Belize 🇧🇿
Belize is a country in North America with a population of 405,272. Its capital is Belmopan. The official currency is BZD, and the main languages are English.
Quick facts
- Capital: Belmopan
- Continent: North America
- Population: 405,272
- Area: 22,966 km²
- Density: 17.6 people per km²
- Currency: BZD
- Languages: English
- ISO code: BZ
Where Belize sits
Belize 🇧🇿 is one of 23 countries in North America, with its capital at Belmopan. It covers 22,966 square kilometres — 148th in the world — and is home to about 405,272 people, 173rd globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include United States, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Haiti. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Belize compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Belize sits closest to Bahamas and Iceland. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Djibouti and El Salvador.
At 17.6 people per square kilometre it is about 3.4 times below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
English is an official language in 58 countries here, among them Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas and Barbados, and 53 others. The BZD is used by Belize and no one else.
To see Belize next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Belize
Belmopan was built 80 km inland after Hurricane Hattie nearly destroyed the old capital, the port of Belize City, in 1961. Think 'Bel' for Belize: the capital starts the same way. For the flag, look for two workers standing in front of a mahogany tree.
The flag of Belize: royal blue, red and white, with the coat of arms
🇧🇿 The flag is a royal blue flag with a narrow red stripe along the top and bottom edges and the coat of arms on a large white disc in the centre. The coat of arms shows two workers and a mahogany tree, ringed by 50 mahogany leaves, with the motto 'Sub Umbra Floreo' (Under the shade I flourish). They refer to the logging industry that led the British to settle Belize.
Region and neighbours
Belize is a small country on the Caribbean coast of Central America, between Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south. It shares land borders with 2 countries: Mexico and Guatemala.
- Mexico 🇲🇽 — capital Mexico City
- Guatemala 🇬🇹 — capital Guatemala City
Three facts about Belize
- The Belize Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second-largest barrier reef in the world, after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
- English is the official language of Belize, the only Central American country where this is the case.
- The government moved from Belize City to Belmopan in 1970.
Sources: Wikipedia: Belize, Wikipedia: Flag of Belize, Wikipedia: Belmopan, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Belize
- North American capitals quiz — match Belize to Belmopan
- North American flags quiz — spot the Belize flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Belize
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Belize those are:
- North America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- North America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- North America capitals quiz — match it to Belmopan
- Belize capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Belize
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Belize
- Capital of Belize: Belmopan — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 23 countries of North America
Nearby countries
- Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬 — capital Saint John's
- Bahamas 🇧🇸 — capital Nassau
- Barbados 🇧🇧 — capital Bridgetown
- Canada 🇨🇦 — capital Ottawa
- Costa Rica 🇨🇷 — capital San José
- Cuba 🇨🇺 — capital Havana
- Dominica 🇩🇲 — capital Roseau
- Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 — capital Santo Domingo
- El Salvador 🇸🇻 — capital San Salvador
- Grenada 🇬🇩 — capital Saint George's
- Guatemala 🇬🇹 — capital Guatemala City
- Haiti 🇭🇹 — capital Port-au-Prince
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Belize flag?
The flag of Belize is a royal blue flag with a narrow red stripe along the top and bottom edges and the coat of arms on a large white disc in the centre. The coat of arms shows two workers and a mahogany tree, ringed by 50 mahogany leaves, with the motto 'Sub Umbra Floreo' (Under the shade I flourish). They refer to the logging industry that led the British to settle Belize.
Which countries border Belize?
Belize shares land borders with Mexico and Guatemala.
How can I remember the capital of Belize?
Belmopan was built 80 km inland after Hurricane Hattie nearly destroyed the old capital, the port of Belize City, in 1961. Think 'Bel' for Belize: the capital starts the same way. For the flag, look for two workers standing in front of a mahogany tree.