Belize is a small country located at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula and bordered to the north by Mexico and to the west and south by Guatemala. The coast of the country faces east on the Gulf of Honduras, the westernmost extension of the Caribbean Sea. Fringed by coral reefs and with a steady onshore trade wind, the coast is quite hazardous for mariners. Settled by British pirates, privateers, and other seamen as early as the 1630s, Belize is the only English-speaking country of Central America. Long known as British Honduras, it took the Mayan name Belize in 1973 and became independent in 1981. Belize City is the capital and principal port. Aids to navigation in Belize are presumably maintained by Belize Ports, Ltd. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA Light List numbers are from NGA Publication 110.
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