Belize City

Belize City, capital (1993 est. pop. 47,724) of Belize dist., Belize, at the mouth of the Belize River, on the Caribbean Sea. The river flows c.180 mi (290 km) generally west and is navigable almost to Guatemala. It is the country's major port and has deepwater facilities. Sugar, timber, and wood products are exported from Belize City. Tourism and fish packing are the main industries. The city was devastated by hurricanes in 1931, 1961, and 1978. It was the capial of Belize until 1970, when the government moved to the new city of Belmopan.

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Belize City

City (pop., 2000: 49,050), Belize. The chief seaport and former capital of Belize, it lies at the mouth of the Belize River, which was until the 10th century a heavily populated trade artery of the Maya empire. The British settled the area in the 17th century. The city, built on ground only slightly above sea level, has been ravaged by hurricanes, so the capital was moved inland to Belmopan in 1970.

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Belize City

a port and the largest city in Belize, on the Caribbean coast: capital until 1973, when that function was transferred inland to Belmopan owing to hurricane risk. Pop.: 53 000 (2005 est.)