Language: English
Currency: Belize dollar
Calling Code: 501
Belize is located in Central America. Its
neighboring countries are Mexico and Guatemala. Belize, the former
British colony of "British Honduras", is the least populated country
in Central America and borders Mexico to the north and Guatemala to
the west and south. To the east lies the Caribbean Sea with hundreds
of small coral islands (cayes). The offshore barrier reef stretches
from Cancun in Mexico across the entire coast of Belize to Honduras
and the Bay Islands. In addition, Belize has three of only four
atolls in the Caribbean, which also includes the world-famous Blue
Hole, truly a diving paradise.
Belize has a great linguistic
and cultural diversity in a small area. The main groups are Ladinos
and Creoles, and Maya, Garifuna and Mennonites also form significant
minorities. Many refugees from the civil wars, especially from El
Salvador and Guatemala, have settled here since the early 1980s.
Nevertheless, in contrast to the surrounding countries on the
mainland, the country is more Caribbean than Spanish in character in
many parts.
The main attraction in Belize is the largely
untouched landscape. The tropical rainforests, which are protected
by nature parks and reserves (40% of the total area), offer an
incredible variety of plants (70 different orchids and almost 700
native tree species) and animals (monkeys, tapirs, pumas and
jaguars). Belize has the only jaguar reserve in the world! In
addition, ancient Mayan sites can be visited. On the other hand, the
Barrier Reef with its hundreds of islands and three atolls offers
everything a diver and snorkeler's heart desires. The real appeal of
Belize lies in the combination of land and water.
Corozal District
The Corozal District is
located in northern Belize on the border with Mexico
Copper Bank ·
Consejo · Corozal · Louisville · Sarteneja
Orange Walk District
The Orange Walk
District is located in Belize and borders Mexico to the north and
Guatemala to the west.
Blue Creek Village · Gallon Jug · Indian
Church · San Estevan · Shipyard
Belize District
The Belize District is located on the sea in the
central part of Belize.
Belize City · Burrell Boom · Gales Point ·
Hattieville · Ladyville
Cayo District
The Cayo District is located in Belize on the border with Guatemala.
Benque Viejo del Carmen · Belmopan · Bullet
Tree Falls · San Antonio · San Ignacio · Santa Elena · Spanish Lookout
Stann Creek District
The Stann
Creek District is located on the coast of Belize.
Big Creek ·
Dangriga · Hopkins · Independence · Maya Center · Placencia · Red Bank
Toledo District
The Toledo District is
located in southern Belize.
Barranco · Big Falls · Blue Creek ·
Laguna · Pueblo Viejo · Punta Gorda · San Antonio · San José · San
Miguel · San Pedro Columbia · Crique Sarco
The Cayes are a group of small islands located along the coast of
Belize, which are assigned to the districts of Belize District, Stann
Creek District and Toledo District. Most of the Cayes are surrounded by
coral reefs and offer some of the best snorkeling and diving in the
world. Some of the most famous Cayes in Belize are:
1 Ambergris
Caye . The largest of the Cayes, also known as "La Isla Bonita", is a
popular destination for tourists who want to enjoy beaches, snorkeling
and diving. Island sung about by Madonna as La Isla Bonita with the
capital city of San Pedro.
2 Caye Caulker . This small island is
known for its laid-back atmosphere and is a popular destination for
backpackers and travelers looking for a cheaper alternative to Ambergris
Caye. The second island with good tourist infrastructure, next to
Ambergris Caye.
3 South Water Caye . This island is one of the best
preserved islands in Belize and offers some of the best diving and
snorkeling.
4 Tobacco Caye . This tiny island is only about 100
meters long and 30 meters wide, but it is a popular destination for
travelers who want to enjoy the isolation and stunning beauty of Belize.
5 Laughing Bird Caye . This small island is named after the
black-headed gull found there and is an important habitat for sea
turtles and other marine life.
There are also many other cayes
along the coast of Belize, from tiny, uninhabited islets to larger,
busier islands with resorts and restaurants. Each of the cayes offers
its own unique atmosphere and activities worth exploring.
With a population of around 328,000, the number of cities remains
manageable. Nevertheless, most of them, and many villages too, are worth
a trip. The most important are:
1 Belmopan - the capital of
Belize in the Cayo District
2 Belize City - the only really big city
with around 75,000 inhabitants in the Belize District
3 Corozal - the
capital of the Corozal District, founded by refugees from the Caste War
4 Dangriga - capital of the Stann Creek District and secret capital of
the Garifuna culture
5 Orange Walk - the capital of the Orange Walk
District
6 Punta Gorda - capital of the Toledo District and the
southernmost city
7 San Ignacio - capital of the Cayo District and
surrounded by important old Mayan ruins
8 San Pedro - tourist center
on the largest island off Belize
Belize is located in the middle of the land of the Maya, who have
been active there for several thousand years and, especially during
their peak between 2000 BC and 1000 AD, left behind buildings of unique
beauty in Belize. In Belize there are over 20 remarkable ruins of
important Mayan sites that are accessible to tourists. The most
important are:
1 Altun Ha.
The largest temple can be seen on every bottle of Belikin beer.
2 Caracol. Probably the largest city
that has ever existed in Belize, with over 100,000 inhabitants and 60km
of roads.
33 Cuello. Probably the oldest
city, dating from around 2500 BC, on the site of a distillery.
4 Cerros.
This city is beautifully situated at the mouth of the New River with a
direct view of the Caribbean.
5 El
Pilar (Belize) . Several gardens have been rebuilt here
in the old Mayan style.
6 Lamanai.
The city that successfully shook off Spanish occupation and can look
back on the longest continuous settlement in the entire Mayan world.
7 Lubaantun. Location of the legendary
crystal skull.
Actun Tunichil Muknal cave is hidden in the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula offers an interesting view of the religious practices of the Mayan culture.
Ambergris Caye Island is the largest island situated of the coast off Belize famous for its pristine nature and laid back atmosphere.
Baking Pot is an ancient Mayan archeological site situated off George Price Highway in Cayo District in Belize. First ancient settlement was found in Pre-classic Period.
Belize Barrier Reef is a majestic underwater ecosystem off the coast of Belize that draws thousands divers annually.
Barton Creek Cave is a natural geologic formation for its ancient Mayan artifacts discovered inside and its vicinity.
Belize City is the largest and one of the most beautiful cities in the country of Belize and Mesoamerica in general.
Cahal Pech is an ancient archeological Mayan site located in Cayo District in Belize. It was occuped for about 21 centuries.
Chaa Creek is a small tributary of the Macal River. It is located in the Cayo District of Belize on the border with Guatemala.
Che Chem Ha Cave is an archeological religious site of the Mayan civilization. It is situated 16 miles South of San Ignacio in Belize.
Colha is an ancient Mayan city situated 52 km North of Belize City on the outskirts of Orange Walk Town, Orange Town District in Belize.
Ka'Kabish is an ancient Mayan archeological site located in Orange Walk District. It was first found during Late Preclassic Period around 400- 200 BC.
K'axob is an ancient Mayan archeological site located near town of Orange Walk in Orange Walk District Belize.
La Milpa is one of the largest archaeological Mayan site located in the Three River Region in the Northwest Belize.
Louisville is an ancient Mayan archeological site located in Corozal District Belize.
Marco Gonzalez is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Southern Ambergris Caye Island in Belize.
Nim Li Punit is a fairy large ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Belize.
Nohmul is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Belize. Although its main site, the pyramid, was virtually destroyed in 2013.
Nohoch Che'en is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Belize. Unlike other ancient sites in the country Nonoch Che'en consists of a network of limestone caves.
Pusilha is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Toledo District of Belize. It was occupied between 570AD and circa 800AD.
San Estevan is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Orange Walk District in Belize.
Santa Rita Corozal is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Belize. It is largely remains unexcavated.
Tipu is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Maya Mountains in Belize on the border with Guatemala.
Uxbenka is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Toledo District of Belize. Uxbenka was found around 250 AD by Peten tribes.
Xnaheb is an ancient Mayan archeological site situated in Toledo District. Xnaheb was settled during Classic period by settlers from nearby Peten.
Xunantunich is an ancient Mayan site located in the Western Belize in the Cayo District some 80 miles (130 km) West of Belize city.
Belize offers a variety of different extraordinary national parks and
reserves. Here are just a few examples:
Community Baboon Sanctuary -
This is a private initiative that provides a home for around 2,000
howler monkeys.
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary - 70 jaguars are
spread across 400 square kilometers of untouched jungle.
Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary - Huge flocks of birds
gather in this swamp landscape between October and April.
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve - This area, which is
over 200 square kilometers in size, is home to numerous waterfalls,
caves and the Mayan ruins of Caracol.
Rio Bravo Conservation Area -
The largest protected area alone makes up 4% of Belize's area.
Shipstern Nature Reserve - Mangrove swamps with a large stork colony
Belize Zoo - If you definitely want to see a jaguar or tapir, this
lovingly maintained zoo is the place for you.
In 1996, UNESCO
declared the Belize Barrier Reef a World Heritage Site. These include:
Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve
Saint Herman's
Blue Hole National Park protects natural caves of
Belize. It is one of the few undeground spaces you can explore on your own.
Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
Glover's Reef Marine Reserve
South
Water Caye Marine Reserve
Laughing Bird Caye National Park
Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve
Guanacaste National Park gets its name from Guanacaste tree that is prevalent in this protected area of Belize.
Entry requirements
No visa is required to enter Belize. You will
receive a stamp in your passport upon entry, which allows you to stay in
the country for up to 30 days. An extension is possible for almost any
length of time, but fees are then payable. There is no German embassy in
Belize. The responsible embassy is in Guatemala City.
If you
travel as a foreigner across land borders, you will have to pay an exit
tax (“conservation fee”) of BZ$ 20. (As of 2023)
Airplane
Belize does not have its own international airline, but efforts are
currently underway to provide Belize with its own airline. Otherwise,
Maya Air and Tropic Air fly domestically, the latter also flying to
Cancun. There are currently no scheduled flights to Belize from Europe.
There are two ways to enter Belize by plane: via the USA or via Mexico.
A fee must be paid when leaving by plane, but this is included in
the flight price.
via USA:
American Airlines via Miami or
Dallas
Continental via Houston
TACA Airline also from Miami and
Houston
A flight from London is also possible, but is not cheaper.
via Mexico (Cancun):
Flights via the USA are generally quite
cheap (500 to 1000 EUR), but you do need a visa for the USA (even for
mere transit), and the flight usually involves an overnight stay. It is
easier to fly directly to Cancun (Mexico) and from there take an express
bus (approx. 6 hours) to Chetumal, the border town to Belize. It is a
little quicker if you take the bus from Cancun airport to Playa del
Carmen and from there to Chetumal. This saves around 2 hours of travel
time. Since the end of 2014, Condor has been offering a flight from
Frankfurt to Cancun to Belize City, i.e. you change to a Tropic Air
plane in Cancun and fly on to Belize City, without the necessary
overnight stay. This results in a travel time of around 16 hours. If you
need an overnight stay, Playa del Carmen is a good option. The town is
smaller than Cancun and is right on the sea. You can also fly to Cancun
with KLM from various German airports via Amsterdam.
Train
There are no train connections to Belize.
Bus
There are bus
connections from Mexico, e.g. from Chetumal, and Guatemala, e.g. from
Flores
Car/motorcycle/bicycle
It is easy to travel with your
own car. The following documents are required:
Complete vehicle
documents
International driving license with 3 copies
You receive
a 30-day driving permit, which can be extended to 90 days. If you stay
longer, you must buy a Belizean driving license.
Arriving by
rental car or leaving Belize by rental car is subject to constantly
changing regulations and is sometimes not possible at all. In this case,
prior information is urgently required. Licensing & Transport Board,
telephone 00501-(0)2/24127
Ship
Many Caribbean cruises stop in
Belize. Often, however, only for transport through Belize to Tikal.
There are boat connections to Guatemala between Punta Gorda in
Belize and Puerto Barrios and Livingston on the other side.
There is no rail transport at all. In Belize there are basically
three public transport options that are very easy to get around:
Bus. Most buses in Belize are used American school buses. In the capital
cities you can buy tickets directly at the ticket counters. Overland,
you can signal the bus driver to stop. The buses are usually very
crowded. If you have luggage, it is best to go straight to the end of
the bus when you have stopped and open the emergency exit to stow your
luggage. The ticket seller will help you with this.
This is the
best way to get closer to the local population and it is very cheap (a
few BZD). The bus driver will entertain you with his favorite music and
the person sitting next to you may offer you some of their food. Express
or 1st class buses also run between the larger towns. These cannot be
stopped on the overland route and are usually air-conditioned. There is
also a luggage compartment under the bus, and they are fast. Bus and
boat connections can be found on horariodebuses.com.
Boat.
Popular travel destinations are often on one of the many islands off the
coast. These are best reached by speedboat, in addition to a small
plane. There are three water taxi connections from Belize City to Caye
Chapel, Caye Caulker and San Pedro. The journey is usually fast,
pleasantly windy and sometimes bumpy (depending on the weather or sea
conditions). Cost: one way around US$10 - 50. In the south of Belize
there are regular connections to Puerto Cortes in Honduras and Puerto
Barrios in Guatamala. The water taxi and ferry connections can be found
on the Belize water taxi guide.
Airplane. Small planes are a very
popular way of getting around the country. There are connections between
the larger towns and the offshore islands. A reliable, fast but also
expensive way to travel. There are two providers here:
The official language of Belize is English. Other less important languages include Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna and Creole languages.
Belize may be small, but its diverse nature offers an almost endless
variety of leisure activities:
Hanging out - Really switching
off. The Caribbean flair on the coasts without the large hotel complexes
means that there are opportunities to relax and unwind, especially in
the Garifuna-dominated regions around Dangriga, Hopkins and Placencia.
If you like good tourist infrastructure, you'll get your money's worth
in San Pedro.
Diving - Belize is a diving paradise. This applies
to all slopes on the Barrier Reef and especially to the offshore atolls,
especially the Lighthouse Reef, which is furthest from the coast (this
is also where the "Blue Hole" is). The reefs of Belize are still largely
intact. The best way to dive is from one of the diving boat hotels on
the offshore atolls. This is of course quite expensive, but the boat
then stays on (permanently installed) buoys on the reef for several days
and diving and snorkeling are usually "unlimited".
Animal watching -
Whether on the water, in the water or on land: the possibilities are
endless. In every larger town, you can book various tours with
professional guides. For example, you can go snorkeling with sharks,
bird watching in the swampland, howler monkeys in the rainforest, etc.
and if you are short on time, the Belize Zoo is the place to go.
However, you can sometimes see a remarkable variety of animals and
plants in the garden or on the balcony of your accommodation.
Trecking In almost every protected area there are more or less difficult
hiking trails of various lengths. This can often be combined with a
Mayan ruin or cave tour.
Biking Long bike tours from place to place
are not advisable, as most houses have guard dogs who know their job.
However, in almost every town you can rent bikes to explore the area.
And cycling around a Caribbean island on the beach is something special.
Horseback riding In some towns, such as San Ignacio, you can rent horses
and explore the surrounding rainforest with them.
Canoeing/rafting A
must in Belize. In every region, various tours are offered, either
guided or self-guided. Some tours also go through caves. The highlight
of canoeing is the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge, a 4-day canoe
race down the Belize River from San Ignacio to Belize City.
Discover
Mayan ruins and the many caves invite you to explore. Many cities are
only partially uncovered and protrude from the rainforest. The cities in
the south in particular are not very popular with tourists. Here you can
still imagine how the researchers must have felt when they rediscovered
the cities.
Life in Belize is not expensive. If you limit yourself to local food and souvenirs, food and souvenirs do not cost any more than in other Central American countries. Even in tourist areas, the prices in restaurants are completely in line with other Central American countries. Only overnight stays are comparatively expensive.
Belize cuisine is diverse and reflects the country's cultural
diversity. Here are some popular dishes in Belize:
Rice and Beans:
This is a national dish in Belize and is often served with chicken,
beef, or fish. It consists of rice, beans, coconut milk, and spices.
Shrimp Ceviche: Ceviche is popular throughout Latin America, and in
Belize it is often made with fresh shrimp, lime juice, onions, and
spices.
Fry Jacks: These fried dough pieces are often served for
breakfast and can be eaten with jam or as a side dish with eggs and
bacon.
Hudutu: A dish popular in Garifuna culture consists of a
coconut milk soup served with fish and plantains.
Conch Fritters:
Conch is a marine clam that is common in Belize, and conch fritters are
a popular snack. The clams are crushed and placed in a batter made of
flour, spices, and vegetables before being deep-fried.
Escabeche:
This is a spicy stew with chicken, vegetables and spices.
Tamales: These steamed corn tortillas are usually filled with chicken,
pork or vegetables.
Soursop Ice Cream: This is a delicious ice
cream made from the tropical soursop fruit.
There are also many
restaurants in Belize that offer international cuisine, from American
burgers and fries to Italian pasta and pizza.
Marie Sharp's
Habanero Pepper Sauce is a staple on every table in Belize. This
extremely hot sauce has descriptive names like "No Wimps Allowed" or
"Beware". The second hot sauce provider is Hot Mama, with a similar
range of offerings. Otherwise, the cuisine is varied, reflecting the
mixed population. Fish is highly recommended.
Belize has a relatively small but vibrant nightlife scene, especially in the tourist centers such as Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, as well as in Belize City.
Despite the lack of large hotels, Belize is well developed for
tourism. Good quality accommodation is available in almost every town.
In general, hotels can be differentiated according to price range and
comfort. Even most low-priced hotels (US$20 - 50) still have their own
bathroom and toilet in each room. A list of hotels is available from the
Belize Tourist Board:
Belize Tourist Board, PO Box 325, Lower
Flat, New Horizon Investment Building, 3 1/2 Miles Northern Highway,
BZ-Belize City. Tel.: +501 (02) 23 19 13, Fax: +501 (02) 23 19 43.
Camping on the beaches is prohibited, but there are campsites
available in every district.
In Belize, school attendance is compulsory and free for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Only school books and uniforms have to be paid for.
Basically, Belize is a safe and friendly country, and if someone
greets you or wants to make small talk with you, there is no bad
intention behind it. The fact that everyone greets everyone is common
practice in many parts of the country.
Caution is advised in
Belize City, however, as the behavior mentioned above sometimes leads to
a crime. Therefore, you should not shake hands with strangers and only
travel in certain districts with a guide and by taxi. The areas south of
the Belize River should generally be avoided at night. Taxis can be
recognized by their green license plates.
You should also be
careful on the border with Guatemala, as robberies in the rainforest
sometimes occur here in the border area. You should definitely avoid
driving on the connecting road from San Ignacio to Tikal in the dark. It
is very safe during the day.
Make sure that your tour guide and
the diving company have a valid license.
The country has been malaria-free since 2019.
A typhoid
vaccination should be carried out beforehand. Hepatitis A, B, tetanus
and rabies vaccinations should be updated.
You should also avoid
mosquito bites, as dengue fever is also a rare occurrence here.
In addition to poisonous snakes, you should be careful of the so-called
24-hour ant. The poison of this ant will incapacitate you for 24 hours.
This ant is actually peaceful and, at 2 cm in size, you can't miss it.
The climate is tropical to subtropical. There are also fresh winds
from the Caribbean on the coast.
The highest temperatures in
summer are around 35°C. The lowest temperatures in winter are 17°C. Most
of the rain falls in the rainy season between June and November. It is
mostly dry between February and May. The water temperature is around
28°C. The average humidity is 85%.
Best time to visit:
The dry
season from December to May is the best time to visit Belize as there is
less rain and temperatures are pleasant. Temperatures are usually
between 20°C and 30°C, which is perfect for beach trips, snorkeling and
other outdoor activities.
The rainy season from June to November
can be hot and humid, and rainy days can occur. However, if you prefer
fewer visitors, lower accommodation prices and the opportunity to see
nature in all its glory, this could be the best time.
Additionally, you should note that the hurricane season in Belize lasts
from June to November, so it is important to keep an eye on the weather
forecast.
Especially in the south in the Garifuna and Mayan regions, the use of
cameras should be limited, as many people here still believe that a
photograph also captures the soul. A quick question often clears up any
misunderstandings. The Garifuna in particular are very proud and can
resort to a very colorful vocabulary when they feel disrespected.
Out of respect for their religious beliefs, you should completely
avoid taking photos of Mennonites.
But ultimately, if you are
tolerant of everyone and every culture, then you are in the right place
in Belize.
There is internet access in almost every larger town. Tri-band cell
phones that support the GSM-1900 network work excellently in Belize. If
you have a cell phone without a SIM lock, you can save on roaming
charges and buy a prepaid SIM card from BTL (Belize Telecom Limited).
There are special days several times a month when you get double the
minutes for the same money. In addition to BTL, there are also
smartphones in Belize, but these use the proprietary CDMA telephone
system known from the USA.
Because of the high telephone charges,
it is advisable to use email or SMS to contact home.
The whole of Belize is supported by the consular department of the
German embassy in Guatemala City.
Switzerland and Austria are
represented by honorary consuls with limited powers. Their superior
offices are the consular departments in Mexico City.
Belize is often included as an additional feature in travel guides
for Central America. This is limited to a few highlights. Only Peter
Wolf (Belize - in German), the Lonely Planet and Rough Trade offer
independent travel guides. Rough Trade certainly has the more detailed
edition, while the Lonely Planet is more clearly laid out. All of the
three travel guides listed have a small chapter for Tikal.
A very
entertaining book of short stories by Peter Wolf has been on the market
since November 2011.
The origin of the name Belize is widely debated and is marked by
ambiguities and mythologizing, largely due to its colonial context. One
widely contested theory suggests that the name derives from Peter
Wallace, a supposed Scottish privateer, whose Spanish pronunciation of
"Wallace" would have evolved into "Belize." However, modern scholars
consider this narrative a colonialist myth, created by British interests
to reinforce the historical legitimacy of their settlement.
Another hypothesis points to a Mayan origin of the name, possibly
derived from the words balix or belix, meaning "rainy waters," in
reference to the Belize River. This explanation is supported by
cartographic and textual evidence, suggesting that the name was
initially used by Spanish explorers to designate the region. European
maps from the early 18th century already recorded variations of the
name, including Balesia, Belleze and Valiz, reflecting the cartographic
inconsistency and lack of a fixed toponym until the 19th century. The
name Belize began to be used consistently to designate the region and
its settlements with the growing British interest in timber
exploitation.
Also, another interpretation of Mayan origin
suggests that the name Belize could be related to the expression Bel
Itza, which means "road to Itza", in reference to the Kingdom of Petén
Itzá, in present-day northern Guatemala. This term could have been
adapted by the Spanish to describe the region, serving as a guide for
explorers and merchants passing through Mayan territory.
The history of Belize describes the history of the state of Belize in Central America, which has been independent since 1981, as well as the direct prehistory of this state as a British colony or sphere of influence from the late 18th century, the previous 300 years of Spanish dominance and, in brief, the history of the Indian Mayan cultures on the territory of Belize before the arrival of the Europeans.
The region of present-day Belize was settled by the Maya since around
2500 BC, whose descendants still live in the country today. The basic
institutions of the high culture of the Maya developed between this time
and 250 AD. The center of the Mayan culture shifted several times over
the course of its 2000 years of existence; in the classical period, the
city of Caracol in present-day Belize, whose ruins are still impressive
today, was one of these centers. Significant archaeological finds from
the early period were made in Cuello (Orange Walk District). During the
"classic period" of the Mayan civilization (around 250 to 900), cultural
centers also emerged in Altun Ha, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, Lamanai,
Lubaantun and El Pilar. In the late classic period, around 400,000
people are said to have lived in the area of present-day Belize.
Around the year 900, the Mayan civilization collapsed to a large extent,
the causes of which are still not fully understood.
Although
people continued to live in places like Altún Ha, Xunantunich and
Lamanai, the population numbers had declined significantly and these
places had lost their importance as powerful ceremonial and political
centers. The first European explorers therefore still encountered Mayan
populations when they arrived on the coast of Belize, but their cultural
and political institutions had already passed their peak.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the ships of Martín Alonso
Pinzón and Juan Díaz de Solís, captains of Christopher Columbus, reached
the coasts of Belize, and in 1525 the conquistador Hernán Cortés passed
through southwestern Belize on his way to conquer Honduras. During the
course of the 16th century, the Spanish "pacified" the region of
present-day Belize, that is, they did not establish permanent rule, but
drove large parts of the coastal population into the highlands. In
addition to the military deployment of the Spanish, it was epidemics
such as smallpox that they brought with them that decimated the
population and broke organized resistance. The city of Tipu in central
Belize was one of the centers of resistance against the Spanish. In the
17th century, it only had to tolerate Spanish occupation for a short
time and was largely able to maintain its independence due to its great
distance from the center of colonial power in Yucatan.
Although
the country was of interest to the Europeans because of the wood from
the tropical forests, the persistent resistance of the inhabitants and
the largely impassable coasts and mountainous regions in the hinterland
meant that they concentrated their activities more on the areas of what
are now Mexico and Honduras, where gold and silver were also to be
found.
Around 1700 the tide turned and in 1707 the Spanish
abducted several inhabitants of Tipu and other places in Belize into
slavery. This led to a civil war in the region between the Mozul Maya of
southern Belize, who continued to openly resist the Spanish, and the
Maya of Tipu, who tried to come to terms with them. In 1708 the Spanish,
with the support of Tipu soldiers, destroyed the Mozul Maya forces and
then resettled the last inhabitants of Tipu to Lake Petén Itzá. From
1729 onwards, the Spanish withdrew from Belize for good - without giving
up their claim to ownership. In the meantime, however, the inhabitants
had a new enemy in the form of British pirates.
The coasts of Belize offered an ideal refuge for British pirates, the
so-called buccaneers, who raided the Spanish fleets from there. On land,
they had also been cutting logwood, a type of tree that was used as a
dye, since the middle of the 17th century. According to legend, one of
these buccaneers, Peter Wallace known as "Ballis", gave the Belize River
its name in 1638 and thus gave the state of Belize its name.
Piracy only came to a halt in 1670, when Great Britain and Spain signed
a treaty in Madrid to end this practice. The Baymen, as the pirates or
privateers were called because they mainly stayed in the Gulf (Bay) of
Honduras, were now forced to look for other sources of income and found
them in the logwood trade. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the
colony was attacked several times by neighboring Spanish settlers and
troops due to economic rivalry and the Spanish claim to the area. In
1763, the Treaty of Paris gave the British settlers permission from
Spain to harvest wood in a certain part of Belize. However, the treaty
could not settle the dispute between Spain and England. In a Spanish
attack on September 15, 1779, Belize City was destroyed and many
prisoners were taken to Havana. In 1783, the Treaty of Versailles gave
the settlers permission to use wood again. After the outbreak of another
colonial war in 1796, the number of Spanish attacks increased again.
With the support of the Royal Navy, the British settlers defeated a
Spanish flotilla under the command of the Governor General of Yucatán on
September 10, 1798 in the Battle of St. George's Caye. This Spanish
attack with 30 ships, 500 sailors and 2,000 soldiers represented Spain's
last attempt to wrest control of the area from the British.
For around a hundred years, the timber industry remained the most
important source of income for British settlers in the region. Forest
work soon led to slavery. From the 18th century onwards, European
settlers began to use African slaves for this hard work. Belize was
still formally under Spanish rule, however, and the treaties prohibited
British settlers from establishing (labour-intensive) plantations.
However, the number of slaves in the country increased when log felling
was replaced by mahogany production. By 1790, slave labourers made up
around 75% of the total registered population, i.e. excluding the Maya
who were not counted. Many black slaves escaped to Guatemala and
Honduras during the 18th century.
Slavery in the British Empire
was not abolished until 1833 as a result of the Industrial Revolution,
which created new production relations. While slave owners were
compensated for the loss of their "property", meaning the freed slaves,
the latter received neither compensation nor were they allowed to
purchase land. The British cushioned the effects of the abolition of
slavery with a transition period of five years. This phase was called
the "apprenticeship", through which the former slave owners were
supposed to retain control over the former slaves. Even after this
period, little changed in the actual balance of power between black and
white.
In addition, a system of debt bondage quickly established
itself, especially in the timber industry.
The first 150 Garifuna reached Belize in 1802. The Garifuna were of
mixed African, Arawak and Caribbean descent and originally lived on the
island of St. Vincent, which had been taken over by the British in 1783
through the Treaty of Versailles. Conflicts soon arose between the
slave-owning British and the free-living Garifuna, who found support in
the French, who were competing with Great Britain. The French and
Garifuna lost this dispute and in 1796 the British forced 5,000 Garifuna
onto an island off Honduras. Only 2,500 of them survived the journey.
From there, with Spanish approval, they reached various places on the
mainland coast, including Belize. After a civil war in Honduras, in
which the Garifuna were on the losing side, several of them immigrated
to Belize again, where they now make up around 6% of the population.
The British discriminated against the Garifuna in a similar way to
the Maya, assigning them reservations in 1872 and denying them the right
to acquire land.
The rest of the mainland of Central America was under Spanish
colonial rule until the middle of the 19th century, with the exception
of the Mosquito Coast in present-day Nicaragua, which was also British
and whose history was similar to that of Belize. Although the Spanish
were never able to really exercise their sovereignty over Belize and
gradually granted the British settlers more and more control over their
settlement area, the British avoided a formal annexation of Belize for a
long time so as not to provoke the Spanish. The settlers therefore
largely organized their community themselves. From 1738 onwards they
elected an assembly that could pass laws. In 1765 these self-imposed
laws and regulations were codified and expanded into a set of rules
known as Burnaby's Code. In the Agreement of London in 1786, the British
allowed the settlers to cut and export tropical timber, but not to build
fortifications, form any form of government or operate plantations.
However, these agreements were systematically broken by the settlers on
all points.
Spain retained formal control over Belize until
September 10, 1798, when the Spanish suffered a decisive military defeat
against the British in the Battle of St. George's Caye. The country was
now under British rule, without much changing in the largely independent
and self-determined life of the settlers.
In 1854, Great Britain took a major step towards creating formal
colonial structures in the settler colony by giving Belize a
constitution and a legislative assembly. The 18 members of this assembly
had to have a set minimum wealth of 400 pounds sterling and a minimum
annual income. It was thus clearly a representative of the wealthy
settler families. The British superintendent was also allowed to appoint
three of the members, convene or dissolve the assembly at any time, and
give or withhold his consent to the laws at will. This made the Colonial
Office in London the true ruler of the colony.
Since the 1820s,
the neighboring areas of Belize had gained their independence from
Spain, and at the same time a new power had emerged in Central America:
the USA. Considerations about building a canal between the Caribbean and
the Pacific led to the so-called Clayton-Bulwer Treaty between Great
Britain and the USA in 1850, in which both sides pledged to refrain from
any attempt to colonize any part of Central America. However, the treaty
left open whether this also included already colonized areas such as
Belize. In 1853, in keeping with the Monroe Doctrine, the USA called on
Great Britain to leave Belize. In 1856, the USA nevertheless recognized
British rule over Belize, and the Sarstoon River, mentioned in Belize's
later national anthem, was established as the southern border with the
newly formed neighboring state of Guatemala. Another treaty in 1859
described the western border of Belize, but this only temporarily
settled the territorial dispute with Guatemala. The course of the border
with Mexico in the north remained unclear.
From 1847 to 1901, the so-called Caste War (Spanish: Guerra de
Castas) took place on the neighboring Yucatán Peninsula between the Maya
and the Spanish-born upper class. The British inhabitants of British
Honduras supplied the rebellious Maya with weapons and ammunition, which
provided them with a welcome source of income. During the course of the
war, the country became a destination for refugees: first members of the
upper class who fled from the rebels, and later, when they regained
control, the Maya. The latter, as farmers with their agricultural
skills, subsequently had a major influence on the development of the
country's northern provinces.
As early as the end of the 18th
century, the advance of British lumberjacks into the interior had led to
determined resistance from the Mayas living there. In 1866, these
conflicts escalated when a Maya group led by Marcos Canul attacked a
mahogany loggers' camp. British troops, who moved out against the
rebellious Mayas shortly afterwards, were defeated by Canul's troops.
The following year, the British succeeded in driving the Mayas out of
their villages. In 1870, however, they struck back and occupied the city
of Corozal. A failed Maya attack on Orange Walk on August 31, 1872, in
which Marcos Canul was killed, was the last serious military attack on
the British colony.
The inability of the two white interest groups in Belize - the white
plantation owners, who were directly threatened by the rebellious Maya,
and the traders of Belize City - to reach an agreement on the costs of
measures against the rebellious Mayas, led to the members of the
legislative assembly finally giving up their independence and asking for
the status of a British crown colony. In 1872, what would become Belize
was officially granted colonial status and declared the British crown
colony of British Honduras. The old upper class of local landowners was
increasingly replaced by British corporations, and the British Honduras
Company soon owned about half of all private land holdings. By 1890, the
country's economy was predominantly in the hands of immigrant Scottish
and German entrepreneurs.
However, US influence also began to
establish itself. At the beginning of the 20th century, the United Fruit
Company secured concessions for a good 50 square kilometers of land in
the Stann Creek region and received a state-funded railway line there.
However, the company withdrew from Belize by around 1920 after the
Panama disease had destroyed its banana plantations. The abandoned areas
were taken over by local large farmers and used for plantation
cultivation of oranges, grapefruits and bananas. A canning factory was
opened there in 1936. The Stann Creek region thus became a starting
point for the modernization and professionalization of agriculture in
Belize.
The Legislative Council, the political representation of the colony,
was dominated by whites until well into the 20th century, although the
ethnic composition of Belize was already similar to that of today at the
end of the 19th century: In addition to the whites, there were
predominantly Protestant blacks who spoke English or English-based
Creole and mostly lived in Belize City, Roman Catholic Maya and Mestizos
who spoke Spanish and lived mainly in the north and west of the country,
and finally the Roman Catholic Garifuna, who spoke English or Spanish
and settled on the southern coast. But it was not until 1927 that at
least the Creole traders gained influence in the Legislative Council.
At the beginning of the 20th century, resistance to the British
colonial rulers grew, especially among the non-European population.
Soldiers who served in the British army during the First World War were
only deployed in labor camps because of the color of their skin, which
further increased discontent. The workers in the logging camps lived in
conditions akin to slavery, and the 1883 labor law, the Masters and
Servants Act, made breaking an employment contract a criminal offense
and remained in force until 1943. At the end of the 19th century, almost
40 percent of all prisoners were debt slaves who had fled from their
creditor employers. The collapse of the international timber trade as a
result of the Great Depression and a hurricane that devastated the
capital in 1931 and killed around a thousand people further exacerbated
the economic and social situation and fueled increasing public protests.
When the governor rejected proposals to allow unions, introduce a
minimum wage and health insurance in 1931, a series of demonstrations,
strikes and uprisings began in 1934 that can be seen as the birth of the
modern independence movement. Under this pressure, the colonial
government granted limited reforms. From then on, five of the twelve
seats in the Legislative Council were determined by election, although
only 822 residents were entitled to vote. Trade unions were permitted in
1941, and the General Worker’s Union (GWU), registered in 1943, soon
developed into a nationwide organization. During the Second World War
there was extensive emigration of men, most of whom joined the British
Army or worked on the Panama Canal. Their return after the war
exacerbated unemployment and thus the social problems in the country and
brought a lot of support to the GWU. A devaluation of the currency
against the US dollar intensified the protests in 1949 and led to the
GWU turning to general political issues, beyond the previously central
demands for higher wages and better working conditions.
In 1950,
the nationalist People’s United Party (PUP) developed around the GWU.
The PUP’s goals included, among others: the introduction of universal
adult suffrage without the previously valid literacy test, a universally
elected legislative council and the curtailment of the governor's
rights. In 1952, the PUP, led by George Cadle Price, won the election in
Belize City, although the colonial administration portrayed the PUP as
pro-communist and pro-Guatemalan. In 1954, general elections were held
for the first time without restrictions on educational level and wealth,
and the PUP won an overwhelming victory with 66.3% of the vote and a
high voter turnout, which represented a clear vote for the country's
independence.
At the same time, the political system became more
differentiated. A right-liberal movement emerged from a split in the PUP
in 1956, which finally formed the United Democratic Party (UDP) in 1973.
The PUP, which remained under Price, sharpened its left-liberal profile.
After the Second World War, the government initiated a fundamental
restructuring of economic policy. After previously promoting foreign
investment in the agricultural and forestry industries, the focus was
now increasingly on domestic agriculture. The cultivation of sugar cane
and other cash crops in particular was supported. At the end of the
1960s, the British company Tate and Lyle opened two factories. Together
with the rise in world market prices that began shortly afterwards, this
led to an upturn in the sugar industry, particularly in the north of the
country. In addition, the government promoted the cultivation of citrus
fruits and the production of juice concentrate, and from 1969 onwards
the cultivation of bananas in state-owned enterprises, particularly in
the south of the country.
In 1961, the PUP won all 18 seats in the election for a newly formed
legislative assembly. This clear result forced Great Britain to grant
British Honduras independence. From 1964, British control was limited to
the defense of the colony, its foreign affairs, internal security and
certain public service matters. In 1973, the name British Honduras was
changed to Belize in anticipation of independence. In 1978, the Belize
Defense Force was founded as a military force.
Since the early
1960s, the greatest obstacle on the road to independence has been the
claims of neighboring Guatemala to Belize, which were based on
ambiguities in the border treaty of 1859. For decades, the British and
Guatemalan governments negotiated the fate of Belize, with many
interruptions. The USA also participated unsuccessfully as a mediator.
George Price rejected, among other things, the proposal to make Belize
an "associated state" of Guatemala. Only the continued presence and
repeated reinforcement of British troops in Belize (particularly in view
of the threat of invasions in 1948, 1972 and 1975) prevented Guatemala
from taking military action. In November 1980, Guatemala was finally
completely isolated and the United Nations Security Council passed
Resolution 491, which called for Belize's independence. Without having
reached an agreement with Guatemala, Belize became independent on
September 21, 1981.
The early 1980s were also marked by economic
crises. A rapid fall in the world market price of sugar, triggered in
part by the spread of sugar substitutes, hit sugar farmers and
processing plants. Tate and Lyle closed its largest processing plant and
left Belize in 1985. Around this time, the state-owned banana industry
was privatized. In the 1990s, prices for bananas and citrus fruits also
fell. In banana farming in particular, wages had already fallen because
companies were increasingly employing immigrants from neighboring
countries at significantly lower wages. In 1990, bananas, sugar and
citrus fruits still accounted for around 60 percent of export volume. By
2016, this figure had fallen to 44 percent. By the end of the 1970s,
Belize had achieved complete self-sufficiency in the staple foods of
corn, rice and beans through a strictly state-controlled economy and
pricing as well as subsidies for small farmers. These subsidies became
increasingly difficult to finance after the collapse of the sugar
industry, so that from 1984 onwards Belize increasingly deregulated the
market for staple foods at the instigation of the International Monetary
Fund.
The relationship with neighboring Guatemala remained problematic. It
was not until 1992 that the Guatemalan government signed a treaty that
recognized Belize's independence but did not clarify the claims to areas
in the west of the country. In 1994, Great Britain withdrew its last
troops from Belize, except for a few training soldiers. In a 1999
declaration, Guatemala reaffirmed its claims and specified them to
around 53 percent of Belize's land area. Negotiations have been taking
place between the two countries since 2000 to give Guatemala sea access
via Belize. At the same time, the increased illegal settlement of
Guatemalan farmers and loggers in western Belize has exacerbated
tensions since the 1990s. After referendums in both countries failed by
a narrow margin, the governments of both countries followed a proposal
from the Organization of American States and called on the International
Court of Justice to clarify their border issues. In June 2019, the Court
formally accepted this appeal.
In the first parliamentary
elections after independence in 1984, the UDP won by a landslide; Manuel
Esquivel became Prime Minister. Belize then leaned towards the USA and
supported Ronald Reagan's Central America policy. Five years later,
Price took over the office of Prime Minister again, but in 1993 he had
to leave it to Esquivel and the UDP. Layoffs in the public service and
price increases led to an overwhelming election victory for the People's
United Party (PUP) in 1998. Said W. Musa became the new Prime Minister.
He owed his re-election in 2003 mainly to extensive infrastructure
measures and the creation of housing and jobs. However, this drove up
the national debt, so that the government was forced to introduce an
austerity program in 2004. At the same time, Musa had pursued a
neoliberal economic program that primarily focused on tourism, offshore
financial services and the privatization of state-owned companies.
Belize was largely spared the wars and civil wars that other Central
and South American countries experienced. However, in early 2005, unrest
broke out due to the state budget situation and planned tax increases.
In February 2008, the PUP was replaced by a landslide victory for
the UDP. The current Prime Minister is Dean Barrow, making him the
country's first black Prime Minister.
In view of falling world
market prices for many agricultural products, the government
significantly expanded tourism from the 1990s onwards. From 1992 to
2017, the number of annual tourist visitors rose from 247,000 to around
1.3 million people.
Belize is located in the southeast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It
borders Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and the Caribbean Sea
to the east. It is the only country in Central America that does not
have access to the Pacific.
Except for the Mayan Mountains in the
interior, which reach up to 1124 m (Doyle's Delight), Belize is slightly
hilly to flat. The country, which is the size of Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania, is the second smallest state on the American continent after
El Salvador. Despite this, it is very diverse in terms of landscape.
Large parts of the north are made up of a highly structured hilly
area made of chalk limestone, which is hardly higher than 100 m above
sea level and is covered with palm savannahs. Swampy floodplains extend
up to 75 km (in the north) from the lagoon-rich coast into the interior.
Central Belize consists of sandy soil; it is the land of savannahs.
Around 48 kilometers southwest of Belize City, the land rises to 460 to
1120 meters above sea level: the Mountain Pine Ridge and the Maya
Mountains are located here. Abundant rainfall gives rise to numerous
streams that feed the Macal River from the heights in the northwest. The
Macal River and the Mopan River eventually join together and form the
main tributaries of the Belize River.
In the south of Belize -
with the Maya Mountains as a watershed to the southeast - rivers flow on
their short routes to the Caribbean, lined with overhanging cliffs and
caves. Over the years, the rivers have enriched the coastal belt with
their load of sand, clay and silt so that citrus fruits and bananas are
successfully produced here. With an annual rainfall of around 4320
millimeters, the mountainous south of Belize has tropical rainforest and
pine forests in the higher elevations.
The coast is home to numerous coral reefs, sandbanks and atolls, such as Lighthouse Reef, Glover Reef and the Turneffe Islands. The reef off Belize is, after the Great Barrier Reef, the second largest coral reef in the world, and the longest in the western hemisphere and the hemisphere north of the equator. The barrier reef stretches along the entire coast of Belize and protects a large number of small reefs, sandbanks and over 1000 islands, the so-called cayes (pronounced [ki:s]). Most of the cayes and the coast outside the cities and settlements are covered by dense, extensive mangrove forests, which also act as protection against coastal erosion.
The climate is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south,
with trade winds blowing predominantly from the Caribbean. Monthly
temperatures vary between 24°C and 27°C, and the average air temperature
is 25.9 degrees Celsius. The air humidity is bearable thanks to the wind
from the sea. Most of the rain falls between June and October, and this
is also when the air humidity is at its highest. Annual rainfall is
4450mm in the south, and only 1290mm in the north.
The regional
differences in the weather, the different altitudes and geological
conditions ensure different habitats for flora and fauna. 49 different
types of forest can be classified. Maximum temperatures rarely exceed 36
degrees Celsius in summer, and in winter they almost never fall below 16
degrees Celsius, even at night.
The rainy season lasts from May
to November and is often accompanied by cyclones from July onwards.
Natural disasters that occur regularly are hurricanes and the resulting
floods. A cyclone destroyed the then capital Belize City in 1961, and
Belmopan became the capital in 1970.
The diversity of flora is very high, especially in the tropical
forests. There are several thousand plant species, including over 200
orchids and over 500 different types of wood. Belize's vegetation is
tropical rainforest and isolated pine savannahs in the south, swampland
in the lowlands and a coast almost entirely covered in mangroves.
Belize's jungle areas represent one of the largest contiguous
remnants of the tropical rainforest in Central America, which once
covered large areas. This green heart of Belize is even clearly visible
on satellite images from space. Ferns, palm trees, lianas and tropical
hardwoods (including mahogany, Mexican cedar and Campeche wood) grow
here. The pine forests are mainly made up of the Caribbean pine (pitch
pine) and form the separate ecoregion of the Belize pine forests.
The jaguar, which was revered by the Maya, can still be found in the
wild in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. There are also many
different species of birds and many other animals such as river
crocodiles, various snakes and butterflies.
38% of the land area and 11% of the marine area were protected in 2021. The largest national park is Chiquibul National Park in the Maya Mountains, covering 1,157 km²; to the south lies the 403 km² strict wilderness protection area Bladen Nature Reserve. The Rio Bravo Nature Reserve is only slightly smaller than Chiquibul, but has a much lower protection status. Other - much smaller - examples of Belize's nature reserves are Five Blues Lake National Park, Guanacaste National Park and Laughing Bird Caye National Park.
In 2023, 47 percent of Belize's residents lived in cities. The
largest cities in Belize are (as of January 1, 2005):
Belize City,
61,461 inhabitants (capital until 1969)
San Ignacio, 16,812
inhabitants
Orange Walk Town, 15,298 inhabitants
Belmopan, 13,381
inhabitants
Dangriga, 10,750 inhabitants
Belmopan has been the
capital of the country since 1970 and the seat of government since 2000.
The city was built on cleared forest in the foothills of the Maya
Mountains and is located in the geographical center of the country.
Belmopan's inhabitants are mostly civil servants. The facade of the
parliament building on Independence Hill was decorated with an ancient
Mayan motif.
Shaped by the coexistence of different ethnic groups or ethnic-religious groups (mestizos, Creoles, indigenous people, Garifunas, Mennonites, etc.), a corresponding cultural diversity can be found. As expected, African and Latin American influences play a large part, especially in popular beliefs, in the country's typical cuisine and music; but there are also special features in sports and social interaction.
After the dissolution of the state-run Broadcasting Corporation of
Belize (1998), there are several radio stations and two television
stations, Channel 5 and Channel 7. The news can be accessed daily via
video stream on the websites.
There are no daily newspapers in
Belize, only four weekly papers with a small circulation: Belize Times
(PUP paper), Reporter (independent), Guardian (formerly "People's
Pulse", UDP paper), Amandala (independent, but pro-PUP). The San Pedro
Sun is published in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, but is available
throughout the country.
Belize is rich in myths and legends in which spirits and natural beings can be found who are sometimes benevolent towards people, but also evil and/or dangerous. Popular figures are Anansi, Tata Duende, Cadejo, X’tabai or La Llorona, who is not only known in Belize. In addition, belief in spiritual healing and ethnic religions (especially Obeah) are widespread.
Typical breakfast dishes are fry jacks (fried dough flatbreads), Johnny Cakes (flatbreads made from corn flour) or tortillas. Cheese, frijoles refritos (bean porridge) or eggs prepared in different ways are eaten with them. Overall, Latin American cuisine plays a major role (e.g. tortillas, rice, beans), with quantitative variations for each ethnic group (fish and other seafood, chicken, cassava, coleslaw). Local fruit and vegetables are also common.
Apart from the music exports from Jamaica, the Caribbean and the USA,
the music of three ethnic groups is particularly important. While the
mestizos prefer a salsa and merengue-like style of music with the
cumbia, the creoles developed the brukdown from borrowings from
soca/calypso and buru, the music of the lumberjacks. Another style of
music is mento, increasingly influenced by Jamaicans. Both brukdown and
mento are more expressions of the simple, rural population, although
Wilfred Peters (1939–2010) and his Boom & Chimes Band, the main
representative of brukdown, enjoyed enormous popularity throughout
Belize.
The Garifunas, the descendants of African slaves,
probably left the strongest impression. Their traditional pieces,
dominated by drums, with a cappella singing, circular dances, binary or
triplet rhythms and sisera, hand rattles made from calabashes, have been
preserved and continuously developed over the centuries. Many other
movements have emerged from this. The best known example is punta rock,
which, enriched with electronic instruments, developed from an original
fertility dance. Famous representatives of this style include Andy
Palacio (1960-2008) and Pen Cayetano.
So far, only one novel from Belize has been translated into German - "Beka" (Beka Lamb, 1982) by Zee Edgell (1940-2020), which tells the story of a Creole girl caught between matriarchy and an awakening national movement during the 1950s, when the country was still a British colony. Her novel Time and the River (2007) deals with the subject of slavery in the early 19th century.
In addition to the more well-known and popular sports such as
football, basketball, volleyball, softball, cricket, boxing, athletics
and cycling, there are also rarities such as Jai Alai or unexpected
sports such as ice hockey. The Cross Country Cycling Classic, a cycling
race held annually on Easter weekend since 1928, has now gained
international attention. Belize has regularly taken part in the Summer
Olympics since 1968, but has so far not won a medal.
Special
Olympics Belize was founded in 1991 and has taken part in the Special
Olympics World Games several times.
The Barrier Reef off the
coast is of both tourist and sporting importance, the second largest of
its kind in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which is
used by locals as a popular recreation area for all types of water
sports, mainly during school holidays and over the Easter holidays.
Polite manners are very important to most Belizeans. It is not
unusual for people to greet each other who have never met before, or for
acquaintances to be so engrossed in conversation that they forget
everything around them.
A steadily growing number of families are
headed by single parents, predominantly women. Influenced by this trend,
many young people are foregoing official marriage and living in a
marriage-like relationship, the so-called common-law marriage. It is
unusual for people over the age of 20 to still live in their parents'
home. Although the trend is towards a single head of household, there
are a significant number of grandparents who raise their grandchildren,
with or without the support of a parent. In 2009, the average woman had
2.8 children.
January 1st: New Year’s Day
March 9th: Baron Bliss Day (National
Heroes and Benefactors Day)
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May 1st:
Labor Day
May 21st: Commonwealth Day
September 10th: St. George’s
Caye Day
September 21st: National Day (Independence Day)
around
October 12th: Columbus Day, not to be confused with Pan American Day
November 19th: Garifuna Day (Garifuna Settlement Day)
December
25th/26th: Christmas Day (Boxing Day)
Belize had 441,000 inhabitants in 2022. The annual population growth was + 1.8%. The number of births per woman in 2022 was statistically 2.0, that of the Latin America and the Caribbean region was 1.8. The life expectancy of Belize's inhabitants from birth in 2022 was 71 years (women: 74.7, men: 67.7). The median age of the population in 2021 was 25.2 years. In 2023, 27.3 percent of the population was under 15 years old, while the proportion of people over 64 was 5.2 percent of the population.
The largest population group, at almost 53%, are the mestizos, who
have European and indigenous ancestors. These mestizos immigrated from
the surrounding countries. The so-called Creoles in Belize are more or
less dark-skinned and have African and white ancestors. Their ancestors
came to Belize from the Lesser Antilles as slaves or immigrated as
seasonal workers. They make up around 26% of the population.
The
Maya make up around 11% of the population and speak three different Maya
languages: Yucatecan (Mayathan), Q’eqchi’ and Mopan. Most Maya are not
originally from Belize, but have immigrated from Mexico (Yukatec) and
Guatemala (Q’eqchi’). Only the Mopan speakers, who make up around 4% of
the population, are originally from Belize.
A special feature of
the population diversity are the Garifuna or "black Caribs", a culture
that emerged on St. Vincent from stranded West African slaves who mixed
with Caribs and Arawaks and were later forcibly resettled by the British
colonial rulers to the Bay Islands off Honduras, which at the time
belonged to Jamaica, and from there spread along the east coast of
Central America. They make up about 6% of the population.
Another
ethnic group, about 4%, are Mennonites of German descent. Most are
Russian Mennonites who immigrated from Mexico in 1958. They speak
Plautdietsch and some belong to the conservative Old Colony Mennonite
community. A smaller subgroup, originally from the USA, immigrated in
the late 1960s, speaks Pennsylvania German and belongs to the Old Order
Mennonites. In 2010 there were 11,574 Mennonites in Belize.
The
rest of the population are immigrant Arabs, mostly Lebanese, but also
Palestinians and Syrians, all of whom are predominantly Christians, as
well as Chinese and Indians. There are also whites, who mostly
immigrated from English-speaking countries.
The country is one of
the Central American states with the lowest population density, but has
above-average population growth.
The population groups were
distributed as follows in 2010: Mestizos 52.9%, so-called Creoles
(mostly of African origin) 25.9%, Maya 11.3%, Garifuna 6.1%, Mennonites
of German descent 3.6%, Indians 3.9%, others 3.7%.
In 2017, 16%
of the population were migrants. The most common countries of origin
were Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
Unlike in many other
post-colonial states, ethnic affiliation in Belize plays little role in
affiliation with political parties or movements. However, ethnic
conflicts increased during the course of the strong immigration from
other countries in the region in the last two decades of the 20th
century. It was only during this phase or shortly thereafter that the
proportion of mestizos in the population rose to more than 50%. In the
early 21st century, however, a rapid integration of this young immigrant
group into the country's culture and society can be observed.
In 2000, religious affiliations were distributed as follows: Catholics make up around 50% of the population, Pentecostals 7.4%, Anglicans 5.3%, Seventh-day Adventists 5.2%, Mennonites 4.1%, Methodists 3.5% and Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%. Around 1.0% of the population (around 2800 people) are Muslim, other religious communities (including traditional Mesoamerican religions) make up 13%, and 9.4% have no religious affiliation.
The languages in Belize are English (official language), English Creole (Patois), Spanish, Garifuna, Mayan languages and Plautdietsch. Standard German is also used as a language of worship and religious instruction, particularly among the Low German-speaking Mennonites. Pennsylvania German is also used in some (Mennonite) colonies.
The college, which is affiliated with the regional University of the West Indies, was expanded in 2000 to become the University of Belize. It has a humanities and a natural sciences department. However, its degrees are only partially recognized abroad (i.e. USA). Spanish is the only compulsory foreign language taught. The literacy rate in 2015 was 82.7% of the adult population.
The country's health expenditure in 2021 was 5.0% of gross domestic product. In 2017, there were 11.2 practicing physicians per 10,000 inhabitants in Belize. The under-5 mortality rate in 2022 was 10.9 per 1,000 live births.
According to the constitution that came into force on September 21, 1981, Belize is a parliamentary monarchy in the Commonwealth. The head of state is the British king, who is represented by a governor general. The government is led by the prime minister. The House of Representatives and the Senate form the legislature. The members of parliament are directly elected every five years, and the senators are appointed on the proposal of the government, the opposition and an advisory board made up of businesspeople, trade unions and the clergy.
The head of state is Charles III, King of Belize and thus the current holder of the Belizean throne. His official title is Charles The Third, by the Grace of God, King of Belize and of His Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. His representative in the country has been Governor General Froyla Tzalam since May 27, 2021.
The executive branch consists of a cabinet of currently 14 members, plus four ministers of state. Administratively, Belize is divided into the six districts of Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek and Toledo. There are elected self-governing bodies (town boards) in the district capitals. In the course of strengthening local self-government, village councils were also elected in March 2001. The head of government since 2008 has been Dean Barrow (UDP), who was also Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Defense and Minister of Public Service. Johnny Briceño has been the new Prime Minister since November 2020.
The legislation is the responsibility of the National Assembly, which
consists of two chambers and has a legislative period of a maximum of
five years. The House of Representatives consists of 31 members of
parliament directly elected by majority vote. Of the thirteen senators,
six - or seven, including the President of the Senate - are appointed by
the Governor General on the proposal of the government, three on the
proposal of the opposition and three on the proposal of an advisory
board made up of entrepreneurs, trade unions and churches.
The
current, more economically liberal governing party UDP won 17 of the 31
seats in the House of Representatives in the elections on March 7, 2012,
while the opposition, the more populist-participatory PUP, won 14 seats.
In the following elections on November 4, 2015, the UDP increased its
majority to 19 seats, while the PUP retained 12 seats. The last
parliamentary elections took place on November 11, 2020. They were won
by the PUP with 58.83% of the vote, while the UDP received 38.34%. Due
to the majority voting system, the PUP dominates parliament with 26 MPs,
while the UDP is only represented by 5 MPs.
The independence of the courts in Belize is protected by the
constitution. In practice, however, the executive branch has the power
to exert influence, because on the one hand judges and the Attorney
General must conclude or extend their employment contracts with the
government, and on the other hand prominent government representatives
often continue to work as lawyers while in public office.
The
Supreme Court of Cassation for Belize is now the Caribbean Court of
Justice (CCJ). In spring 2001, Belize and the majority of its CARICOM
partners signed the founding act for the Caribbean Court of Justice
(CCJ) as the region's future highest criminal and civil court, replacing
the British Privy Council. In September 2004, the government also
presented parliament with a law on participation in the trust fund to
finance the CCJ.
Within Belize, the Magistrates' Court is
responsible for minor crimes or civil law matters. The Supreme Court is
the next higher court and is responsible for capital crimes. The third
instance is the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court of Belize
confirmed the constitutionality of the death penalty in April 1998. The
last execution in Belize took place in 1985. Before it was replaced by
the CCJ, the Privy Council in London, as the court of last resort, had
granted a stay of execution or decided to commute the sentence. Against
the backdrop of increasing violent crime, some of which is linked to
drug transit, the public is demanding that execution be resumed. Both
the government and the opposition have taken up these requests and the
government submitted proposals for corresponding constitutional
amendments to Parliament (House of Representatives) in September 2002,
but withdrew them in June 2003. This is linked to the expectation of
support, especially from the EU, in improving the police, justice and
penal system.
Male homosexuality was punishable in Belize until
August 10, 2016, making it the last country in Central America with such
a ban. The ban was overturned by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
Belize has had a two-party system since 1961, although this is not
enshrined in the constitution. Any adult Belizean can stand as a
candidate in one of the 31 constituencies.
People’s United Party
– PUP
United Democratic Party – UDP
National Alliance for Belizean
Rights – NABR
People’s National Party – PNP
Vision Inspired by the
People – VIP (since 2004)
National Reform Party – NRP (since 2007)
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize is the umbrella organization
of sectoral individual unions; the Christian Workers’ Union and the
Democratic Independent Union are less important.
The Belize Defence Force (BDF) consists of professional soldiers and volunteers with a strength of around 1500 men (other sources: 1050 men), of which around 700 are reservists and two platoons of female soldiers. The BDF is led by a brigadier general, a colonel and seven lieutenant colonels. Traditionally, the BDF cooperates primarily with the British Army (British Army Training Support Unit Belize - BATSUB) and the US Army (equipment and training assistance). In 2007, a BDF staff officer took part in a general staff course at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg for the first time.
The Belizean Coast Guard Service (BCGS) was set up in November 2005, combining resources from the naval component of the Belize Defence Force, the police, customs, immigration authorities and port authorities. Its main task is to combat (drug) smuggling. The coast guard receives significant funding and support as part of an anti-drug program from the US State Department (Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Country Program: Belize). Since the coast guard does not have radar, it is only deployed during daylight hours.
eight speedboats (former Colombian drug boats with powerful outboard
motors that were confiscated, without radar and GPS)
An aircraft
provides the Belize Defense Force when required.
Belize is in a border dispute with Guatemala. Guatemala proposed that
the dispute be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
which the Belizean government rejected. On October 6, 2013, a
simultaneous referendum in both countries was to determine whether the
ICJ should hear the case. Guatemala missed this deadline. In spring
2014, an attempt was made to hold another referendum under the
leadership of the OAS. A joint date originally planned for September
2015 was postponed by an amendment agreement signed by both sides in May
2015, which allows for referendums to be held at different times. In
2018, 96% of Guatemalans voted in favor of the proposed method of
conflict resolution. On May 8, 2019, the referendum in Belize took
place, in which 55% of voters also voted in favor of commissioning the
International Court of Justice.
Belize is a member of the
following organizations: United Nations, Commonwealth, CARICOM,
Non-Aligned Movement, ACP, OAS, CELAC, ACS; IMF, Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB), SICA, AOSIS.
Although the economy has grown strongly in recent years, the high
national debt of 85% of gross domestic product severely limits the
ability to act in economic policy. Around a third of the population
still lives below the poverty line. In the 2019 Index of Economic
Freedom, the country ranks 123rd out of 180 countries.
The main
economic sector is the extraction of precious woods, especially
mahogany. In addition to the use of modern sawmills, the stock of timber
is also systematically reforested. The tree trunks are still transported
in the floodwaters of the rivers.
In June 2000, Belize was listed
by the OECD as a country in which tax evasion and money laundering are
possible. It had until 2005 to eliminate these conditions and thus avoid
sanctions. The lax laws have since been tightened. Nevertheless, Belize
is a tax haven. Since the country has a "favored" tax regime, i.e. has
unlimited access to the British Commonwealth, the European Free Trade
Association (EFTA) and the EU, if you acquire Belize citizenship you can
travel to all European countries as well as Australia, Canada, Hong Kong
and Singapore without a visa. In Russia this citizenship can be
purchased.
In August 2012 the Belizean government announced that
it could not pay the interest on a government bond worth 500 million US
dollars and entered into debt restructuring negotiations with creditors.
The leading rating agencies then downgraded Belize's credit rating to
default.
On January 28, 2016, the EU Commission presented a
package of measures to combat tax evasion, which included Belize on the
black list of tax havens.
The land suitable for agricultural use is used very little: people
grow corn, beans, rice, cassava, plantains and vegetables on small plots
for their own needs. The largest and most modern farms and the dairy
industry, especially in the Belize River valley and in the Orange Walk
district, are mainly run by the Mennonite ethnic group. Sugar cane,
citrus fruits, bananas, cocoa and coconuts are grown on the larger
plantations, which are mostly foreign-owned.
Precious woods,
especially mahogany, are felled in the tropical rainforest. Abundant
fish stocks form the basis for a well-developed coastal fishery.
Agriculture, fishing and forestry provide over half of export earnings.
Agriculture generates around 20% of the gross domestic product and
over 60% of export earnings; it employs almost a third of the working
population.
The underdeveloped industry is limited to the manufacture of textiles
and wood and food processing.
The share of manufacturing,
including the energy sector, in GDP is around 26% (18% of jobs).
Tourism has played an increasing role in the economy since the 1990s.
In 2017, 1.3 million guests were registered. US cruise tourists make up
the largest group. The tourism sector's share of the gross domestic
product was given as a good 38 percent for 2017.
The reef coast
is popular with divers and surfers. Other attractions include the Mayan
ruins at Orange Walk and the Belize Zoo. In recent times, Belize has
been trying to establish itself as a destination for eco and cultural
tourism. The further expansion of the tourism sector is being held back
by the lack of large hotel complexes and basic infrastructure.
Services generate a total of 56.5% of the gross domestic product.
According to government figures, the trade deficit in 2001/02 widened
from 170.1 million US dollars (2000) to 186.7 million US dollars (2001)
and 196.6 (2003) due to the repair of hurricane damage (2000: Hurricane
Keith, 2001: Iris), among other things. Overall, imports in 2003 were
worth 541 million US dollars, while exports amounted to 344.4 million US
dollars.
With a share of almost 50% of Belize's total trade
volume (2001: 47.2% of all imports, 50.5% of all exports), the USA has a
dominant position; They are followed by Great Britain (Belizean exports:
23%, imports 2.7%), Mexico (exports: 1%, imports: 11.2%) and the EU
(excluding Great Britain: exports 6.7%, imports 3.8%). However, the
extensive "small border trade" with Mexico (i.e. mainly Mexican imports)
is hardly recorded. In terms of exports, in addition to agricultural and
fishery products at various stages of processing, the textile sector
(contract processing for the USA under the preferential conditions of
the "Caribbean Basin Initiative" expanded by Congress in May 2000) plays
a role.
Trade with Germany was quantitatively insignificant in
2003, with German exports of EUR 4.762 million (2002: EUR 7.34 million)
and imports of EUR 1.69 million (2002: EUR 2.17 million); the trend
continued to fall in the first half of 2004.
Belize's main
imports are machinery, fuels, food and consumer goods of all kinds.
Belize's main exports are sugar, citrus fruits, bananas, cocoa,
coconuts, beef, fish, crabs, precious woods and clothing.
The state budget in 2016 included expenditures of the equivalent of
650 million US dollars, compared to revenues of the equivalent of 500
million US dollars. This results in a budget deficit of 8.5% of GDP.
National debt was 94% of GDP at the beginning of 2019.
Government spending in 2020 (in % of GDP) was as follows:
Healthcare:
6.9%
Education: 8.7% (2021)
Military: 0.9% (2023)