Where on God's Earth is Belize?
Tell someone that you're going to Belize and all you get is a blank look. Very few people have even heard of it. Well, Belize is situated geographically on the Caribbean coast of Central America. It's not part of another country. It is located just below Mexico, about 200 miles south of Cancun. (See red dot). It is the northern most country in Central America next to Guatemala on the west and the beautiful Caribbean Sea on the east. Large map of Belize showing Gales Point.
It is considered both a Central American country and also part of the Caribbean. If you're yearning for the Caribbean as it once was, you'll find it in the Caribbean's newest nation Belize, formerly British Honduras. Only two hours by air from Miami and yet undeveloped, industry is almost non-existent. It awaits you on the edge of Central America, some say on the edge of the world. It is not on the way to or from anywhere.
Belize is very much it's own country. Different in every aspect, it has it's own food, it's own culture and it's own language, however it is an English speaking country. Yes it is in Central America, but it doesn't quite belong there. It is a third world developing country, but it seems more like rural America in the early 1900's, with a tropical twist. You can't put your finger on it but it is not your typical south of the border country.
Belize is laid back. It is as if you took a step back in time, it is hard to explain. Imagine seeing a horse drawn buggy full of blue eyed blond white people in bib overalls and straw hats or bonnets, sharing the same road in the jungle with a bus load of people rocking to the beat of reggae, that's Belize.
Belize is warm all the time, 70 's to 80's on the coast, 80's to 90's inland. It is very tropical, lush and green, with 60% of the country still untouched rainforest. Rainfall varies from 40 inches per year in the north to over 150 inches per year in the south. The natural vegetation of the country reflects the varied climates and distinct types of forests. Belize is a place of awesome natural beauty.
Belize is 180 miles long and 75 miles wide. It is slightly larger than Massachusetts. It is population free, with only 240,000 people in the entire country, considering that El Salvador has over 6 million and is slightly smaller. Belize is small in size, but it seems large, due to the fact that it is so unpopulated and untouched.
There are many “Belizes” from the beautiful cayes (pronounced keys) to the southern
beaches, to the lush rainforest inland and the Mayan mountains to the west. It is a land of
tremendous contrast. There's lots to see in Belize, from the endless variety of flower and fauna
in the rainforest, to the undiscovered Mayan ruins, to the magnificent waterfalls and the tropical
cayes that have some of the best sports fishing, sailing and scuba diving in the world.
In terms of government, Belize is unique in Central America, since it is a democracy, which operates under the British parliamentary and common law system. There are no dictators, it has a two party system. Yes, there is a slow moving bureaucracy, with bureaucrats that love to exercise their authority. It could be considered the Switzerland of Central America.
The People of Belize
Belize is truly a melting pot. The population of Belize is very young and over 50% is less than
18 years old. The people are of Mayan, Creole, Garifuna, Mestizos, Spanish, East Indian,
Lebonese, Chinese, and English descent, as well as a community of horse and buggy Mennonites.
Add to this a growing expatriate population of some of the most eccentric people on earth,
including archaeologists and ex-hippies, writers, artists, film makers (i.e. Francis Ford
Coppala), super-savvy international investors, entrepreneurs, and increasing numbers of
Americans, Canadians, Germans, and Australians.
The largest group of people, are the Creoles, the ones most thought of as Belizean. The local people prefer to speak Creole, it is similar to what is spoken in Jamaica, like "yah mon". In Belize the Garifuna are the Caribes, they are of African descent. They live mostly in southern Belize, particularly around Dangriga and the coast. There are the Mestizos (Creole for "Belize Spanish"), they are of Yucatan and Guatemalan descent. Many live in the western and northern part of Belize.
The Mayans were the first inhabitants of what is now called Belize. They make up about 10% of the population today. The Mayans are tiny people (the women look like 12 year old's). They are distinguished by their thick black hair, almond shaped eyes and high cheekbones. The Mayan language is a very soft spoken, but since they remain quite isolated in their remote villages, you won't hear it spoken too often. Their lifestyle is quite simple, they often live in a thatched roof pole house and a fire pit for cooking. The women go about their village duties grinding corn and washing laundry in the river, by beating them with rocks. You really feel like you're in a time warp, until you look through the doorway of a thatched hut and see a glow of a TV set, hooked up to an old car battery.
A wonderful addition to this
rainbow quilt, are the Mennonites. They are a religious group, similar to the Amish. They are of
German descent and had been living in Canada, until they moved to Mexico. However in the late
50's they immigrated to Belize, with the help of Emory King, an American who was ship wrecked in
Belize in 1952 and never left. The men wear blue denim bib-overalls, staw hats, huarache sandals
and the women wear print dresses and bonnets. The Mennonites are a great asset to Belize, since
they build wood houses, make furniture, grow crops, raise poultry and run dairy farms. Everything
they produce is of the highest quality. They keep to themselves and live in their own communities
by choice. They speak plattduetch, a form of German.
The new Chinese immigrants are usually the proprietors of gas stations, small shops, restaurants and "fry chicken" stands.
Belize is a former British colony, so English is the official language. If you've ever travelled to foreign countries you'll understand how important this is, especially if you plan to live there. The schools teach in English, all signs are in English, as well as government forms. Belizeans in general are quiet and bashful, by our standards, not as animated as their Mexican neighbors, and generally kind hospitable and low key.
The History of Belize
The Mayan civilization is
among the elite of all archaic civilizations. The earliest known inhabitants of Belize were the
Mayan Indians, whose civilization dates back as early as 1500 BC. The ancient Mayan sites of
Belize cover the full spectrum of time and diversity. Belize boasts the oldest known site, the
longest occupied site and the largest carved jade object in all Mayandom.
No one is certain why the Mayans fell into decline after 900 ad. According to one theory, the decline was caused by a peasant revolt against the elite, following numerous natural disasters and agricultural problems. Another theory points to the idea that the devoutly religious Mayans fulfilled their own priests' prophesies of self-destruction, in the 10th century. The astronomer-priests announced that the present world was about to end. Believing this, the Mayans may have inflicted a judgment day upon themselves, thus destroying their own civilization.
The first recorded European encounter with the Mayan people took place in 1502 when Christopher Columbus met a group of Mayan fisherman, during his exploration of the Bay of Honduras. After his encounter, Belize and the rest of Central America, became common destinations for European explorers.
Over1400 hundred sites have been discovered to date, in Belize. New artifacts and even major sites seem to be discovered on a regular basis. Excavation projects are taking place all over Belize today. While only a fraction of the known sites are open to the public. Those that are accessible will provide more than a glimpse of how spectacular this civilization was. Belize's colorful history has created a culture of diverse influence and opportunity. The heritage is increasingly more evident as more sites are excavated.
In 1783, British ownership was recognized by the “Peace of Paris”. This was confirmed by the United States in 1850 by the “Clayton-Bulwer Treaty”. From 1862 onward, it was ruled by England as a regular colony and called British Honduras, in 1871, it became an independent crown colony. It's capitol was Belize, now called Belize City. In 1961, Belize City was destroyed by a hurricane, so a new capitol was established inland, now called Belmopan.
In 1961, British Honduras became self governing and in 1981, it was granted full independence and officially called Belize.
Belize has a somewhat reliable fiber optic phone system, compliments of the Queen, as a going away present. Belize has an postal service, based on the English postal system. There are daily mail shipments from Belize to Miami. You can expect to get your mail from the US, in about two weeks.
