Belize City

Belize

International

Baron Bliss Monument in Belize City.

Belize City is the largest city of the Central American nation Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,800 or more people. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. Belize City is the nation's principal port and its financial and industrial hub. Several cruise ships drop anchor outside the port and are tended by local citizens.

A combination of natural factors - climate, the Belize Barrier Reef, 127 offshore Cayes (islands), excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, for hiking, bird watching, and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya ruins- support the thriving tourism and ecotourism industry. It also has the largest cave system in Central America.

Development costs are high, but the Government of Belize has designated tourism as its second development priority after agriculture. In 2007, tourist arrivals totaled 251,655 (more than 210,000 from the U.S.) and tourist receipts amounted to $183.3 million.