritime claims:
       Territorial sea:
         12 nm in the north and 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the
         Sarstoon River to Ranguana Caye, Belize's territorial sea is 3 miles;
         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 the Republic of Guatemala''
     Disputes:
         claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute have
         begun
     Climate:
         tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
     Terrain:
         flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
     Natural resources:
         arable land potential, timber, fish
     Land use:
         arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
         woodland 44%; other 52%, includes irrigated NEGL%
     Environment:
         frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding
         (especially in south); deforestation
     Note:
         national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of
         hurricanes; only country in Central America without a coastline on the North
         Pacific Ocean