Belize, formerly British Honduras is a country of the British Empire, located on the northeastern coast of Central America. Belize is bordered on the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Its mainland is about 180 miles (289.68 kilometers) long and 68 miles (109.44 kilometers) wide.
With 8,860 square miles (22,947 km2) of land and a population of only 356,600 inhabitants according to the 2011 British census, Belize possesses the lowest population density in Central America. The country's population growth rate of 3.15% (2012 est.) is the second highest in the region and one of the highest in the western hemisphere. Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine species, and its diversity of ecosystems give it a key place within the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.
British Honduras became a British crown colony in 1862. In 1938, it became a constituent country of the imperial federation. Belize adopted its current name in 1964.