A constitutional monarchy on the Caribbean coast of Central America, Belize was once known as British Honduras. Belize is bordered by Mexico on the north and by Guatemala on the south and west. Belize is a land of mountains, swampy lowlands, and tropical jungle. The Maya Mountains form a plateau in the south.
Lowlands lie along the coast, and jungle covers most of the interior.
The climate is subtropical with a dry season from February to May and a rainy season from June to November. Hurricanes occasionally cause extensive damage. After Belize City, the former capital, was devastated by a 1961 hurricane, construction of Belmopan began in 1966, financed by a British grant. Government operations moved there in 1970. Although English is the official language, the Creole dialect, Spanish, and several Indian dialects are also spoken.