Best Diving Months: Basically year round. The dry season is best; all months except June and July.

Water Temperature: Fairly consistent throughout the year, and is generally in the mid to high 70's Fahrenheit.

Underwater Visibility: Often exceeds 100 feet. In Caye Caulker (population 800) 20 miles north of Belize City, the visibility can be an astonishing 197 feet!

Air Temperature: Subtropical with a mean annual temp of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Official Name: Belize. Formerly British Honduras.

Location: Belize is located in northern Central America bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south and the Caribbean sea to the east.

Getting There: The airlines that service Belize are American Airlines with a daily flight from Miami, Florida and Dallas, Texas, Continental Airlines with two flights daily from Houston, Texas, US Air with a daily flight from Charlotte, North Carolina. TACA Airlines also services Belize with connecting flights through San Salvador, El Salvador and Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Passport and Visa Requirements: All visitors must have a valid passport for 6 months beyond the departure date. You need to show your passport when renting a car, cashing traveler's checks, or in some cases checking into a hotel. Belize does not require visas (except for visitors from Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Taiwan, China, Libya, Pakistan, Israel and South Africa)
Visitors who plan to stay more then 30 days should obtain an extension from the Belize Immigration Office.
Additional passport information: www.embassyofbelize.org/consular.htm

Airport Information: Arrival is at Belize City International Airport. Belize customs regulations are liberal to tourists. However, they can be notoriously slow especially on Monday mornings, when Belizeans returning from weekend shopping sprees in Miami must itemize their purchases and pay duties. Custom officials literally check every nook and cranny of every suitcase. If you find yourself in this waiting-forever situation, slow down and remember-this is the tropics!

Getting Around: By far the easiest way to move around Belize is by plane. The two "major" airlines are Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. Both are based in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Flying on either of these is always a great adventure. If departing from the municipal airport the runway looks about as long as two or three football fields. With a steady seabreeze, getting airborne is a cinch. Because these are such small planes, you may not only watch the pilot handle the craft, you may also get to sit next to him. Flying low and slow you'll have a great panoramic view of the barrier reef, cayes, coast, and jungle.
Shuttle boats to Ambergris Caye takes about one-hour and to Caye Caulker a half-hour from two Belize City locations: the Belize Marine Terminal on North Front Street and the Court House Dock across from the Bellevue Hotel. The one-way cost to Ambergris is about US$12.50 and to Caye Caulker US$7.50.

Language: English is Belize's first language. However, Belizeans speak with a variety of different accents, and may have just as much trouble understanding your English as you do theirs Spanish, Maya and other languages are spoken. If you know a little Spanish, or are good with body language, you'll have no problem communicating. Belizeans are gregarious people who enjoy making new friends.

Population: 257,400

Religions: Catholic, Protestant, others

Capital City: Belmopan (52,000)

Land Area: 22,800 sq km (8,803 sq miles)

Latitude/Longitude: 17÷ 50N, 88÷ 19W

Highest Point: Victoria Peak, 3,681 ft. (1,122 m)

Government: Democratic. Belize held their first parliamentary elections in 1984. The government is directed by a prime minister; a bicameral legislature, the National Assembly, comprises an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives. Belize is a peaceful, law-abiding country, and its citizens are proud to govern themselves.

Electrical Current: Same as the United States;110 volt, 60 cycles. If you need to convert appliances from other countries, please bring adapters.

Time: Belize is on Central Standard Time year-round. Daylight Savings Time is not observed.

Credit Cards: Widely accepted. However, American Express is sometimes frowned upon because of their stiff fees to merchants.

Official Currency: Belizean Dollar

Tipping: Belizeans are not as gratuity-oriented as Americans, but they do appreciate a tip for good service. In general, follow the same customs on tipping as you would back home.

Current weather: www.wunderground.com/global/stations/78583.html

Current Time: Atomic clock. Comprehensive list of over 380 time locations in order of country name: www.worldtimeserver.com

Currency Converter: www.xe.com

Traveler's Health: www.cdc.gov/travel/caribean.htm