Sibun River

The Sibun River (Xibun River, originally Sheboon River) is a river in Belize that drains a considerable amount of the country's central region. The Sibun (Xibun) was an ancient Maya people who lived in the area.

The Sibun River's headwaters are in the Maya Mountains, around 800 meters above sea level, and are known as the Caves Branch River. The river then flows through a gorge before arriving at an alluvial floodplain with citrus and cacao plantations. The river valley is surrounded by karst geology, which includes Maya cave sites. River figs and spiny bamboo (Guadua longifolia) are prevalent along the river's banks before it reaches the community of Freetown Sibun; mangroves predominate along the stretch of river between the shore and the village. South of Belize City, it flows into the Caribbean Sea.

The Sibun River Watershed contains a variety of flora types, such as tropical evergreen seasonal mixed needle forest, broadleaf forest, mangroves, and agricultural. The Sibun Watershed Association is a local group concerned with environmental issues in the watershed. Guatemala has claimed all of the Belizean territories south of the Sibun River since 1999, yet the claim is not officially recognized.

The Sarstoon River is the current internationally recognized southern Belizean–Guatemalan border. The claim is fundamental to the ongoing territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala. Mexico originally claimed the area north of the Sibun River in Belize but renounced the claim in a treaty with Britain in 1893. Since then, Mexico has said that it will resurrect the claim only if Guatemala is successful in acquiring all or a portion of the country.

Length: 161 km (100 mi)