Pictures of the Belize

Brief History of Belize:

Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increasing urban crime.

Economy of Belize

Major Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction

Agricultural Products: bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments

Natural Resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Major Exports: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Major Imports: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Currency: Belizean dollar (BZD)

National GDP: $1,778,000,000

Total Export Revenue: $349,900,000

The People of Belize

Type of Government: parliamentary democracy

Languages Spoken: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)

National Holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Nationality: Belizean(s)

Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)

Belize

The Geography of Belize

Total Size: 22,966 square km

Size Comparison: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Geographical Coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W

World Region: Central America and the Caribbean

General Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Geographical Low Point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographical High Point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m

Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

Capital: Belmopan

Population: 287, 730