Real size
How big is Belize really?
22,800 km²
8,790 sq mi · 21st smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Israel
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Belize covers 22,800 km² (8,790 sq mi), about the size of Israel. It sits close to the equator, where normal web maps barely stretch land, so they show it at about its real size, and make countries farther from the equator look bigger than it.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
- Real area
- 22,800 km²
- Size rank
- 147th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 17°N
Countries about the same size
- IsraelAbout the same size
- DjiboutiAbout the same size
- North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia is 1.1 times the size of Belize
- RwandaRwanda is 1.1 times the size of Belize
- El SalvadorBelize is 1.1 times the size of El Salvador
Belize through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is Belize?
- Belize covers about 22,800 km² (8,790 sq mi). It is the 21st smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Belize at the right size?
- Mostly. Belize lies close enough to the equator that a normal web map draws it only about 1.1 times too big, while countries far to the north or south are drawn several times too big.
- Is Belize bigger than Slovenia?
- Yes. Belize is about 1.1 times the size of Slovenia.
- Is Belize bigger than Israel?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Belize bigger than North Macedonia?
- No. North Macedonia is about 1.1 times the size of Belize.