Belize |
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Anthem: "Land of the Free"
Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"
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Capital |
Belmopan 17°15′N 88°46′W / 17.250°N 88.767°W |
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Largest city | Belize City | ||||
Official languages | English | ||||
Ethnic groups (2010) | |||||
Demonym |
Belizean (/bəˈliːziən/ or /bəˈliːʒən/) |
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Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | ||||
• Monarch
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Elizabeth II | ||||
Colville Young | |||||
Dean Barrow | |||||
Legislature | National Assembly | ||||
Senate | |||||
House of Representatives | |||||
Independence | |||||
• from the United Kingdom
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September 21, 1981 | ||||
Area | |||||
• Total
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22,966 km2 (8,867 sq mi) (151st) | ||||
• Water (%)
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0.7 | ||||
Population | |||||
• 2015 estimate
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368,310 | ||||
• 2010 census
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324,528 | ||||
• Density
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14.1/km2 (36.5/sq mi) (213th) | ||||
GDP (PPP) | 2016 estimate | ||||
• Total
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$3.088 billion | ||||
• Per capita
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$8,185 | ||||
GDP (nominal) | 2016 estimate | ||||
• Total
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$1.770 billion | ||||
• Per capita
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$4,692 | ||||
HDI (2014) |
0.715 high · 101st |
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Currency | Belize dollar (BZD) | ||||
Time zone | CST (UTC−6) | ||||
Drives on the | right | ||||
Calling code | 501 | ||||
ISO 3166 code | BZ | ||||
Internet TLD | .bz |
Belize (i/bəˈliːz/), formerly British Honduras, is a country on the eastern coast of Central America. Belize is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and west by Guatemala, and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. Its mainland is about 290 km (180 mi) long and 110 km (68 mi) wide.
With 22,800 square kilometres (8,800 sq mi) of land and as of 2015[update] a population of 368,310, Belize has the lowest population density in Central America. The country's population growth rate of 1.87% per year (2015) is the second highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine species and its diversity of ecosystems give it a key place in the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.
Belize has a diverse society, composed of many cultures and languages that reflect its rich history. English is the official language of Belize, but over half the population is multilingual.