The Belize–Mexico border is an international

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

between

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It is long and almost exclusively follows the course of the Hondo River. It separates Belize from the Mexican states of

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...

and Campeche. The modern boundary was agreed to in 1893, and finalized in 1897.

History

The border between Mexico and Belize was difficult to explore because of its remote location, specifically for the Mexican territory. Because of the region's sparse population, the British colony of

British Honduras British Honduras was a British Crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony, renamed Belize in June 1973,

, now Belize, was able to occupy the region. However, Mexico did not recognize British possession of the territory until the late nineteenth century. The Mexican government wanted to diminish, and eventually end, arms smuggling from Belizean

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...

supplied by rebels during the

Caste War Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

, which prolonged the situation. As a result, the government of

Porfirio Diaz Porfirio is a given name in Spanish, derived from the Greek Porphyry (''porphyrios'' "purple-clad"). It can refer to: * Porfirio Salinas – Mexican-American artist * Porfirio Armando Betancourt – Honduran football player * Porfirio Barba-Jac ...

created a Federal Territory which had previously belonged to the State of Yucatan. They later formed the Territory of

and decided to negotiate with the British government to finally fix the common border. They agreed to recognize British governance for the territory in return for Britain's promise to refrain from arming the Maya. With respect to these intentions, Mexico appointed

Ignacio Mariscal Ignacio Mariscal (Oaxaca, Mexico July 5, 1829 – Mexico City April 17, 1910) was a Mexican liberal lawyer, politician, writer, and diplomat. He was named Secretary of Foreign Affairs in 1871–72, for the first time during the Benito Juárez ...

, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, as

Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...

and the United Kingdom appointed Sir Spenser St. John to its Minister Plenipotentiary in Mexico for negotiations. Frontera Mexico Belice

Treaty

A treaty was signed on July 8, 1893, in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

, and an additional convention added on April 7, 1897. The original treaty consisted of four articles; the first set the upper border, the second required the United Kingdom to stop arming Mayan rebels, the third laid out the obligation of both states to prevent Native Americans from gradually encroaching into the territory of the neighboring country, and the fourth required ratification of the treaty by the respective governments. The additional convention, signed by Ignacio Mariscal and the new British minister in Mexico, Sir Henry Nevill Dering, updated Article 3 to include a treaty establishing freedom for Mexican merchant ships to sail without restriction through the Boca Bacalar Chico and all British territorial waters in the Bay of Chetumal. Military vessels were not included in the treaty. Admission to the Bay of Chetumal in Mexico called for the construction of the Canal de Zaragoza. In early 2007, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico announced an agreement with Belize for the delimitation of the maritime boundary in the Bay of Chetumal. This announcement initially sparked widespread public rejection of Quintana Roo because of a version that implied a territorial return to Belize that would include inland areas. It was later clarified that it was only a correction of the maritime boundary, which did not change the border treaty of 1893.

Border

Under the treaty, the border starts at Boca Bacalar Chico, a narrow channel that separates the southern tip of the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and

Ambergris Caye Ambergris Caye ( ; Spanish: Cayo Ambergris), is the largest island of Belize, located northeast of the country's mainland, in the Caribbean Sea. It is about long from north to south, and about wide. Where it has not been modified by humans, it ...

. It then runs through

Chetumal Bay Chetumal Bay is a large bay of the western Caribbean Sea on the southern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in northern Belize and southeastern Mexico. Geography The mouth of Chetumal Bay is directed southward and buffered by the ...

in a broken line up to the mouth of the Hondo River. The border follows the Hondo River through its deepest channel and then along its tributary, Blue Creek, until it reaches the meridian of Garbutt's Falls (approximately 89° 9' W). From this point, it runs directly south to 17° 49' N latitude, the border established between Mexico and Guatemala. Currently the border has two official crossings where there are international bridges. The main one is located between Subteniente Lopez, Quintana Roo, Mexico, and Santa Elena, Corozal District, Belize. It is about from

Chetumal Chetumal (, , ; yua, label= Yucatec Maya, Chactemàal , ) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco. In 2020 ...

, which is the capital of Quintana Roo and main city of the region. A new Belize–Mexico bridge located about 5 blocks west of the old bridge was opened to the public on 15 May 2013. The border between Mexico and Belize is one of the lesser-used borders by Mexicans, but it gained notoriety due to recent reports of drug trafficking across the border, with drug traffickers attracted by the border's relative isolation. This problem has also become more prevalent due to a significant increase in economic activity and tourism, especially on the Belize side of the border. It has also become more commonplace due to Subteniente Lopez establishing a free trade zone and the construction of casinos in the area. These are banned in Mexico and are considered a major tourist attraction. Bilateral agreements between Mexico and Belize have been made to combat the issue of drug trafficking across the border. Oct 5, 2010. Retrieved on Aug 13, 2014.

Cities on both sides

* Subteniente Lopez, Quintana Roo - Santa Elena, Corozal * La Union, Quintana Roo - Blue Creek Village,

Orange Walk Orange marches are a series of parades by members of the Orange Order and other Protestant fraternal societies, held during the summer months in various Commonwealth nations, most notably Ulster. The parades typically build up to 12 July ce ...

International Bridges

* Subteniente Lopez International Bridge * Chac-Temal International Bridge

References