Belize

Belize (formerly British Honduras)

area:	22,960sq km (8865sq mi)
population:	241,204
capital (population):	Belmopan (8130)
government:	Constitutional monarchy
ethnic groups:	Mestizo (Spanish-Indian) 44%, Creole (mainly African-American) 30%, Mayan Indian 11%, Garifuna (Black-Carib Indian) 7%, White 4%, East Indian 3%
languages:	English (official), Creole
religions:	Christianity (Roman Catholic 58%, Protestant 29%), Hinduism 2%
currency:	Belize dollar = 100 cents

Republic in Central America, on the Caribbean Sea.

Land and climate

Swamp vegetation and rainforest cover large areas. North Belize is mostly low-lying and swampy. Behind the s coastal savanna plain, the land rises to 1122m (3681ft) at Victoria Peak in the Maya Mountains. The River Belize flows across the centre of the country. Belize has a humid tropical climate, with high annual temperatures and an average annual rainfall ranging from 1300mm (50in) in the n to more than 3800mm (150in) in the s. Belize is prone to hurricanes, and suffered widespread damage in 2000 and 2001.

History and Politics

Between c.300 bc and ad 1000, Belize was part of the Maya Empire, which declined long before Spanish explorers reached the coast in the early 16th century. Spain claimed the area but did not settle. Shipwrecked British sailors founded the first European settlement in 1638. Over the next 150 years Britain gradually took control of Belize and established sugar plantations using slave labour. In 1862 Belize became the colony of British Honduras. Renamed Belize in 1973, it gained independence in 1981. Guatemala, who had pressed a claim to Belize since the early 19th century, objected to its newly independent status and British troops remained in Belize to prevent a possible invasion. In 1991 Guatemala recognized Belizean independence, but still claimed the s half of Belize. In 1993 Britain began to withdraw its troops. Mayan land rights is a contentious political issue.

Economy

Belize is a lower-middle-income developing country (2000 GDP per capita, US$3200). Agriculture forms the base of the economy. Sugar cane is the chief commercial crop. Other crops include bananas, beans, citrus fruits, maize, and rice. Forestry, fishing, and tourism are important.

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.belize.gov.bz; http://www.travelbelize.org