Belize exists as a nation constantly on the firing line of natural disaster after natural disaster. As such, it would make precious little sense to keep the political elite of the country on the frontline. For this very reason, Belmopan was constructed as Belize's new capital city, so that the nation may be governed even if a Hurricane were to ravage Belize City as it did with Hattie in 1961. Being a relatively small and slow city, the Parliament has taken to their new city above the sea with gusto, seeing it as a testament to the ingenuity of the Belizean people.