Belize: Flag and Facts
Belize's flag is royal blue with thin red stripes at the top and bottom and a large white circle in the center holding the coat of arms, ringed by 50 mahogany leaves.
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Region
- Central America
- Population
- 421,960 (2025)
- Languages
- Belizean Creole, English, Spanish
- Currency
- Belize dollar
- Area
- 22,966 km² (8,867 sq mi)
- People
- Belizean
- Calling code
- +501
- Highest point
- Doyle's Delight 1,124 m
- Independence
- 21 September 1981 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- Baird's tapir (a large forest-dwelling mammal), keel-billed toucan, black orchid
About Belize
The coat of arms shows two workers standing on either side of a shield, with a mahogany tree behind them. The Latin motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO translates as "I Flourish in the Shade." Those figures and the tree point to logging, the trade that first drew British settlers. The blue and the red match the two main political parties.
Mayan city states thrived here until they faded more than a thousand years ago. Britain and Spain fought over the area in the 17th and 18th centuries, and in 1862 it was formally named the colony of British Honduras. Border disputes with Guatemala pushed independence back until 21 September 1981, and Guatemala did not recognize Belize until 1992. Tourism now drives the economy.
Did you know?
- Belize has three national symbols: Baird's tapir, the keel-billed toucan, and the black orchid.
- Doyle's Delight is the highest point in Belize at 1,124 meters.
- Belize is slightly smaller than Massachusetts.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Belize
What is the capital of Belize?
Belmopan is the capital of Belize.
What languages are spoken in Belize?
English, Spanish, and Belizean Creole are all spoken in Belize.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.