Belize is located as a country on the isthmus connecting North and South America. Belize has a total area of 8,867 square miles (22,966 kilometers) and is one of the most sparsely populated nation in Central America with more than half living in rural areas. It is a relatively flat country with a swampy coastal plain dominated by mangrove swamps whilst in the south and interior there are hills and low mountains.
The total population is 397,628, of which 51.7% identify as Mestizos (a mixture of Maya and Spanish); 20% as mixed Indigenous (3 different groups of Mayan called Mopan, Yucatec and Q'eqchi); 21% as Belizean Creoles or Kriols, and 6.1% as Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna). The remaining 1.2% of the population includes European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and North American groups. In the case of Europeans, most are descendants of Spanish and British colonial settlers.
Belize is developing eco-tourism and protection, adaptation and mitigation measures through the Department of the Environment to protect its natural forests, flora and fauna and coral reefs.
National Flower
In Belize, the black orchid (Prosthechea cochleata), known as the cockleshell or clamshell orchid, exemplifies the genetic redundancy of orchids to allow independent parts – in this flower - the bottom lip to develop differently. The black orchid features an “upside-down” lip, with 5 separate petals and blooms year-round close to the endemic trees of Belize.
History
The first people to develop Belize were the Maya around 1500 BCE, shown in archaeological remains found in settlements Caracol, Lamanai, and Lubaantun. The first European contact with Belize occurred in 1502 when Christopher Columbus reached the area's coast. In 1638, the first European settlement was established by England and for 150 years, many more English settlements were set up.
In 1840, Belize became a "Colony of British Honduras" and in 1862, it became a crown colony. For 100 years after that, Belize was a representative government of England. In 1973, the region's name was changed from British Honduras to Belize and on September 21, 1981, full independence was achieved.
Following independence, Belize has remained within the British Commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth II as sovereign monarch and head of state of Belize within a constitutional monarchy. The governor-general is responsible for summoning the two houses of the National Assembly, made up of the Senate and the democratically elected House of Representatives. The Senate members are selected by appointment, while the members of the House of Representatives are elected by direct popular votes every five years.
Climate, environment and economy
The main industries in Belize are garment production, food processing, tourism, construction and oil. Tourism is large in Belize because it is a tropical, mainly undeveloped area with abundant recreation and Mayan historical sites. More recently ecotourism has become an important part of tourism.
Belize set up the Department of the Environment in 1989 with its first Environment Protection Act in 1992 to chime with the UN Rio Summit and has continued to pass legislation to protect both Belize and the combined natural ecoregion of tropical forest Selva Maya in partnership with Guatemala and Mexico with more than 20 ecosystems.
In 2017 a national assessment report commissioned by the Department of the Environment found that over a three year period, Belize imported over 200 million pieces of single use plastic bags and 52 million pieces of styrofoam & plastic food containers, and locally produced and manufactured an estimated 35 million single use plastic bags and 5 million pieces of styrofoam. This roughly equates to each Belizean citizen using on average eleven single-use plastic bags and three pieces of styrofoam per week over a one-year period. Pollution by single use plastic is now being phased out.
Belize’s capital city is below sea level and coral beds around the coast are sensitive to increases in sea temperature. Preventing water pollution by local oil and business and domestic waste is vital.
Culture, music, dance and carnival
Music in Belize reflects the different communities and migrations to Belize in recent times. A group known today as the Mestizos emigrated to Belize from Mexico, bringing their unique musical styles and influences with them. Mestizo musical styles featuring the marimba usually also have a double bass, drum sets, and other instruments. A popular musical genre is cumbia, an energetic up-tempo style similar to merengue, salsa, and other latino dances.
Kriol music has been developed by the African slaves and their descendants, with the most popular genre known as brukdown (Creole for “breakdown of calypso”) that includes a popular sub-genre called buru. Originally, buru was performed by musicians using a banjo, drums, and the jawbone of a donkey and mento music, heavily influenced by Jamaican and Trinidadian forms of calypso music.
Garifuna culture developed when African slaves, imported to work on plantations, intermarried with indigenous Caribbean islanders. Due to social isolation, dozens of traditional Garifuna folk dance and musical styles, including: hungu-hungu, combination, matamuerte, laremuna wadaguman, gunjai, sambai, paranda, berusu, arumahani, and abaimahani. The most popular Garifuna-influenced modern styles include punta and punta rock, popular for their danceable rhythms and up-tempo beats.
Modern musical styles, including reggae, punta, soca, dancehall, hip hop, rock n’ roll, and even heavy metal are heard across the country.
Some carnival traditions especially on the islands off Belize date back to the 19th century and blend the Caribbean and Spanish tradition (mestizo culture). In February in San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye, paint and flour fights, music, and dancing are the main highlights of the festivities. On the last day of the festivities, chaos rules as people pour natural paints and flour over each other. The large-scale Carnival event takes place on September 21st to celebrate Independence Day.
Belize Dance Company founded in 1990 teach and perform ballet and contemporary dance as well as folk dances and music from the ethnic communities living in Belize including Garifuna.
Food in Belize reflects the cultural hybridity so you can find rice and beans with meat or fish; chimole flavoured with achiote paste made from annatto seeds; tamales wrapped in plantain leaves; ceviche featuring conch, fish or lobster.
