Belize is a sovereign country in Central America, in the wider region of the Americas. The short and official forms of the name are the same. Belmopan is the capital.
Around 417,072 people live there, placing it 177th of 250 by population — between Brunei above it and the Bahamas below. Among the 7 entries in Central America it ranks 6th by area and 7th by population.
By land area it covers 22,966 km², which ranks it 153rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Djibouti and just ahead of El Salvador. For scale, it is around a fifth smaller than Belgium.
Where Belize is and what surrounds it
The coordinates the dataset gives are 17.3° N, 88.8° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,920 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Niger, Mali and Vietnam sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
2 countries share a land border with it: Guatemala and Mexico. The largest of them by area is Mexico, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 149.3 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Spread across 22,966 km², that works out at about 18 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
3 languages carry official status: Belizean Creole, English and Spanish. Belizean Creole is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to Belize.
Someone from Belize is a Belizean.
Inside the Americas it places 28th of 56 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Central America.
Money, internet and phone codes
Money there is the Belize dollar ($, BZD). That currency appears nowhere else on this list.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Belize, the answer is Belmopan.
Websites there use the .bz domain. To phone it from abroad you dial +501. Standard country codes: bz and BLZ.
Belize is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Belize shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Belize
- Belizean Creole is listed as an official language for no other entry in this dataset.
- It shares land borders with 2 countries: Guatemala and Mexico.
- In land area it is around a fifth smaller than Belgium.
- It lies about 1,920 km from the equator, in tropical latitudes.
- People from Belize are known as Belizeans.
- The Belize dollar is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Ranked by land area, Belize is 153rd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
Belize — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Belize?
- The capital of Belize is Belmopan.
- What is the population of Belize?
- Belize has a population of about 417,072, which makes it the 177th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Brunei sits just above it and the Bahamas just below.
- Which countries border Belize?
- Belize borders 2 countries: Guatemala and Mexico. Mexico is the largest of them by area.
- Is Belize a country?
- Yes. Belize is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Where is Belize located?
- Belize is in Central America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 17.3° north and 88.8° west, roughly 1,920 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- What currency does Belize use?
- Belize uses the Belize dollar, written $ (currency code BZD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- How big is Belize?
- Belize covers 22,966 km², ranking 153rd of 250 by land area. That makes it around a fifth smaller than Belgium.
- What language is spoken in Belize?
- Belize lists 3 official languages: Belizean Creole, English and Spanish. Belizean Creole does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.
