Belize is unique amongst its Central American neighbours in being an English speaking country due to colonisation by the British. A stop on the Mayan Route, Belize has several historical sites of note from this civilisation but it is the Caribbean beaches and islands which are the main draw to the country, with some of the world's best diving and snorkelling opportunities in the Belize Barrier Reef, the largest in the western hemisphere. Explore in depth highlights of Belize.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT -6 (Central America time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Creole, English, Spanish |
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| Other languages: | Garifuna, German, Ketchi, Maya |
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| Currency: |
Belizean dollars (BZD) €1 = BZ$2.29, $1 = BZ$2.06, £1 = BZ$2.73 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .bz | International Dialling Code: 501 |
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For help planning your trip to Belize including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Belize trip planning page.
Further information on Belize
Discover more about Belize - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 22,966 sq km (160 sq km under water)
Coastline: 386 km (Caribbean Sea)
Neighbours (border lengths): Guatemala (266km), Mexico (250km)
Climate: Tropical climate with very hot and humid conditions but more pleasant on resort islands. Rainy season from May to November brings frequent hurricanes and coastal flooding, dry season from February to May.
Highest mountain: Doyle's Delight (1,160m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Belize from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | No Data | - |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 117/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Satisfactory situation | 30/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | No rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | No Data | - |
| Overall Ranking: | 72/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Status: Independent Country
Population: 340,844 (rank: 171/196) Density: 14.8 people/sq km (rank: 174/196)
Ethnic groups: mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% (2000 census)
Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)
GDP (PPP): $3.08 billion GDP per capita: $8,800 (rank: 102/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.