Belize vs. Guatemala
Geography
| Belize | Guatemala | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 15 30 N, 90 15 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area | total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km | total: 108,889 sq km land: 107,159 sq km water: 1,730 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
| Land boundaries | total: 542 km border countries (2): Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 276 km | total: 1,667 km border countries (4): Belize 266 km, El Salvador 199 km, Honduras 244 km, Mexico 958 km |
| Coastline | 386 km | 400 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
| Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 173 m | highest point: Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 759 m |
| Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 6.9% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 2.2% (2018 est.) forest: 60.6% (2018 est.) other: 32.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 14.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.2% (2018 est.) forest: 33.6% (2018 est.) other: 25.2% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 35 sq km (2012) | 3,375 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms volcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m), which erupted in May 2010 causing an ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations, is one of the country's most active volcanoes with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note" |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste | deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean respectively), there are no natural harbors on the west coast note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire |
| Total renewable water resources | 21.734 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 127.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east | the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas |
Source: CIA Factbook
