Belize (formerly
British Honduras), is a country in
Central America. Belize has a
diverse society, composed of many cultures and speaking many
languages. Although
Kriol
and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only
country in Central America where English is the official language.
It is
bordered by Mexico
to the
north, Guatemala
to the south
and west, and the Caribbean sea
to the
east. With 8,867 square miles (22,960 km²) of territory
and 320,000 people (2008 est.), the population density is the
lowest in the Central American region and
one of the lowest in the
world. However, the country's population growth rate, 2.21%
(2008 est.), is the highest in the region and
one of the highest in the
western hemisphere.
Belize is culturally unique among Central American nations.
It is the
only nation in Central America with a British
colonial heritage, and is
the only constituent nation of the Commonwealth of Nations in its
region. Culturally, Belize considers itself to be Central
American but keeps ties to the Caribbean Islands.
History
The origin of the name
Belize is unclear, but one
idea is that the name is from the Maya word
belix, meaning
"muddy water", applied to the
Belize
River.
Before the arrival of
Europeans, the
Maya
civilization spread itself over Belize beginning around 1500 BC
and flourished until about AD 800.
The recorded history of the center and
south is dominated by Caracol
, where the
inscriptions on their monuments was, as elsewhere, in the Lowland
Maya aristocratic tongue Classic Ch'olti'an. North of the Maya Mountains
, the
inscriptional language at Lamanai
was
Yucatecan as of 625 CE.Michael P. Closs, /www.mesoweb.com/bearc/cmr/21_text.html>The
Hieroglyphic Text of Stela 9, Lamanai, Belize, 13 from Closs,
1987 In the late classic period of Maya civilization (before
A.D. 1000), as many as 400,000 people may have lived in the area
that is now Belize. Some lowland Maya still occupied the area when
Europeans arrived in the 1500s. By then the primary inhabitants
were the
Mopan branch of the Yucatec
Maya.
Spanish colonists tried to settle the inland areas of Belize, but
Maya rebellions and attacks forced them to abandon these
efforts.
English and Scottish buccaneers known as the
Baymen first settled on the coast of Belize in 1638,
seeking a sheltered region from which they could attack Spanish
ships (see
English
settlement in Belize). The settlers turned to cutting
logwood during the 1700s. The wood yielded a fixing
agent for clothing dyes that was vital to the European woolen
industry. The Spanish granted the British settlers the right to
occupy the area and cut logwood in exchange for an end to piracy.
Historical
accounts from the early 1700s note that Africans were brought to
the settlement from Jamaica
to work as
slaves and cut timber. As early as 1800, Africans
outnumbered Europeans by about four to one. By then the
settlement's primary export had shifted from logwood to
mahogany.
As part of the British Empire
The British first appointed a superintendent over the Belize area
in 1786. Prior to that time, the British government did not
initially recognise the settlement in Belize as a colony for fear
of provoking Spanish attack. This delay in governmental oversight
allowed the settlers to establish their own laws and forms of
government. During this time a few wealthy settlers gained control
of the local legislature, known as the Public Meeting, as well as
of most of the settlement's land and timber.
The Spanish, who claimed sovereignty over the whole of Central
America, repeatedly tried to gain control by force over Belize, but
were unsuccessful. Spain's last effort occurred on 10 September
1798, when the people of Belize decisively defeated a Spanish fleet
at the
Battle of St.
George's Caye. The anniversary of the battle is now a national
holiday in Belize.
In the early 1800s the British sought greater control over the
settlers, threatening to suspend the Public Meeting unless it
observed the government's instructions to abolish slavery. Slavery
was abolished in the
British Empire
in 1838, but this did little to change working conditions for
labourers in the Belize settlement.
Slaves of
the
colony were valued for their potentially
superior abilities in the work of mahogany extraction. As a result,
former slave owners in British Honduras earned £53.6.9 on average
per slave, the highest amount paid in any British territory.
Soon after, a series of institutions were put in place to ensure
the continued presence of a viable labour force. Some of these
included greatly restricting the ability of individuals to obtain
land, a debt-peonage system to organise the newly "free". The
position of being "extra special" mahogany and logwood cutters
undergirded the early ascriptions of the capacities (and
consequently limitations) of people of African descent in the
colony. Because a small elite controlled the settlement's land and
commerce, former slaves had no choice but to continue to work in
timber cutting.
In 1836, after the emancipation of Central America from Spanish
rule, the British claimed the right to administer the region. In
1862, Great Britain formally declared it a
British Crown Colony, subordinate to
Jamaica, and named it
British
Honduras. As a colony, Belize began to attract British
investors. Among the British firms that dominated the colony in the
late 1800s was the Belize Estate and Produce Company, which
eventually acquired half of all the privately held land in the
colony. Belize Estate's influence accounts in part for the colony's
reliance on the mahogany trade throughout the rest of the 19th
century and the first half of the 20th century.
The
Great Depression of the 1930s
caused a near-collapse of the colonial economy as British demand
for timber plummeted. The effects of widespread unemployment were
worsened by a
devastating
hurricane that struck the colony in 1931. Perceptions of the
government's relief effort as inadequate were aggravated by its
refusal to legalise labour unions or introduce a minimum wage.
Demonstrations and riots in 1934 marked the beginning of an
independence movement. In response, the government repealed
criminal penalties for workers who broke their labour contracts and
granted workers the right to join unions.
Economic conditions improved during World War II (1939-1945) when
many Belizean men entered the armed forces or otherwise contributed
labour to the war effort. Following the war, the colony's economy
again stagnated. Britain's decision to devalue the British Honduras
dollar in 1949 worsened economic conditions and led to the creation
of the People's Committee, which demanded independence. The
People's Committee's successor, the
People's United Party (PUP), sought
constitutional reforms that would expand voting rights to all
adults.
Independence
Constitutional reforms were initiated in 1954 and resulted in a new
constitution ten years later. Britain granted British Honduras
self-government in 1964, and the head of the PUP—independence
leader
George Price—became the
colony's prime minister. British Honduras was officially renamed
Belize in 1973. Progress toward independence, however, was hampered
by a Guatemalan claim to sovereignty over the territory of Belize.
When Belize finally attained full independence on 21 September
1981, Guatemala refused to recognise the new nation. About 1,500
British troops remained to protect Belize from the Guatemalan
threat.
With Price at the helm, the PUP won all elections until 1984. In
that election, first national election after independence, the PUP
was defeated by the United Democratic Party (
UDP), and UDP leader
Manuel Esquivel replaced Price as
prime minister. Price returned to power after elections in 1989.
Guatemala's president formally recognised Belize's independence in
1992. The following year the United Kingdom announced that it would
end its military involvement in Belize. All British soldiers were
withdrawn in 1994, apart from a small contingent of troops who
remained to train Belizean troops.
The UDP regained power in the 1993 national election, and Esquivel
became prime minister for a second time. Soon afterward Esquivel
announced the suspension of a pact reached with Guatemala during
Price's tenure, claiming Price had made too many concessions in
order to gain Guatemalan recognition. The pact would have resolved
a 130-year-old border dispute between the two countries. Border
tensions continued into the early 2000s, although the two countries
cooperated in other areas.
The PUP won a landslide victory in the 1998 national elections, and
PUP leader
Said Musa was sworn in as prime
minister. In the 2003 elections the PUP maintained its majority,
and Musa continued as prime minister. He pledged to improve
conditions in the underdeveloped and largely inaccessible southern
part of Belize.
In 2005, Belize was the site of
unrest caused by discontent with the
People's United Party
government, including tax increases in the national budget. On
February 8, 2008,
Dean Barrow of the
UDP was sworn in as
Belize's first black prime minister.
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
twenty-third
department.
As of
March 2007, the border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved
and quite contentious; at various times the issue has required
mediation by the United Kingdom, Caribbean Community heads of Government,
the Organization of American
States
, Mexico, and the United States. 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
approved by the OAS, including the Guatemala-Belize Language
Exchange Project.
Geography
Belize Topography
Map of Belize
Belize is located on the Caribbean coast of northern Central
America.
It shares a border on the north with the
Mexican state of Quintana Roo
, on the west
with the Guatemalan department of Petén,
and on the south with the Guatemalan department of Izabal. To the east in the Caribbean Sea, the
second-longest barrier reef in the world flanks much of the of
predominantly
marshy coastline. The area of
the country totals , an area slightly larger than El Salvador or
Massachusetts. The abundance of
lagoons along
the coasts and in the northern interior reduces the actual land
area to .
Belize is shaped like a rectangle that extends about north-south
and about east-west, with a total land boundary length of . The
undulating courses of two rivers, the
Hondo
and the
Sarstoon, define much of the course
of the country's northern and southern boundaries. The western
border follows no natural features and runs north-south through
lowland forest and highland plateau. The north of Belize consists
mostly of flat, swampy coastal plains, in places heavily forested.
The
flora is highly
diverse considering the small geographical area.
The south contains the
low mountain range of the Maya Mountains.
The
highest point in Belize is Doyle's
Delight
at
.
The
Caribbean
coast is
lined with a coral reef and some 450
islets and islands known locally as cayes
(pronounced
"keys"). They total about , and form the
approximately long Belize Barrier
Reef
, the longest in the Western Hemisphere and the
second longest in the world after the Great Barrier
Reef
. Three of merely four coral
atolls in the Western Hemisphere are located off the
coast of Belize.
Belize has a
tropical climate with
pronounced
wet and
dry seasons, although there are significant
variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary
according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating
effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average
temperatures in the coastal regions range from in January to in
July. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the
southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, where
it is noticeably cooler year round. Overall, the seasons are marked
more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in
temperature.
Average rainfall varies considerably, ranging from in the north and
west to over in the extreme south. Seasonal differences in rainfall
are greatest in the northern and central regions of the country
where, between January and April or May, fewer than 100 millimeters
of rain fall per month. The dry season is shorter in the south,
normally only lasting from February to April. A shorter, less rainy
period, known locally as the "little dry", usually occurs in late
July or August, after the initial onset of the rainy season.
Hurricanes have played key—and
devastating—roles in Belizean history. In 1931 an unnamed hurricane
destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and
killed more than 1,000 people. In 1955
Hurricane Janet leveled the northern town of
Corozal. Only six years later,
Hurricane Hattie struck the central coastal
area of the country, with winds in excess of and storm tides.
The
devastation of Belize City for the second time in thirty years
prompted the relocation of the capital some 80 kilometers inland to
the planned city of Belmopan
.
Hurricane Greta caused more than
US$25 million in damages along the southern coast in 1978. On
October 9, 2001,
Hurricane Iris made
landfall at Monkey River Town as a 145 mph Category Four
storm. The storm demolished most of the homes in the village, and
destroyed the banana crop.
According to the most recent
vegetation
surveys, approximately 60% of Belize is forested, with only about
20% of the country's land subject to human uses (such as
agricultural land and human settlements).
Savannah, scrubland and
wetland constitute extensive parts of the land. As a
result, Belize's
biodiversity is rich,
both
marine and
terrestrial, with a host of
flora and
fauna. About 37% of
Belize's land territory falls under some form of official protected
status. Although a number of economically important minerals exist
in Belize, none has been found in quantities large enough to
warrant their
mining. These minerals include
dolomite,
barite
(source of
barium),
bauxite (source of
aluminum),
cassiterite
(source of tin), and
gold. In 1990
limestone, used in roadbuilding, was the only
mineral resource being exploited for either domestic or export
use.
The similarity of Belizean geology to that of oil-producing areas
of Mexico and Guatemala prompted oil companies, principally from
the United States, to explore for
petroleum at both offshore and on-land sites in
the early 1980s. Initial results were promising, but the pace of
exploration slowed later in the decade, and production operations
had been halted. As a result, Belize remains almost totally
dependent on imported petroleum for its energy needs.
In 2006, the
cultivation of newly discovered crude oil
in the town of Spanish Lookout
, has
presented new prospects and problems for this developing
nation. The country also possess considerable potential for
hydroelectric and other
renewable energy resources, such as
solar and
biomass. In the mid-1980s, one Belizean businessman
even proposed the construction of a wood-burning power station for
the production of electricity, but the idea foundered in the wake
of
ecological concerns and economic
constraints.
Economy
Overview
Belize has a small, essentially private enterprise economy that is
based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and
merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming
greater importance.
In 2006, the cultivation of newly discovered
crude oil in the town of Spanish Lookout, has
presented new prospects and problems for this developing
nation. It has yet to be seen if significant economic
expansion will be made by this. To date, oil production equal 3,000
bbl/day (2007 est.) and oil exports equal 1,960 bbl/day (2006
est.). Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports,
while the banana industry is the country's largest employer.
The new government faces important challenges to economic
stability. Rapid action to improve tax collection has been
promised, but a lack of progress in reining in spending could bring
the exchange rate under pressure. The tourist and construction
sectors strengthened in early 1999, leading to a preliminary
estimate of revived growth at 4%. Infrastructure continues to be a
major challenge for the economic development of Belize. Belize has
the most expensive electricity in the region.
Trade is important
and the major trading partners are the United
States
,
Mexico, the
European Union, and Central America.
Banking
Belize has five commercial banks, of which the largest and oldest
is
Belize Bank. The other four banks are
Alliance Bank of Belize, Atlantic Bank,
FirstCaribbean International
Bank, and
Scotiabank (Belize).
Tourism
A
combination of natural factors—climate, the Belize Barrier Reef, 127 offshore Cayes (islands), excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking,
various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, for hiking, bird watching,
and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya ruins—support the thriving tourism and ecotourism
industry. It also has the largest
cave
system in Central America . Development costs are high, but the
Government of Belize has designated tourism as its second
development priority after
agriculture.
In 2007, tourist arrivals totaled 251,655 (more than 210,000 from
the U.S.) and tourist receipts amounted to $183.3 million.
File:Caracolfacup o.jpg|The Maya pyramid
"Caana" at Caracol, Cayo District
, still the
highest man-made structure in BelizeFile:SPBEACH97.jpg|San Pedro Beach in
Ambergris Caye
File:Great Blue Hole.jpg|The Great Blue Hole
, located
near Ambergris Caye,
BelizeFile:Mountain Pine Ridge Uploaded on November 28, 2007
by tomeppy.jpg|Panoramic view of the
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest
Reserve's numerous mountainsFile:1,000 ft. Falls.png|"1,000 ft.
Falls" in
the Cayo District of Belize,
the highest in Central AmericaFile:BZECAYE.jpg|Half Moon
Caye, Belize
File:IMG 5790.JPG|High Temple, Lamanai,
BelizeFile:St. John's Cathedral, Belize City.jpg|The St.
John's Cathedral, Belize City, the oldest Anglican Church in the
western hemisphere
Attractions
Belize District
Stann Creek District
|
Orange Walk District
Cayo District
|
Toledo District
Corozal District
Education
Transport
Politics
Belize is a
parliamentary
democracy, a
Commonwealth realm, and therefore a
member of the
Commonwealth of
Nations.
The structure of government is based on the British parliamentary
system, and the legal system is modeled on the
common law of England. The current head of state
is
Elizabeth II,
Queen of Belize.
Since the Queen
primarily resides in the United
Kingdom,
she is represented in Belize by the Governor-General. However,
the
cabinet, led by the
Prime Minister of Belize,
who is
head of government, acting
as advisors to the Governor-General, in practice exercise executive
authority. 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
National
Assembly of Belize is composed of a
House of Representatives
and a
Senate. The thirty-one
members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum five-year
term and introduce legislation affecting the development of Belize.
The Governor-General appoints the twelve members of the Senate,
with a Senate president selected by the members. The Senate is
responsible for debating and approving bills passed by the
House.
Belize is a full participating member of the
Caribbean Community .
Districts and constituencies
Districts of Belize
Belize is divided into 6
districts:
- Belize
District
- Cayo
District
- Corozal
District
- Orange Walk
District
- Stann Creek
District
- Toledo
District
These districts are further divided into 31 constituencies.
Demographics
Colonisation,
slavery, and
immigration
have played major roles in affecting the ethnic composition of the
population and as a result, Belize is a country with
numerous cultures,
languages, and ethnic groups. The country's
population is currently estimated to be a little over 320,000.
Mestizos comprise about 34% of the
population,
Kriol 25%,
Spanish 15%,
Maya 11%, and
Garinagu
6%.
Maya and early settlers
The
Maya are thought to have been in Belize
and the Yucatán
region
since the second millennium BC; however, much of Belize's original
Maya population was wiped out by disease and conflicts between
tribes and with Europeans. Three Maya
groups now inhabit the country: The
Yucatec
(who came from Yucatán, Mexico to escape the Caste War of the
1840s), the
Mopan (indigenous to Belize
but were forced out by the British; they returned from Guatemala to
evade slavery in the 19th century), and
Kekchi (also fled from slavery in Guatemala in the
19th century). The latter groups are chiefly found in the Toledo
District. White, initially
Spanish
conquistadors explored and declared
the land a
Spanish colony but chose
not to settle due to the lack of resources such as gold. Later
English and
Scottish settlers and pirates known as the
"
Baymen" entered the area in the 16th and
17th century respectively and established a logwood trade
colony.
Kriols
By 1724,
the Baymen began importing African slaves who
spent brief periods in Jamaica, the
Miskito Coast of Nicaragua
and
elsewhere in the Western Caribbean to cut logwood and later
mahogany. They led a better life
than their fellows in the West Indies, but were still mistreated,
systematically raped and bullied. Even so, these slaves assisted in
the defence of the fledgling settlement for much of the late 1700s,
particularly in the 1798
Battle of St. George's Caye. Due
to the lack of women in the colony, slave women Intermingling with
the Baymen whites was very common. This mixture created the
Kriol ethnic group, accounting
for as much as 60% of the colony's population until independence in
1981. Today, identifying as a Kriol may confuse some; a blonde,
blue-eyed Kriol is not an uncommon sight as the term also denotes a
culture that distinguishes more than physical appearance.
Kriol was historically only spoken
by them, but this ethnicity has become synonymous with the
Belizean national identity, and as a result it is now
spoken by about 75% of Belizeans.
Found predominantly in urban areas such
as Belize City
, this group
is also found in most coastal and central and towns and
villages.
Garifuna Settlement Day
Celebrations
Garinagu
The
Garinagu (singular
Garifuna)
are a mix of
African,
Arawak, and
Carib ancestry.
Throughout history they have been incorrectly labeled as
Black
Caribs.
When the British took over Saint Vincent
after the Treaty of
Paris in 1763, they were opposed by French settlers and their
Carib allies. The Caribs eventually surrendered to the
British in 1796. The British separated the more African-looking
Caribs from the more indigenous looking ones.
5,000 Garinagu were
exiled, but only about 2,500 of them survived the voyage to
Roatán
, an
island off the coast of Honduras
.
Because the island was too small and infertile to support their
population, the Garinagu petitioned the Spanish authorities to be
allowed to settle on the mainland. The Spanish employed them as
soldiers, and they spread along the Caribbean coast of Central
America. The Garinagu settled in southern Belize by way of Honduras
as early as 1802. However, in Belize November 19, 1832 is the date
officially recognized as "Garifuna Settlement Day".
Mestizos and Spanish
Around the 1840s,
Mestizo,
Spanish, and
Yucatec
settlers from Mexico began to settle in the north due to the
Caste War of Yucatán.
Currently, the Mestizos are the largest ethnic group in Belize, making up 34% of the population in 2000, and Spanish make up 15%. They predominate in the Corozal, Orange Walk, and much of the Cayo district, as well as San Pedro town in Ambergris Caye. The Mestizo towns of Belize have much more in common with neighboring Yucatán and most of Guatemala and Central America than central, southern or coastal Belize. Towns center on a main square, and social life focuses on the Catholic Church built on one side of it. Most Mestizos and Spanish speak Spanish, English and Kriol.
Other groups
The remaining 9% is a mix of
Mennonite
farmers,
Indian,
Chinese, whites from the United States, and many
other foreign groups brought to assist the country's development.
During
the 1860s, a large influx of Indians and American Civil War
veterans from Louisiana
and other
Southern states established Confederate
settlements in British Honduras and introduced commercial sugar
cane production to the colony, establishing eleven settlements in
the interior. The 1900s saw the arrival of Asian settlers from mainland China, India,
Taiwan
, Syria
, and
Lebanon
.
Central American immigrants and
expatriate Americans and Africans also began to settle in the
country.
Emigration, immigration, and demographic shifts
Kriols and other ethnic groups are emigrating mostly to the United
States, but also to the United Kingdom and other developed nations
for better opportunities. Based on the latest
U.S. Census, the
number of Belizeans in the United States is appoximately 160,000
(including 70,000 legal residents and naturalised citizens),
consisting mainly of Kriols and Garinagu.
Due to conflicts in
neighboring Central American nations, Mestizo refugees from El
Salvador
,
Guatemala, and
Honduras have fled
to Belize in significant numbers during the 1980s, and have been
significantly adding to this group. These two events have
been changing the demographics of the nation for the last 30
years.
According to
estimates by the CIA
in 2009, Belize's
total fertility
rate currently stands at approximately 3.6 children per woman.
Its birth rate is 27.33 births/1,000 population, and the death rate
is 5.8 deaths/1,000 population.
Language
English is the only official
language of Belize due to being a former British colony. It is the
main language used in government and education. Although only 5.6%
of the population speaks it as the main language at home, 54% can
speak it very well, and another 26% can speak some English.
- Kriol is the most
extended language when mother tongue and second/third language
speakers are included. 37% of Belizeans consider their primary
language to be Kriol, an English Creole of words and
syntax from various African
languages (namely Akan, Igbo, and Twi),
and other languages (Miskito,
Caliche). It is also a second or third
language for another 40% of the multilingual country. Kriol shares
similarities with many Caribbean English Creoles as far as
phonology and pronunciations are concerned. Also, many of its words
and structures are both lexically and phonologically similar to
English, its superstrate language. Due to the fact that it is
English-based, all Kriol speakers can understand English. A number
of linguists classify Belizean Kriol as a separate language, while
others consider it to be a dialect of
English.
- Spanish is the second most
extended language in Belize. It is commonly spoken at home by 50%
of the population and spoken as a second language to many
Belizeans.
English is the primary language of public education, with Spanish
taught in primary and secondary school as well. Bilingualism is
very common.
| English & Spanish Language Proficiency |
| Language |
Speaks Very Well |
Speaks Some |
Total |
| English |
54% |
26% |
80% |
| Spanish |
52% |
11% |
63% |
|
Languages in Belize according to 2006 census
| Language |
Mother tongue speakers |
Percentage |
Second language speakers |
Percentage |
| Kriol |
67,527 |
32.9% |
88,822 |
49.4% |
| Spanish |
101,422 |
46.0% |
8,121 |
34.0% |
| English |
7,946 |
3.9% |
59,551 |
20.9% |
| Garifuna |
16,029 |
6.1% |
71 |
0.2% |
| Maya Kek'chi |
11,142 |
4.9% |
314 |
4.5% |
| Maya Mopan |
9,909 |
3.4% |
493 |
3.0% |
| Plautdietsch |
6,783 |
3.3% |
24 |
3.2% |
| Chinese |
1,607 |
0.8% |
29 |
0.7% |
| Maya Yucateco |
1,176 |
0.6% |
13 |
0.3% |
| Hindi |
280 |
0.1% |
3 |
0.1% |
| Others / no answer |
1,402 |
0.7% |
1,192 |
0.6% |
Religion
Religious freedom is guaranteed in Belize. Nearly 80% of the
inhabitants are
Christian, with 49.6% of
Belizeans being Roman Catholics and 29% Protestants.. Foreign
Catholics frequently visit the country for special gospel revivals.
The
Greek Orthodox Church has a
presence in Santa Elena
. Jehovah's
Witnesses have experienced a significant increase in membership
in recent years. According to the Witnesses, around 3% of the
population attended at least one religious meeting in 2007.
The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims 3,300
members in the country
Other non-Christian minorities include:
Hinduism, followed by most Indian immigrants, and
Islam, common among Middle Eastern immigrants
and has gained a following among some
Kriols.
Culture
"The Bliss Center" in Belize
City
Garifuna performance at the Bliss Center in Belize City
Sport
The major sports in Belize are
football,
basketball,
volleyball
and
cycling, with smaller followings of
boat racing,
track & field,
softball and
cricket. The
Cross Country Cycling
Classic, also known as the "cross country" race or as Holy
Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, is considered to be one of
the most important Belize sports events. This one-day sports event
is meant for amateur cyclists but has also gained a worldwide
popularity.
This cycling event in Belize has seven categories based on the age,
gender and the route that has to be taken. Action packed and
thrilling, this sporting event in Belize is one of the most
interesting activities that tourists and visitors from all over the
world like to participate in. The cycling routes offer enchanting
and mesmerizing views across the meandering rivers and the
resplendent greenery of the forest areas. This makes the event even
more popular among the tourists.
The history of Cross Country Cycling Classic in Belize dates back
to the period when
Monrad Metzgen
picked up the idea from a small village in the Northern highway.
The people in this village used to cover miles on their bicycles to
attend the weekly game of cricket in the Belizean villages. He
improvised on this observation and added thrill by sowing the idea
of a sporting event in the difficult regions of western highways,
which was then poorly built.
Holidays
The following holidays are observed in Belize.
| Date |
English Name |
Remarks |
| January 1 |
New Year's
Day |
|
| March 9 |
Baron Bliss Day |
Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, commonly known as Baron Bliss (16 February 1869 – 9 March 1926),
was a British-born traveller who willed some two million U.S.
dollars to a trust fund for the benefit of the citizens of what was
then the colony of British Honduras, now Belize. |
| variable |
Easter |
Good Friday and Easter Sunday (both Christian days marking the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ respectively) are both
public holidays. When holidays fall on a Sunday, the Monday is
given as a public holiday. Therefore "Easter Monday", the Monday
following Easter Sunday, is a public holiday. |
| May 1 |
Labour Day |
Address by the Minister of Labour or a representative, followed
by parades and rallies held throughout the country. Kite contests,
cycle races, harbour regatta, and horse races are held, also. |
| May 24 |
Commonwealth Day |
Celebrated nationwide as the Queen's birthday. National Sports
Council holds horse races in Belize City at the National Stadium
and in Orange Walk Town
at the People's Stadium. Cycle races are held between Cayo and
Belmopan. |
| September 10 |
St. George's Caye
Day |
The Battle of St. George's Caye was a short military engagement
that lasted from September 3 to 10, 1798, fought off the coast of
what is now Belize. However, the name is typically reserved for the
final battle that occurred on September 10. |
| September 21 |
Independence
Day |
The day Belize declared independence from the United Kingdom in
1981. |
| October 12 |
Pan American Day |
Celebrated mainly in Orange Walk, Cayo and Corozal where the
Mestizo culture is predominant. Fiestas and beauty contests are
held to celebrate Mestizo culture. Horse and cycle races
countrywide. Tourism Week: Activities include silent and Dutch
auction, grand vacation raffle drawing and fair. |
| November 19 |
Garifuna Settlement Day |
Festivals, parades, and re-enactments, marking the first
arrival of the Garifuna in 1832 in Dangriga. |
| December 25 |
Christmas |
The Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. |
| December 26 |
Boxing Day |
A Commonwealth
gift-giving traditional holiday. |
National symbols
Black Orchid
The national flower of Belize is the black orchid (
Prosthechea cochleata), also
known as
Encyclia cochleata).
Mahogany Tree
The national tree of Belize is the mahogany tree (
Swietenia macrophylla). British
settlers exploited the Belizean forest for mahogany, beginning
around the middle of the 17th century. It was originally exported
to the United Kingdom in the form of squared logs, but shipments
now consist mainly of sawn lumber.The motto "Sub Umbra Florero"
means: Under the shade (of the mahogany tree) I flourish.
Keel Billed Toucan
The Keel Billed Toucan (
Ramphastos sulfuratus) is the
National Bird of Belize. It is noted for its great, canoe-shaped
bill, brightly colored green, blue, red and orange feathers.
Toucans are found in open areas of the country with large
trees.
Tapir
Belize's national animal is the Baird's Tapir (
Tapirus bairdii), the largest land
mammal of the American tropics. It is also known as the mountain
cow, although it is actually related to the horse and the
rhinoceros. It is protected under the law.
See also
References
Further reading
- Belize In Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and
Culture Ian Peedle
- Belize: A Concise History P. A. B. Thomson
- Belize: Land of the Free By The Carib Sea Thor
Janson
- Belize: Reefs, Rain Forests, and Mayan Ruins Dick
Lutz
- Confederate Settlements in British Honduras Donald
C.Simmons, Jr.
- Education and Multi-cultural Cohesion in Belize,
1931-1981 Peter Ronald Hitchen Unpublished PhD
Thesis. University of Central Lancashire, England. April 2002.
- Escaping the Rat Race - Freedom in Paradise: Real-life
Stories About Living, Working, Investing, and Retiring in
Belize by Dr. Helga Peham, 2007.
- Fodor's Guide: Belize and Guatemala
- Formerly British Honduras: A Profile of a New Nation of
Belize William David Stetzekorn
- Insight Guide: Belize Huw Hennessy
- Lonely Planet World Guide: Belize Carolyn Miller
Caelstrom and Debra Miller
- The Making of Belize Anne Sutherland
- Monrad Metzgen: Notes on
British Honduras.
- Monrad Metzgen, Henry Edney and Conrad Cain Handbook of
British Honduras:
- Monrad Metzgen: Shoulder to Shoulder or the Battle of St
George's Caye, 1798.
- Moon Handbooks: Belize Chicki Mallan and Joshua
Berman
- Our Man in Belize: A Memoir Richard Timothy
Conroy
- The Guatemalan Claim to Belize: A Handbook on the
Negotiations James S. Murphy
- The Rough Guide: Belize Peter Eltringham
- Time Among the Maya: Travels in Belize, Guatemala and
Mexico Ronald Wright
- Thirteen Chapters of A History of Belize Assad
Shoman
- Traveller's Wildlife Guide: Belize and Northern
Guatemala Les Beletsky
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declared
the Garifuna language, dance, and music a "Masterpiece
of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity".
