The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries.
Nearly 260km long, it runs from the northern border of the country, where it is only about 1km offshore, south to the Sapodilla Cayes which lie some 40km offshore.
The system's seven sites illustrate the evolutionary history of reef development and are a significant habitat for threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile.