All About Belize
Belize is 8,867 square miles (about the same size as
Massachussetts)
-borders
Mexico and Guatemala
- 17
degrees North
But it has relatively low population density
1997- 250,000 people compared to over 8 million in El
Salvador slightly smaller than Belize.
2007-Population 314,000 individuals
1/3 live in
Belize City
Brief History
Europeans contacted Belize in 1502
The people living in Belize were descendents of the Mayans
(more detail on them later) but the Mayan civilization in Belize had already
collapsed before the arrival of Europeans.
Native population sizes were relatively small and they lived fairly
simple lifestyles.
Spanish
sailors came by during the 16th century but were afraid of the reef
so they didn’t land and set up permanent settlements on the mainland.
First permanent settlement of Europeans came in early 1600s
English
Puritans moved from Nicaragua
to some of the islands.
(the area
had already been claimed for Spain ,
but these guys didn’t care)
Spanish ran
them off in about 1641
More and more English speaking settles came to the area in
the next 150 years
Hardwood
logging
-logwood
– used to make dyes
-
mahogany- hard wood used for furniture
Piracy
Very few
farmers
English settlers
came under attack from both the Spanish and the Mayans
When the Spanish had trouble ejecting the English speakers
-
1798 Battle of St
George’s Caye
-
Few hundred settlers and one British Schooner fought
off part of the Spanish Armada
-
Celegrate this as a National Holiday
on September 10th
-
We’ll fly over St George’s Caye on our flight from
Belize City to Ambergris
The settlers remained close to Great Britain
-Spain signed a treaty with Britain
1786
White settlers began importing slaves from Africa and other Caribbean countries
British influence in the region grew after Spain broke up
its New World Empire
Both
claimed ownership of Belize
which pissed off the British.
In 1859 Britain
signed a treaty with Guatemala
British
promised to build a road from Guatemala to Belize City, but never did
Caste War
of 1847 many Mayan refugees fled from Mexico
to Belize
1847 Britain
claimed Belize
to be the Colony of British Honduras
Started
governing the colony in 1862
Until 1880s
governed by the same government as Jamaica
Land was concentrated to only a few owners so hard for new
people to come in
Hard
times
Very multicultural country
1900 population 37,000
Things were
rough the next 50 years
1950s Independence
Movement
1954 voting
rights
1961 Britain began the process of making Belize
independent
Economy
diversified
Menonites
homesteaded in the late 1950s
Farming
increased the food supply
Tourism
began
1973 name changed to Belize
Government
Parliamentary Democracy
-
never had dictatorships or civil wars
-
93% literacy rate
Queen is the formal head of state (member of the British
Commonwealth)
Gevernor General appointed by the Queen
Prime Minister is the head of the winning party
Had elections in February 2008
United
Democratic Party defeacted the People’s United Party
Prime
Minister – Dean Barrow
Capital located in Belmopan
Divided into 6 districts
Belize
Cayo
Corozal
Orange Walk
Stann Creek
Toledo
Ambergris Caye is included in
Belize district- they are interested in becoming their own district because
they are responsible for so much of the income
Climate
Tropical climate- very hot and humid.
Rainy
season-May to November
Dry season-
February to May
Tend to get
more rainfall in the south than they do in the north.
Economy
For Central America Belize is relatively prosperous
Decent
health services
Improving
sanitation
Good public
schools
Not as much
income disparity as in other places
Still have
33% of people below poverty line
US. Britain , EEC
Tourism is the major source of foreign income
Exports of
marine products
Citrus
Sugar cane
Bananas
clothing
Timber
Agriculture
-
sugarcane
-
citrus
-
bananas
-
maize
-
pineapples
-
beans
-
papayas
-
cocoa
-
rice
Fishing
Shrimp
Conch
Lobsters
Light manufacturing
Clothing
Furniturre
GDP
Agriculture- 21%
Industry-14%
Services-65%
Receive lots of money from Belizians that live in the US and
Canada
Export Partners
US-34%
UK-34%
Guatemala-7%
China- 4%
Import Partners
US- 36%
Mexico-13%
Cuba-8%
Guatemala-7%
China-4%
Use the Belizian Dollar – always trades as 2 belizian
dollars for 1 US dollar
Deomgraphic
Profile- 1997
44% Mestizo (Spanish
and Native American)
30% Creole
11% Mayan
7% Garifuna
3% East Indian
3% Menonites (mostly white)
1% White
1% Asian and other
Becoming more Hispanic over time.
Belize
Introducing Belize- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belize
Belize- http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1055.html
Belize- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bh.html
Belize, Mother Nature's Best Kept Secret- http://www.travelbelize.org/
Belize History
A History of Belize: A Nation in the Making- http://www.belizenet.com/history.html
History of Belize- http://www.belmopancityonline.com/belize-history.aspx
Belize History- http://www.belizehistory.com/
History of Belize- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belize/history
Ecoregions of Belize
Ecoregions of Belize- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecoregions_of_Belize_(WWF)?topic=49597
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