Belize moved its capital inland to Belmopan after Hurricane Hattie devastated Belize City in 1961. At the time, the country was still known as British Honduras; it became independent Belize in 1981.
Hattie struck the region on October 31, 1961, bringing destructive winds, storm surge, and flooding. Belize City, located on the Caribbean coast and vulnerable to hurricanes, suffered catastrophic damage. About 70 percent of the city’s buildings were damaged, and thousands of residents were left homeless.
The disaster convinced colonial and later national authorities that the seat of government should be farther inland and on higher ground. Plans for a new capital were announced soon afterward. Belmopan was built roughly 80 kilometres inland, near the geographic centre of the country, and construction was completed in 1970.
Belize City remains the country’s largest urban centre and commercial hub, so Belmopan is not the largest city. The two are often confused because Belize City continued to be the country’s main population and economic centre even after governmental functions moved inland.