Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to
February)
Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 44%
other: 52%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage,
industrial effluents, agricultural runoff
natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to
December) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Whaling
Geographic 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
People ———
Population: 219,296 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 48,291; female 46,451)
15-64 years: 53% (male 59,132; female 57,498)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,881; female 4,043) (July 1996 est.)