The northern part of this region, known as the Mountain Pine Ridge area, lies in the Capo District. The southern plateau becomes broader and descends westwardly. Averaging approximately 1,000 feet, the main divide is relatively dwarfed by Victoria Peak which reaches 3,680 feet. Unsuitable for agriculture, the ridge (note that in Belize, ridge refers to any change in vegetation) was exploited by Preceramic peoples and Maya hunters. The paleozoic horst is comprised of granite and metamorphosed sandstone which sustains stands of pine in its infertile acidic soil. Mostly unexplored, they are covered by verdant jungle and a canopy of tropical rain clouds. Rising out of the palm-covered coastal plain of southern Belize are the Maya Mountains. Southern Belize is the site of large plantations that grow citrus, an important export. For information on getting from Cancun to Corozal and Belize, click here. Great mangrove swamps line the northern coast, extend inland for many miles, and cover much of the northern district. The lagoons along the Nuevo River and Freshwater Creek are also areas of Maya site concentration. This area, known as the "Maya Heartland," contains the classic Maya center of Tikal as well as many minor ceremonial centers and hundreds of occupation sites. The Northern Peten and Campeche Regions of the Yucatan are drained by these river basins. In the valleys between run the perennial rivers, the Hondo, Nuevo, and Freshwater Creek. These jungle covered ridges are the spines of fossil coral reefs. The north half of the country is made up of synclinal folds of low lying, parallel limestone ridges running NNE to SSW. The country is divided by the eastward flowing Belize River which is a major transportation route for native goods. To the south, the Belize/Guatemalan border is the Rio Sarstoon which flows east to the Caribbean Sea. The eastern border is demarcated by a surveyed line through the jungle separating Belize from the El Peten Department of Guatemala. The Rio Hondo, which empties into Chetumal Bay, is the border between the two countries. North of Belize lies the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
Lying in aquamarine and jade-colored bays, these cayes protect the jungled coastline from the ravages of the sea. Coral islands called cayes, covered with stands of mangrove trees, dot the coast. The Caribbean Sea lies to the east and from the air its turquoise waters are clear, allowing the multicolored coral formation of the Great Barrier Reef to be easily observed. Southern Barrier Reef Islands, Atolls, Northern Atolls, and Mainland areas.īelize, only 8,867 square miles in size, is situated on the northeast coast of Central America. Click here for fairly complete descriptions of the major areas of Belize. It is bounded an the north and west by Me%icoĪnd on the south and west by Guatemala. Belize borders theĬaribbean Sea along the eastern shore of Central America just below For very extensive information on Belize history, geography, climate, government and more, click here.Īrea 22,963 sq km (8,866 sq. This page relates mainly to Belize, for extensive information on Ambergris Caye and San Pedro Town click here. General Information on Belize Click for Maps Belize General Information- Facts (and Maps)
0 kommentar(er)
