National Flag
Area: 8,867 sq mi (22,966 sq km)
Population (2003 est.): 266,440 (growth rate: 2.4%);
birth rate: 30.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 27.1/1000.; density per sq mi:
30
Capital: Belmopan.
People: Mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other
9.7%.
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole.
Religion: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist
3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000).
Government: Parliamentary democracy.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert Musa
GDP per head: US$3,250 (2001 est.)
Annual growth: 3% (2001 est.)
Inflation: 1.7% (2001 est.)
Major industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction.
Major trading partners: EU, U.S., Caricom, Canada, Mexico, Central America.
The Mayan civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 B.C. and A.D. 300 and flourished until about 1200. Several major archeological sites—notably Caracol, Lamanai, Lubaantun, Altun Ha, and Xunantunich—reflect the advanced civilization and much denser population of that period. European contact began in 1502 when Columbus sailed along the coast. The first recorded European settlement was begun by shipwrecked English seamen in 1638. Over the next 150 years, more English settlements were established. This period was also marked by piracy, indiscriminate logging, and sporadic attacks by Indians and neighboring Spanish settlements. Great Britain first sent an official representative to the area in the late 18th century, but Belize was not formally termed the Colony of British Honduras until 1840. It became a Crown colony in 1862. Subsequently, several constitutional changes were enacted to expand representative government. Full internal self-government under a ministerial system was granted in Jan. 1964.
Guatemala had long made claims on Honduran territory. Although the dispute between Guatemala and Great Britain remained unresolved, Belize became independent on Sept. 21, 1981, after having been self-governing since 1964. Guatemala recognized Belize's sovereignty in Sept. 1991. However, Guatemala still claims more than half of Belize’s territory. At talks held at the Organization of American States' conference in July 2000, Belize and Guatemala agreed to an agenda for formal negotiations to resolve the dispute.
Belize has traditionally maintained a deep interest in the environment and sustainable development and its efforts to increase eco-tourism have been somewhat successful. In 1998, Prime Minister Said Musa launched an ambitious plan to encourage economic growth while furthering social-sector development.
Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime.
The small population of Belize is culturally diverse. This multiplicity of ethnicities, languages, religions, modes of dress, cuisines, styles of music, and folklore reflects the cultural mix. There are many ethnically distinct communities, but people of different groups also mix in many social contexts: at work, in schools, and in the political parties that are not ethnically based. Though prejudices exist, there is no history of interethnic violence in Belize.
The social class of the people—whether they are poor or middle class—affects whether they will have such amenities as a car or television and influences as well whether their children will complete secondary school. Belizeans who have television watch mostly foreign programs, such as Mexican soap operas and North American sports; and the music they listen to largely reflects the traditions of their ethnic group, though recorded music from the Caribbean and United States is widely enjoyed by young people. One hybrid musical form, “punta rock,” seems to blend Caribbean soca, calypso, and reggae styles with merengue, salsa, and hip-hop. Also popular are the traditional sounds of brukdown—the tapping of assorted bottles, tables, cans, or other objects—an energetic percussion that originated in the logging camps.
Some Belizeans are cosmopolitan and communicate by fax and e-mail, but for the average citizen, who is served by poor roads and social services, the nation still feels like a rural frontier.
Since World War II, Belizeans have created a variety of institutions to meet their social and cultural needs, including trade unions, credit unions, cooperatives, and many other nongovernmental organizations that address the needs of health care, social services, women's rights, education, and community development.
The Baron Bliss Institute in Belize City promotes the arts and houses a small archaeological museum and the National Library Service, which has branches in the districts and operates mobile libraries throughout the country. The national archives are in Belmopan.
The government-operated Belize Radio broadcasts in Spanish and English throughout the nation, and several small radio stations reach limited areas. There are several television stations, and Belize receives channels from the United States via satellite. Most of the nation's several weekly newspapers are politically affiliated. Press censorship is minimal, but most of the journalism is of poor quality, and Belize relies heavily on external news sources, chiefly from the United States. Belizean Studies, a journal published three times a year by St. John's College (a secondary school), is an outlet for local research and writing, as are Cubola Productions, which publishes both fiction and nonfiction, and the Angelus Press. The Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR) publishes books and reports and a quarterly publication on Belizean issues.
Belizean sport reflects the historical influences of Great Britain—which introduced football (soccer) and, to a lesser extent, cricket—and the United States, from which basketball and softball were imported. National soccer competitions are held between semiprofessional teams from each of the country's districts. Other popular sports are track and field, boxing, tennis, and volleyball. Cross-country cycling has been popular since 1928, and there are now two lengthy annual road races. Despite the nation's small population and the lack of high-quality facilities, sponsorship, and professional training, many Belizeans are active in a variety of sports and have participated in international competitions.
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The "Line of Adjacency" established in 2000 as an agreed limit to
check squatters settling in Belize, remains in place while the Organization
of American States (OAS) assists states to resolve Guatemalan territorial claims
in Belize and Guatemalan maritime access to the Caribbean Sea; Honduras claims
the Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize.