Belize << buh LEEZ >> is a small country in Central America. It lies on the southeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Belize is bordered by Mexico on the north, the Caribbean Sea on the east, and Guatemala on the south and west. More than half of Belize’s people live along the Caribbean coast. Belize City, on the coast, is the country’s largest city. Belmopan, the nation’s capital since 1970, is inland.
Belize is Central America’s most thinly populated country. It is also the only Central American country where English is the official language.
Belize became an independent nation in 1981. It had been a British colony since 1862. From 1862 to 1973, Belize was called British Honduras.
Government.
Belize is a constitutional monarchy that functions as a parliamentary democracy. It belongs to the Commonwealth, an organization of former British colonies, and the Organization of American States, an association of North and South American countries. A prime minister heads the government with the aid of a Cabinet. The National Assembly, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, makes the country’s laws.
The people elect the House members. The leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives serves as prime minister. A governor general represents the British monarch. The governor general appoints the senators.
People.
Belize is an ethnically diverse country. Its people are descended from the Maya and other Indigenous (native) groups, Africans, Europeans, and Asians. About half of the people are mestizo (of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry). About one-fourth of the people are Creole (of mixed African and European ancestry). Most of the rest are Maya or Garifuna (people of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry).
English is the country’s official language. However, most people’s first language is Spanish or Kriol (also spelled Creole), a spoken form of English that reflects African influences. Many people speak more than one language. Some people speak Maya or Garifuna. About half of the people are Roman Catholics. Many of the rest are Protestants.
Many Belizeans are poor. Unemployment in the cities and low farm production in rural areas of the country are major problems.
Belizean children between the ages of 5 and 14 must attend school. The University of Belize is the main institution of higher education. The country faces shortages of technicians and of professionals, especially doctors. Many Belizeans who learn such occupations move to other English-speaking countries in search of advancement.
Land and climate.
Most of the coastal area of Belize is a swampy lowland. Offshore lie numerous small islands and an unnamed barrier reef that ranks as one of the longest barrier reefs in the world. Inland, in the south, the land of Belize rises gradually to the low peaks of the Maya Mountains. This range includes the country’s highest point, Victoria Peak, which rises 3,680 feet (1,122 meters) above sea level. Northern Belize is generally flat. Forests once covered most of Belize. But over half of the forests have been cut down for lumber or other products or cleared for farming.
Belize has a hot, humid climate. Temperatures range from 60 to 90 °F (15.6 to 32 °C) along the coast but are often higher inland. Annual average rainfall measures from 50 inches (130 centimeters) in the north to over 150 inches (380 centimeters) in the south. Rain falls almost every day, except during the dry season from February to May. Hurricanes sometimes strike Belize.
Economy.
Belize is a developing country. Service industries, including tourism, employ a majority of the people. Belize’s main crops include bananas, corn, grapefruit, oranges, papayas, rice, and sugar. Belize’s forests contribute a small amount to the economy. The Caribbean Sea provides fish and shrimp. In 2006, Belize began producing oil. Most of Belize’s industries are small. They make clothing and processed foods. Many Belizeans work abroad and send money home to relatives.
Belize imports more than it exports and has a large foreign debt. It imports machinery, refined petroleum, and transportation equipment. The country exports bananas, citrus fruits, crude oil, fish products, and sugar. The United States is Belize’s chief trading partner.
An international airport is near Belize City. Several private radio and television stations broadcast in Belize.
History.
Groups of Maya people moved from the Guatemalan Highlands into what is now Belize in about 1000 B.C. Maya civilization developed and flourished in the Belize area until about A.D. 1000. Archaeologists and historians still are learning about Maya life in Belize from that time until the early 1500’s, when Spaniards reached the coastal area. Spain claimed the Belize area, but resistance from the Maya prevented the Spanish from settling and controlling the land.
British settlers arrived in Belize in the mid-1600’s to harvest logwood, a kind of tropical tree. By the early 1700’s, the British were bringing Africans to Belize and enslaving them. By the late 1700’s, the British were moving inland to harvest mahogany. In the mid-1800’s, many mestizos and Maya moved to Belize from Mexico. At that time, Belize was called the Bay Settlement. In 1862, it became the Colony of British Honduras. Beginning in the 1800’s, and especially from the 1930’s, workers and peasants demanded more democratic government. Men and women gained full voting rights in 1954.
The United Kingdom made British Honduras a self-governing territory in 1964. An elected prime minister and a British governor shared control of the territory. George C. Price of the People’s United Party (PUP) became the first prime minister. In 1973, British Honduras changed its name to Belize. The United Kingdom granted Belize independence on Sept. 21, 1981. Guatemala strongly protested this action. Guatemala had gained independence from Spain in 1821, and from then until 1991, it claimed all of Belize. Guatemala recognized Belize’s independence in 1991 but still claims some Belizean territory.
Since independence, either the People’s United Party or the United Democratic Party (UDP) has controlled the government. Tensions between native-born Belizeans and Spanish-speaking immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have been a challenge for many governments. Dean Barrow of the UDP served as the country’s first Black prime minister from 2008 to 2020. In 2020, the PUP won a general election and John Briceño became prime minister.
