Belize–Guatemala border

A 1961 map of the border between British Honduras (now Belize) and Guatemala

The Belize–Guatemala border is the line almost straight with 266 km long, almost towards the 89th meridian west, which separates the west of Belize's territory from Guatemala's. It begins at the tri-border Belize-Guatemala-Mexico, running directly south to Garbutt's Falls near Melchor de Mencos. From there, it runs further south to Gracias á Dios Falls, and then follows the Sarstoon River east to the Caribbean at the Bay of Amatique. The border runs along the south side of Sarstoon Island. In Guatemala it borders the Department of El Petén and Belize districts are the border (NS) Orange Walk, Cayo and Toledo.

This border was delimited by a treaty in 1859,^[1] but there are disputes over the rest of the nineteenth century and also in the twentieth century, with the participation of the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The situation was resolved in 1991 when Guatemala officially recognized Belize's independence and diplomatic relations were established.

See also

• Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute

References