City North America
Belmopan
Belmopan is the capital of Belize, a country in Central America. It is a new city, built inland, away from the sea.
Belmopan is the capital of Belize. It was built inland in the valley of the Belize River, after a hurricane badly damaged Belize City on the coast in 1961, and the government moved there in 1970. In mid-2025 about 22,584 people lived in Belmopan.
Belmopan is a planned capital in the Belize River valley, about 80 km west of Belize City (Universalis). After Hurricane Hattie and its storm surge struck the coastal capital in 1961, building began inland in 1966 and the government moved in 1970. Statistical Institute of Belize estimate 1 July 2025: 22,584.
Photo: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Belmopan
Belmopan is the capital of Belize, in Central America. It is a young city, built in a river valley.
The country's biggest city, Belize City, is on the coast, about 80 kilometers away.
Belmopan is the capital of Belize, Universalis says. It lies near the town of Roaring Creek in the valley of the Belize River, about 80 kilometers west of Belize City, the old capital on the Caribbean coast.
In mid-2025 about 22,584 people lived in Belmopan, according to Belize's statistics office. That makes it the country's second-largest town, after Belize City with 65,834.
Universalis: capital of Belize, near the town of Roaring Creek in the Belize River valley, 80 km west of Belize City, the former capital on the Caribbean coast; 16,435 inhabitants (2007 estimate), most of them national civil servants and their families.
Statistical Institute of Belize (via City Population), Belmopan: 2,935 (census 1980), 3,558 (1991), 5,088 (2000), 13,931 (2010), 20,754 (2022) and 22,584 (estimate, 1 July 2025), rank 2 after Belize City (65,834); San Ignacio 21,979.
- Country
- Belize (capital)
- People in Belmopan (estimate, 1 July 2025)
- 22,584
- People at the 2022 census
- 20,754
- Location
- the Belize River valley, about 80 km west of Belize City
The National Assembly building
Look at the gray building at the top of the wide steps! Pink flowers and green grass are in front, and tall palm trees stand nearby.
This photo shows the building of Belize's National Assembly, the country's parliament, in Belmopan on 14 July 2008. It is a gray building at the top of wide steps, with long, low buildings on both sides.
In front is a lawn with pink flowers and a white base for a flagpole. Tall palm trees and leafy trees grow around the square, and a few people sit on the steps.
Commons: own work by Haakon S. Krohn, 14 July 2008, GFDL and CC BY-SA 3.0; description: 'Parliament of Belize, Belmopan'. Wikidata dates the National Assembly Building of Belize (Q15261102) to 1970.
In the picture: a gray building with patterned screen walls and a tall central block, reached by broad steps; two long, low gray buildings at the sides; a lawn with a white flagpole base and pink flowering shrubs in front; palm trees and broad-leaved trees; a few people on and near the steps; a partly cloudy sky.
- Photo
- the National Assembly building, Belmopan, 14 July 2008
- National Assembly Building of Belize
- dated to 1970 on Wikidata; about 0.6 km west-northwest of the city's Wikidata point
- Guanacaste National Park
- about 2.5 km northwest of the city's Wikidata point (Wikidata)
A capital moved away from the storms
Long ago, a big storm hit the old capital by the sea. So people built a new capital, Belmopan, away from the coast.
Belize's old capital, Belize City, is on the coast. In 1961 Hurricane Hattie and the storm surge that came with it struck the city, Universalis says, and the government decided to build a new capital inland, far enough from the sea to escape the floods that often hit the coast.
Work began in 1966, with money from the United Kingdom, and in 1970 the government moved to Belmopan. Many apartment buildings were built there through the 1970s.
Universalis: the government decided to build a new capital after Hurricane Hattie and the accompanying storm surge devastated Belize City in 1961. The site was placed far enough inland to escape the floods that frequently strike the coast. Work began in 1966 with financial support from the United Kingdom; in 1970 the government moved to the new capital, and many apartment buildings were built throughout the 1970s.
- 1961
- Hurricane Hattie and its storm surge hit Belize City
- 1966
- building work begins, with money from the United Kingdom
- 1970
- the government moves to the new capital
Inland, by the Belize River
Belmopan is in a green river valley. A small village called Roaring Creek is close by.
Belmopan lies in the valley of the Belize River, which Wikidata gives as 290 kilometers long. The village of Roaring Creek is about 3.4 kilometers west-northwest of the city's center point on Wikidata.
Belize City, the old capital and biggest town, is about 67 kilometers away in a straight line to the east-northeast; Universalis gives about 80 kilometers.
Universalis: near the town of Roaring Creek, in the valley of the Belize River, 80 km west of Belize City.
Wikidata (from the city point Q3043): National Assembly Building 0.60 km WNW; Guanacaste National Park (Q973934) 2.53 km NW; Roaring Creek (Q15272793), a village, 3.35 km WNW; Belize City (Q108223) 67.37 km ENE (straight line); Belize River (Q815650), 290 km long.
- Belize City
- about 67 km east-northeast, point to point (Wikidata); about 80 km by Universalis
- Roaring Creek
- a village about 3.4 km west-northwest of the city's Wikidata point (Wikidata)
- Belize River
- 290 km long (Wikidata)
Hot, with a long rainy season
Belmopan is hot all year. It rains a lot from June to December, and spring is drier.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for 1980 to 2003 show hot days all year in Belmopan. May is the hottest month, with an average daily high of 34.1 °C.
About 2,020 millimeters of rain fall in a year. From June to December every month gets more than 175 millimeters; June is the wettest, with 305.7, and March the driest, with 44.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Belmopan City (17.25° N, 88.78° W), 1980–2003: mean daily maximum 28.0 °C (December, January) to 34.1 °C (May); mean daily minimum 17.6 °C (February) to 22.6 °C (June). Rainfall sums to 2,019.9 mm; June (305.7 mm) is the wettest month and March (44.0 mm) the driest; February to May bring 237.1 mm; rain days (at least 1 mm) sum to 169 a year.
- Average daily highs (WMO, Belmopan, 1980–2003)
- 28.0 °C (December and January) to 34.1 °C (May)
- Average daily lows (same normals)
- 17.6 °C (February) to 22.6 °C (June)
- Rain in a year (sum of the monthly normals)
- about 2,020 mm
A town of government workers
Many people in Belmopan work for the government. The town has grown a lot, from fewer than 3,000 people to more than 22,000.
Most people in Belmopan work for the national government or belong to their families, Universalis says.
The town grew slowly at first: it had 2,935 people in 1980 and 5,088 in 2000. Then it grew much faster, to 13,931 in 2010 and 20,754 in 2022, according to Belize's census. Guanacaste National Park lies about 2.5 kilometers northwest of the city's center point on Wikidata.
Universalis: most of Belmopan's population (16,435, 2007 estimate) consists of national civil servants and their families.
Statistical Institute of Belize (via City Population): 2,935 (1980), 3,558 (1991), 5,088 (2000), 13,931 (2010), 20,754 (2022), 22,584 (2025 estimate): almost eight times as many people as in 1980. Wikidata: Guanacaste National Park (Q973934), 1994, 2.53 km NW.
- Who lives here
- mostly national government workers and their families (Universalis)
- 1970s
- many apartment buildings built
- Growth
- from 2,935 people in 1980 to 22,584 in 2025
Belmopan on the map
Find Central America on the globe. Belize is on the Caribbean Sea, and Belmopan is inland, away from the coast.
Belmopan lies at about 17.3° north, inland from the Caribbean coast of Belize.
Measured from the city's center point on Wikidata, the National Assembly building is about 0.6 kilometers west-northwest, Guanacaste National Park about 2.5 kilometers northwest, Roaring Creek about 3.4 kilometers west-northwest and Belize City about 67 kilometers east-northeast.
Belmopan lies at about 17.25° N and 88.77° W (Natural Earth point, 0.23 km N of the Wikidata point). From the Wikidata point (Q3043): National Assembly Building 0.60 km WNW; Guanacaste National Park 2.53 km NW; Roaring Creek 3.35 km WNW; Belize City 67.37 km ENE. The WMO station point is 1.33 km W of the Wikidata point.
- Latitude
- about 17.3° north
- Longitude
- about 88.8° west
- Belize City
- the former capital, on the Caribbean coast
Amazing facts
-
Belmopan was built because a big storm hit the old capital.
The government decided to build Belmopan after Hurricane Hattie struck Belize City in 1961, Universalis says.
Universalis: the decision followed Hurricane Hattie and its storm surge, which devastated Belize City in 1961.
-
Belmopan was placed far from the sea so floods would not reach it.
Belmopan's site was chosen far enough inland to escape the floods that often hit the coast, Universalis says.
Universalis: the site was set far enough inland to escape the floods that frequently ravage the coast.
-
Belmopan has almost eight times as many people as in 1980.
Belmopan had 2,935 people in 1980 and about 22,584 in 2025, almost eight times as many.
Statistical Institute of Belize (via City Population): 2,935 (1980 census) to 22,584 (1 July 2025 estimate), a factor of 7.7.
-
In Belmopan, May is the hottest month.
In the WMO averages for 1980 to 2003, May's average daily high in Belmopan is 34.1 °C, the highest of the year.
WMO 1980–2003, Belmopan: mean daily maximum 34.1 °C in May and 32.8 °C in April, before the June rains.
Words to know
- capital
- the city where a country's government works
- planned city
- a city designed and built on purpose, often from scratch
- hurricane
- a very strong tropical storm with fierce winds and heavy rain
- storm surge
- a rise of seawater pushed onto land by a storm's winds
- parliament
- the group of people chosen to make a country's laws
- census
- an official count of all the people in a place
Discovery challenge
-
Belmopan is the capital of which country?
Belmopan is the capital of which Central American country?
Since 1970, Belmopan has been the seat of government of which country?
- Belize
- Brazil
- Nepal
Show the answer
Belize
Belize!
Belize.
Belize.
-
Why was Belmopan built away from the sea?
What struck Belize City in 1961 and led to a new capital?
Universalis says which event of 1961 led the government to build a new capital inland?
- A hurricane
- A volcano
- A sandstorm
Show the answer
A hurricane
A big storm, a hurricane!
Hurricane Hattie.
Hurricane Hattie and its storm surge.
-
When did the government move to Belmopan?
In which year did the government move to Belmopan?
Work began in 1966; in which year did the government move in?
- 1970
- 1870
- 2010
Show the answer
1970
1970!
1970.
1970.
-
Which river valley is Belmopan in?
Belmopan lies in the valley of which river?
Universalis places Belmopan near Roaring Creek in the valley of which river?
- The Belize River
- The Amazon
- The Danube
Show the answer
The Belize River
The Belize River!
The Belize River.
The Belize River.
-
Which month is the rainiest in Belmopan?
In the WMO averages, which month gets the most rain?
WMO 1980–2003: which month has the highest rainfall, 305.7 mm?
- June
- March
- April
Show the answer
June
June!
June.
June (305.7 mm).
Nearby places
-
Watch
Natural wonder
Belize Barrier Reef
The Belize Barrier Reef runs along the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. UNESCO calls it the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. About 450 sand and mangrove islands called cayes lie in the reef area, and seven protected areas along the reef form a World Heritage site.
-
Watch
Landmark
Tikal
Tikal was one of the great cities of the ancient Maya, in the forests of northern Guatemala. People lived here for well over a thousand years, until about the year 900, and built steep temple pyramids, palaces and wide plazas. Today it is a national park, protected for both its ruins and its wildlife.
-
Watch
Landmark
Calakmul
Calakmul is the ruin of a great Maya city in the rainforest of southern Mexico. People lived in this region for about 1,500 years, from about 500 BCE to about 1000 CE, and UNESCO calls Calakmul the largest site in the area. Today the city and the forest around it are a World Heritage Site.
-
Watch
Landmark
Quiriguá
Quiriguá is the ruin of a Maya city in eastern Guatemala, near the Motagua River. People lived there from about 200 to 900 CE. It is known for its tall carved stones, called stelae, and large carved boulders, most of them made in the 8th century.
-
Watch
Landmark
Copán
Copán is the ruins of a Maya city in the Copan Valley of Honduras. It grew into one of the great Maya cities between about AD 300 and 900, and it is known for its carved stone monuments called stelae and a giant stairway covered in writing.
-
Watch
City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala, in Central America. It was founded in 1776 in a basin among the mountains, about 1,500 meters above sea level, after earthquakes damaged the old capital. Today it is the country's most important city, and its census count in 2018 was 923,392 people.
-
Watch
Landmark
Palenque
Palenque is the ruin of a Maya city in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It grew powerful about 1,500 years ago, when its rulers built palaces, temples and plazas. After people left it, the jungle covered it. UNESCO praises the elegance and lightness of its buildings, and listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1987.
-
Watch
Landmark
Uxmal
Uxmal is a Maya town in the Yucatán, Mexico, whose main buildings went up between the 700s and 900s. At its height up to 20,000 people lived there. UNESCO calls its buildings the pinnacle of late Maya art and architecture, with a 35-meter pyramid, a long palace and a courtyard of four buildings. It became a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Explore next
-
Watch
Country
Belize
Belize is on the Caribbean coast of Central America, south of Mexico. Along its shore runs a huge barrier reef, the largest in the Northern Hemisphere, and forests cover about three-fifths of the land. Maya cities once stood here, and today English is the official language. The 2022 census counted about 397,000 people.
-
Watch
City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala, in Central America. It was founded in 1776 in a basin among the mountains, about 1,500 meters above sea level, after earthquakes damaged the old capital. Today it is the country's most important city, and its census count in 2018 was 923,392 people.
-
Watch
City
Mexico City
Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, sits 2,240 meters high in the Valley of Mexico. It was founded in 1521 on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital that stood on an island in a lake. About 9.2 million people lived there in 2020, and more than 23 million in the wider metropolitan area.
-
Watch
City
Anchorage
Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, a state of the United States. It lies on Cook Inlet, with the Chugach Mountains to the east. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 287,155 people lived there in July 2025.
-
Watch
City
Atlanta
Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia, in the southeastern United States. It began in 1837 as Terminus, the end point of a planned railroad, and grew into a center for trains, then for highways and airplanes. Martin Luther King Jr. was born here, and about 529,000 people lived in the city in 2025.
-
Watch
City
Boston
Boston is the capital of the state of Massachusetts, on a harbor of the Atlantic Ocean. Settlers founded it in 1630 on a small peninsula, and Bostonians later made thousands of acres of new land. Many events that led to the American Revolution happened here. About 673,000 people lived in the city in 2025.
-
Watch
City
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the province of Alberta, in western Canada, less than 100 kilometers from the Rocky Mountains. It grew from a police post set up where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet. At the start of 2025 about 1,612,834 people lived there, according to an official estimate.
-
Watch
City
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien, also called Le Cap, is a port in the north of Haiti and the main town of the North department. The encyclopedia Larousse says the French founded it in 1670. Haiti's 2003 census counted 111,094 people in the city.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Belmopan and Belize City and explain why a capital might be moved inland.
- Describe what a planned city is.
- Read a tropical climate table with a long rainy season.
- Work out how much a town has grown from 1980 to 2025.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- What would you need to build first in a brand-new capital city?
- Why might a country move its government away from the coast?
- Why might a new capital grow slowly at first and faster later?
Try at home or in class
- Plan a town: draw a map of a new capital with offices, homes, a park and roads.
- Storm safety: on a map of a coast, mark places that are high and far from the sea.
- Rain chart: make a bar chart of Belmopan's monthly rain and find the dry months.
Key vocabulary: capital, planned city, hurricane, storm surge, parliament, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Belmopan , Encyclopaedia Universalis
- Belize: Districts, Cities and Towns , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Statistical Institute of Belize
- Belmopan City: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:Belmopan Parliament.jpg (Haakon S. Krohn, 14 July 2008) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.