Belize
Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of
Central America, on the
Caribbean Sea bordered by
Mexico to the northwest,
Guatemala to the west and south, and
Honduras 75
km away (47
miles) across the
Gulf of Honduras to the east. The country is a
parliamentary democracy and
constitutional monarchy which recognizes
Queen Elizabeth II as Sovereign. The name is derived from the
Belize River, after which
Belize City, the former capital and largest city, is also named.
The only
English-speaking country in
Central America, Belize was a
British colony for more than a century and was known as
British Honduras until
1973. It became an independent nation in 1981. Belize is a member of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the
Sistema de Integración Centroamericana (SICA) and considers itself to be culturally both
Caribbean and Central American.
The
Maya civilization spread over Belize between
1500 BC and
AD 300 and flourished until about AD 900.
The first
Europeans arrived in the area in the early
16th century and settlement began with British
privateers and
shipwrecked
English seamen as early as
1638.
The origin of the name
Belize is not clear, but one explanation is that it derives from the Spanish
pronunciation of Wallace which is the name of the pirate who created the first settlement in Belize in 1638. Another possibility is that the name is from the Maya word belix, meaning "muddy water", applied to the Belize River.
The early "settlement of Belize in the
Bay of Honduras" grew from a few habitations located at Belize Town and St George's Caye into a de-facto colony of the
United Kingdom during the late
18th century. In the early
19th century the settlement was called British Honduras, and in 1862 it became a Crown Colony.
Hurricane Hattie inflicted significant damage upon Belize in
1961. The government decided that a coastal capital city lying below sea level was too
risky. Over several years, the British colonial government designed a new capital,
Belmopan, at the exact geographic centre of the country, and in 1970 began slowly moving the governing offices there.
British Honduras became a
self-governing colony in January 1964 and was renamed
Belize in June 1973; it was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland.
George Price led the country to full independence on
21 September,
1981 after delays caused by territorial disputes with neighbouring
Guatemala, which did not formally recognise the country until 1992.
Throughout Belize's history,
Guatemala has claimed ownership of all or part of the territory. This claim is occasionally reflected in
maps showing Belize as Guatemala's most eastern
province. As of 2006, the border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved and quite contentious; at various times the issue has involved mediation assistance from the
United Kingdom and the
CARICOM heads of Government. Since independence, a British garrison has been retained in Belize at the request of the Belizean Government. Notably, both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence building measures, including the
Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project.
Belize was recently the site of
unrest directed at the country's ruling party concerning tax increases in the national budget.
 |
Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Belize |
Belize is a
parliamentary democracy and a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations. The
head of state is currently
Queen Elizabeth II, represented in the country by a
governor-general, who must be a Belizean.
The primary
executive organ of government is the
cabinet, led by a
prime minister who is
head of government. Cabinet ministers are members of the majority political party in parliament and usually hold elected seats within it concurrent with their cabinet positions.
The bicameral Belizean
parliament is the National Assembly, which consists of a
House of Representatives and a
Senate. The 29 members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum 5-year term. Of the Senate's eight members, five are chosen by the prime minister, two by the leader of the opposition, and one by the governor general on the advice of the Belize Advisory Council. The Senate is headed by a president, who is a nonvoting member appointed by the governing party.
Belize is a full participating member of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Belize consists of six districts:#
Belize District #
Cayo District#
Corozal District#
Orange Walk District#
Stann Creek District#
Toledo DistrictBelize is located between the
Hondo and
Sarstoon Rivers, with the
Belize River flowing down in the centre of the country. The north of Belize consists mostly of flat, swampy coastal plains, in places heavily forested. The south contains the low
mountain range of the
Maya Mountains, whose
Victoria Peak is the highest point in Belize at 3,675
feet (1,120
m) tall. The
Caribbean coast is lined with a
coral reef and some 450 islets and islands known locally as
cayes, pronounced "keys". Belize is home to the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere stemming approximately 200 miles (322
km) and the second longest in the world after the
Great Barrier Reef. Three of the four coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere's are also located off the coast of Belize. Belize is also the only Central American country without a coast on the Pacific Ocean.
The
climate is
tropical and generally very hot and humid. The rainy season lasts from May to November and
hurricanes and
floods are frequent natural hazards.
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The majority of the Belizean economy is comprised of the tourism industry. Agriculture is also key part of the economy. |
The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on
agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with
tourism and construction assuming greater importance.
Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the
banana industry is the country's largest employer.
Citrus production has become a major industry along the
Hummingbird Highway.
The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to
GDP growth of 6.4% in 1999 and 10.5% in 2000. Growth decelerated in 2001 to 3% due to the global slowdown and severe
hurricane damage to agriculture,
fishing and tourism. Major concerns continue to be the rapidly expanding
trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of
poverty with the help of international donors.
Belize is considered as having a relatively young and growing population. Its birth rate is among the highest in the world and there are indications that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
Age and sex
The greatest portion of Belize's
population is under the age of 30. Nearly 40% of Belizeans are under 15; more than half are under 65. Males slightly outnumber females, though this trend is beginning to change among certain
ethnic groups,such as the Creoles and the
Garifuna, where there are more middle-age and elderly women.
Maya and
Mestizo families are more likely to have male-dominated households.
Birth and death rates/Life expectancy
Belize's birth rate currently stands at nearly 25/1000. Nearly 6 persons die per year out of a 1,000 members of the population; this figure includes murders, accidents and death from natural causes. Infant mortality, high at the beginning of the 20th century, is now down to a mere 24 babies out of a thousand. Male babies are more likely to die, however, than females. The life expectancy of a typical male is 66 years, while for a female it is 70. HIV/AIDS, while not a serious threat to national stability, does affect enough of the population to give Belize a high rating among Caribbean and Central American nations.
Ethnic groups, nationalities, and languages
According to the latest
census, Belize's population is close to 300,000, and much of that number is
multiracial and
multiethnic. The
Maya are the most established of all ethnic groupings, having been in Belize and the
Yucatan region since the 500's AD. White
English and
Scottish settlers entered the area in the 1630's to cut logwood for export and began settling down. The first African
slaves began arriving from elsewhere in the
Caribbean and Africa and began intermarrying with whites and each other, to create the
Creole ethnic grouping. After 1800,
Mestizo settlers from
Mexico and
Guatemala began to settle in the North; the
Garifuna, a mix of
African and
European ancestry, settled in the South by way of
Honduras not long after that.
The 1900s saw the arrival of
Asian settlers from Mainland
China,
Taiwan,
Syria,
Lebanon, and
Korea.
Central American immigrants and expatriate Americans and Africans also began to settle in the country, presenting a interesting potage. However, this was balanced by the migration of Creoles to the United States and elsewhere for better opportunities.
Currently, Mestizos comprise 50% of the population, and Creoles 25%. The rest is a mix of Maya, Garifuna,
Mennonite Dutch/German farmers, Central Americans, whites from America, and most recently black Africans and Cubans brought to assist the country's development.
Not surprisingly, this mix creates an equally interesting mix of communication.
English is the official language (Belize having been a British colony) but most Belizeans use the more familiar
Belize Creole, a raucous and playful English-based language that contains colorful terms not well-expressed in English.
Spanish has become important as the mother tongue of Mestizo and Central American settlers, and is a second language for much of the country. Less well known are the ancient Maya dialects, Garifuna (a mix of Spanish, Carib and other tongues) and the Dutch-German of the Mennonites. Literacy currently stands at near 80%.
Religion
Belize is a predominantly Christian society.
Roman Catholicism is the main religion, acceded to by half the population. Protestant religions, mostly
Anglicans and
Methodists, and newer religions like
Baptists,
Seventh Day Adventists,
Mormons ,
Jehovah Witnesses and
Bahá'í cover much of the remaining 50%.
Hinduism is common among Indian and Middle Eastern immigrants;
Islam has gained a following among Creoles and Garifuna. Religious freedom is guaranteed and churches dot the streets of Belize almost as frequently as stores and other places of business; evangelists frequently visit the country for special gospel revivals.
National holidays include
Baron Bliss Day on
9 March;
Labour Day on
1 May;
Commonwealth Day on the fourth Monday in May;
The Battle of St. George's Caye on
10 September;
Independence Day on
21 September,
Pan American Day on
13 October;
Garifuna Settlement Day on
19 November; and
Christmas on
25 December.
*
List of Belizeans*
Music of Belize*
Communications in Belize*
Foreign relations of Belize*
Languages of Belize*
Maya ruins of Belize*
Military of Belize*
Plants and animals of Belize*
Ports of Belize*
Transport in Belize*
The Scout Association of Belize*
University of BelizeMaterial in some of these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.Image:Belize.AltunHa.Panorama.01.jpg|Altun Ha archaeological site, BelizeImage:Belize.BzeCity.SwingBridge.01.jpg|The Swing Bridge, on Haulover Creek. Belize CityImage:Belize.BzeCity.MemorialPark.01.jpg|Memorial Park, Belize City*
Belize Carlos Ledson Miller
(novel)*
Belize: A Concise History P. A. B. Thomson
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Belize : Land of the Free By The Carib Sea Thor Janson
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Confederate Settlements in British Honduras Donald C., Jr. Simmons
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Fodor's Guide: Belize and Guatemala*
Formerly British Honduras: A Profile of a New Nation of Belize William David Stetzekorn
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Insight Guide: Belize Huw Hennessy
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Lonely Planet World Guide: Belize Carolyn Miller Caelstrom and Debra Miller
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The Making of Belize Anne Sutherland
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Moon Handbooks: Belize Chicki Mallan and Joshua Berman
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Our Man in Belize: A Memoir Richard Timothy Conroy
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The Guatemalan Claim to Belize A Handbook on the Negotiations James S. Murphy
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The Rough Guide: Belize Peter Eltringham
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Time Among the Maya: Travels in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico Ronald Wright
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Thirteen Chapters of A History of Belize Assad Shoman
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Traveller's Wildlife Guide: Belize and Northern Guatemala Les Beletsky
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Government of Belize - Official governmental site
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Belize Tourism Board - Official Tourism site
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Belizean Journeys - Belize Online Magazine
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Belize Forums - Community Forums on Belize
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Belize.Net - Belize Specific Search Engine
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Conservation in Belize - Nature Conservacy on Belize coral reef
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Map of Belize - Map of Belize
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Belize Travel Guide - Extensive articles on Belize
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Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange*
Belize Web - Official website of national communications company BTL, features news links and online radio stations
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The Belize Home Page - Search Engine and Online Directory of Belize's Tourism, Products and Services
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Encyclopaedia Britannica Belize's Country Page
