Belize is a small Central American nation, located at 17°15' north of the equator and 88°45' west of the Prime Meridian on the Yucatán Peninsula. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the east, with 386 km of coastline. It has a total of 542 km of land borders—Mexico to the north-northwest (272 km) and Guatemala to the south-southwest (266 km). Belize's total size is , of which is land and is water.

Belize is the only country in Central America without a Pacific coastline. Many coral reefs, cays, and islands to the east—such as Ambergris Caye, Lighthouse Reef, Glover's Reef, and the Turneffe Islands—are part of Belize's territory, forming the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere stemming approximately and the second longest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. Belize's largest river is the eponymous Belize River. Belize's lowest elevation is at sea level. Its highest point is Doyle's Delight at .

The climate in Belize is tropical, with a rainy season from June to November and a dry season from January to May. Natural hazards include hurricanes (mostly in the late Atlantic hurricane season, September to December) and coastal flooding, especially in the south.

Earthquakes also occurred in southern Belize but infrequent despite located beyond North American plate–circum-Caribbean plate at the southeastern edge.

Physical features

Topographical feature divide the Belizean landscape into two main physiographic regions. The most visually striking of these regions is distinguished by the Maya Mountains and the associated basins and plateaus that dominate all but the narrow coastal plain in the southern half of the country.

thumb|left|Map of Belize's [[exclusive economic zone]]

Belize claims an exclusive economic zone of with and a territorial sea of . From the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is ; 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 Guatemala.

Belize is the only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean.

Rivers

The interlocking networks of rivers, creeks, and lagoons have played a key role in the historical geography of Belize.

REDD+ forest reference level and monitoring

Under the UNFCCC REDD+ framework, Belize has submitted national forest reference level benchmarks for results-based payments. On the UNFCCC REDD+ Web Platform, Belize’s 2020 submission is listed as having an assessed reference level, while a 2024 submission is listed as under technical assessment; the platform also lists a national strategy, safeguards information, and a reported national forest monitoring system for the 2024 package.

The first assessed national FRL was submitted in 2020 and technically assessed in 2021. It covered all five REDD+ activities at national scale and set projected annual benchmark values for 2016–2020, rising from 4,606,875 to 5,583,087 t CO2 eq per year, based on linear extrapolation of historical net emissions and removals for 2001–2015. The technical assessment reported that the FRL included above-ground and below-ground biomass and accounted for CO2, methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) and nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) from biomass burning, while excluding dead organic matter (including litter) and soil organic carbon.

Belize has also reported a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) covering 2001–2020. The NFMS document describes a system that combines remote sensing and ground-based forest inventory approaches, and says it is designed to support forest management, REDD+ measurement, reporting and verification, greenhouse-gas inventories, and related reporting. It states that Belize’s NFMS version 1.0 integrates a permanent plot network with a satellite land monitoring system using systematic virtual plots to detect annual land-use change, and that this information feeds into the country’s greenhouse-gas inventory, FRL submissions, biennial update report and REDD+ technical annexes.

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Hurricanes

Hurricanes have played a devastating role in Belizean history. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion threaten coastal communities and coral reefs. Warming ocean temperatures are causing coral bleaching, which impacts biodiversity and fisheries. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and floods, have become more frequent and intense, damaging infrastructure and livelihoods. Land use change and forestry together is the highest source of emissions in Belize. The government has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and has developed climate resilience and adaptation plans.

Extreme points

  • Northernmost point – Subteniente Lopez
  • Southernmost point – Southwestern border with Guatemala, near Chocon
  • Westernmost point – Border with Guatemala, at Sarstoon River
  • Easternmost point – Lighthouse Reef
  • Highest point – Doyle's Delight: 1124 m
  • Lowest point – Atlantic Ocean: 0 m

See also

  • Great Blue Hole

Notes

References

  • Maps at Belize.Net
  • Physical map of Belize

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