![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Belize-on-the-Globe-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The Maya Civilization<\/a> spread into the area of Belize between 1500 B.C. and 300 A.D. and flourished until about 1200. European exploration campaigns began in 1502 when Christopher Columbus<\/a> sailed along the Gulf of Honduras<\/a>. European settlement was begun by English settlers in 1638. This period was also marked by Spain<\/a> and Britain<\/a> both laying claim to the land until Britain defeated the Spanish in the Battle of St. George’s Caye<\/a> (1798). It became a British colony in 1840, known as British Honduras<\/a>, and a Crown colony<\/a> in 1862. Independence was achieved from the United Kingdom<\/a> on 21 September 1981.<\/p>\n Belize has a very diverse society that is composed of many cultures and languages that reflect its rich history. English is the official language of Belize, while Belizean Creole<\/a> is the most widely spoken national language, being the native language of over a third of the population. Over half the population is multilingual, with Spanish being the second most common spoken language. It is known for its September Celebrations<\/a>, its extensive barrier reef coral reefs and punta music.<\/p>\n Belize’s abundance of terrestrial and marine species and its diversity of ecosystems give it a key place in the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor<\/a>. It is considered a Central American and Caribbean nation with strong ties to both the American and Caribbean regions. It is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)<\/a>, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)<\/a>, and the Central American Integration System (SICA)<\/a>, the only country to hold full membership in all three regional organisations. Belize is a Commonwealth<\/a> realm, with Queen Elizabeth II<\/a> as its monarch and head of state.<\/p>\n The earliest known record of the name “Belize” appears in the journal of the Dominican<\/a> priest Fray Jos\u00e9 Delgado, dating to 1677. Delgado recorded the names of three major rivers that he crossed while travelling north along the Caribbean coast: Rio Soyte, Rio Xibum and Rio Balis.<\/p>\n The names of these waterways, which correspond to the Sittee River<\/a>, Sibun River<\/a>, and Belize River<\/a>, were provided to Delgado by his translator. It has been proposed that Delgado’s “Balis” was actually the Mayan word belix (or beliz), meaning “muddy-watered”. More recently, it has been proposed that the name comes from the Mayan phrase “bel Itza”, meaning “the road to Itza”.<\/p>\n The Maya civilization spread across what is now Belize around 1500 BC, and flourished there until about AD 900. The recorded history of the middle and southern regions is dominated by Caracol<\/a>, an urban political center that may have supported over 140,000 people. North of the Maya Mountains, the most important political center was Lamanai<\/a>. In the late Classic Era of Maya civilization (600\u20131000 AD), as many as one million people may have lived in the area that is now Belize.<\/p>\n When Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century, the area that is now Belize included three distinct Maya territories: Chetumal province, which encompassed the area around Corozal Bay<\/a>; Dzuluinicob province, which encompassed the area between the New River<\/a> and the Sibun River, west to Tipu<\/a>; and a southern territory controlled by the Manche Ch’ol Maya<\/a>, encompassing the area between the Monkey River<\/a> and the Sarstoon River.<\/p>\n Spanish conquistadors explored the land and declared it part of the Spanish empire<\/a> but failed to settle it because of its lack of resources and the hostile Indian tribes of the Yucat\u00e1n<\/a>.<\/p>\n English pirates sporadically visited the coast of what is now Belize, seeking a sheltered region from which they could attack Spanish ships and cut logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum<\/a><\/em>) trees. The first British permanent settlement was founded around 1716 in what became the Belize District<\/a>, and during the 18th century, established a system using black slaves to cut logwood trees. This yielded a valuable fixing agent for clothing dyes, and was one of the first ways to achieve a fast black before the advent of artificial dyes. The Spanish granted the British settlers the right to occupy the area and cut logwood in exchange for their help suppressing piracy.<\/p>\n The British first appointed a superintendent over the Belize area in 1786. Before then the British government had not recognized the settlement as a colony for fear of provoking a Spanish attack. The delay in government oversight allowed the settlers to establish their own laws and forms of government. During this period, a few successful settlers gained control of the local legislature, known as the Public Meeting, as well as of most of the settlement’s land and timber.<\/p>\n Throughout the 18th century, the Spanish attacked Belize every time war broke out with Britain. The Battle of St. George’s Caye was the last of such military engagements, in 1798, between a Spanish fleet and a small force of Baymen<\/a> and their slaves. From 3 to 5 September, the Spaniards tried to force their way through Montego Caye shoal, but were blocked by defenders. Spain’s last attempt occurred on 10 September, when the Baymen repelled the Spanish fleet in a short engagement with no known casualties on either side. The anniversary of the battle has been declared a national holiday in Belize and is celebrated to commemorate the “first Belizeans” and the defence of their territory.<\/p>\n In the early 19th century, the British sought to reform the settlers, threatening to suspend the Public Meeting unless it observed the government’s instructions to eliminate slavery outright. After a generation of wrangling, slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833. As a result of their slaves’ abilities in the work of mahogany<\/a> extraction, owners in British Honduras were compensated at \u00a353.69 per slave on average, the highest amount paid in any British territory.<\/p>\n In 1836, after the emancipation of Central America from Spanish rule<\/a>, the British claimed the right to administer the region. In 1862, Great Britain formally declared it a British Crown Colony, subordinate to Jamaica, and named it British Honduras.<\/p>\n As a colony, Belize began to attract British investors. Among the British firms that dominated the colony in the late 19th century was the Belize Estate and Produce Company, which eventually acquired half of all privately held land and eventually eliminated peonage. Belize Estate’s influence accounts in part for the colony’s reliance on the mahogany trade throughout the rest of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.<\/p>\n The Great Depression of the 1930s<\/a> caused a near-collapse of the colony’s economy as British demand for timber plummeted. The effects of widespread unemployment were worsened by a devastating hurricane<\/a> that struck the colony in 1931. Perceptions of the government’s relief effort as inadequate were aggravated by its refusal to legalize labour unions or introduce a minimum wage. Economic conditions improved during World War II as many Belizean men entered the armed forces or otherwise contributed to the war effort.<\/p>\n Following the war, the colony’s economy stagnated. Britain’s decision to devalue the British Honduras dollar in 1949 worsened economic conditions and led to the creation of the People’s Committee, which demanded independence. The People’s Committee’s successor, the People’s United Party (PUP)<\/a>, sought constitutional reforms that expanded voting rights to all adults. The first election under universal suffrage<\/a> was held in 1954 and was decisively won by the PUP, beginning a three-decade period in which the PUP dominated the country’s politics. Pro-independence activist George Cadle Price<\/a> became PUP leader in 1956 and the effective head of government in 1961, a post he would hold under various titles until 1984.<\/p>\n Under a new constitution Britain granted British Honduras self-government in 1964. On 1 June 1973, British Honduras was officially renamed Belize. Progress toward independence, however, was hampered by a Guatemalan claim to sovereignty over Belizean territory<\/a>.<\/p>\n Belize was granted independence on 21 September 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation because of its longstanding territorial dispute with the British colony, claiming that Belize belonged to Guatemala. About 1,500 British troops remained in Belize to deter any possible incursions.<\/p>\n With Price at the helm, the PUP won all national elections until 1984<\/a>. In that election, the first national election after independence, the PUP was defeated by the United Democratic Party (UDP)<\/a>. UDP leader Manuel Esquivel<\/a> replaced Price as prime minister, with Price himself unexpectedly losing his own House seat to a UDP challenger. The PUP under Price returned to power after elections in 1989<\/a>.<\/p>\n The following year the United Kingdom announced that it would end its military involvement in Belize, and the RAF Harrier detachment was withdrawn the same year, having remained stationed in the country continuously since its deployment had become permanent there in 1980. British soldiers were withdrawn in 1994, but the United Kingdom left behind a military training unit to assist with the newly created Belize Defence Force<\/a>.<\/p>\n The UDP regained power in the 1993<\/a> national election, and Esquivel became prime minister for a second time. Soon afterwards, Esquivel announced the suspension of a pact reached with Guatemala during Price’s tenure, claiming Price had made too many concessions to gain Guatemalan recognition. The pact may have curtailed the 130-year-old border dispute between the two countries. Border tensions continued into the early 2000s, although the two countries cooperated in other areas.<\/p>\n The PUP won a landslide victory in the 1998 national elections, and PUP leader Said Musa<\/a> was sworn in as prime minister. In the 2003 elections the PUP maintained its majority, and Musa continued as prime minister. He pledged to improve conditions in the underdeveloped and largely inaccessible southern part of Belize.<\/p>\n In 2005, Belize was the site of unrest<\/a> caused by discontent with the PUP government, including tax increases in the national budget. On 8 February 2008, Dean Barrow<\/a> was sworn in as prime minister after his UDP won a landslide victory in general elections<\/a>. Barrow and the UDP were re-elected in 2012<\/a> with a considerably smaller majority. Barrow led the UDP to a third consecutive general election victory in November 2015, increasing the party’s number of seats from 17 to 19. However he stated the election would be his last as party leader and preparations are under way for the party to elect his successor.<\/p>\n Belize is on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. It shares a border on the north with the Mexican state of Quintana Roo<\/a>, on the west with the Guatemalan department of Pet\u00e9n<\/a>, and on the south with the Guatemalan department of Izabal<\/a>. To the east in the Caribbean Sea<\/a>, the second-longest barrier reef in the world<\/a> flanks much of the 240 miles of predominantly marshy coastline.<\/p>\n The area of the country totals 8,865 square miles, an area slightly larger than El Salvador<\/a>, Israel<\/a>, New Jersey<\/a> or Wales<\/a>.<\/p>\n The undulating courses of two rivers, the Hondo<\/a> and the Sarstoon River<\/a>, define much of the course of the country’s northern and southern boundaries. The western border follows no natural features and runs north-south through lowland forest and highland plateau.<\/p>\n The north of Belize consists mostly of flat, swampy coastal plains, in places heavily forested. The flora is highly diverse considering the small geographical area. The south contains the low mountain range of the Maya Mountains<\/a>. The highest point in Belize is Doyle’s Delight<\/a> at 3,688 feet.<\/p>\n Belize has a small, mostly private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance. The country is also a producer of industrial minerals, crude oil, and petroleum. As of 2017, oil production was 2,000 bbl\/d. In agriculture, sugar, like in colonial times, remains the chief crop, accounting for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the largest employer.<\/p>\n The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999. Infrastructure remains a major economic development challenge; Belize has the region’s most expensive electricity. Trade is important and the major trading partners are the United States, Mexico, the European Union, and Central America.<\/p>\n A combination of natural factors\u2014climate, the Belize Barrier Reef, over 450 offshore Cays (islands), excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, snorkelling and freediving, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, for hiking, bird watching, and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya sites\u2014support the thriving tourism and ecotourism industry. It also has the largest cave system in Central America.<\/p>\n Development costs are high, but the government of Belize has made tourism its second development priority after agriculture. In 2012, tourist arrivals totalled 917,869 (with about 584,683 from the United States) and tourist receipts amounted to over $1.3 billion.<\/p>\n Most Belizeans travel the country using public buses as their primary form of transportation. In the larger towns and cities, such as Belize City<\/a> or Belmopan<\/a>, there are bus terminals. In smaller places, there are bus stops. On the Northern and George Price Highways, bus service is more frequent than on smaller highways and other roads. In some locations, like small towns, buses may run only once a day.<\/p>\n Belize has a total of 1,868 miles of roadway, however only 357 miles of that is paved.<\/p>\n Belize has four major asphalt-paved two-lane roads: the Hummingbird Highway<\/a>, Southern Highway<\/a>, George Price Highway<\/a>, and Philip Goldson Highway<\/a>. Most other roads are unpaved, rough and in poor condition. A 9-mile stretch of the Southern Highway near Big Falls is unpaved as well. Traffic changed to driving on the right-hand side of the road on 1 October 1961.<\/p>\n Belize has two ports located in Belize City and Big Creek<\/a>.<\/p>\n Belize has 44 airports of which 4 have paved runways. The largest airport is Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport<\/a>, located in Belize city, which serves as the international gateway to Belize.<\/p>\n Two airlines, Tropic Air<\/a> and Maya Island Air<\/a>, provide service within the country. Both airlines have service originating both the main airport (Philip S. W. Goldson), and Belize City Municipal Airport<\/a> in the city. From here they serve San Pedro<\/a>, Caye Caulker<\/a>, Dangriga<\/a>, Placencia<\/a>, Punta Gorda<\/a>, and to Flores in Guatemala<\/a>, and one airline serves Savannah at Big Creek<\/a>. There is also service from San Pedro to Sarteneja<\/a> and to Corozal Town<\/a>. The local airlines generally fly small single-engine equipment, such as the Cessna Caravan<\/a>.<\/p>\n The flag of Belize was adopted on 21 September 1981, the day Belize became independent. It consists of the Coat of Arms on a blue field with red stripes at the top and bottom.<\/p>\n British Honduras obtained a coat of arms on 28 January 1907, which formed the basis of the badge used on British ensigns. The coat of arms recalls the logging industry that first led to British settlement there. The figures, tools, and mahogany tree represent this industry. The national motto, Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning “Under the Shade I Flourish”, is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.<\/p>\n The flag is royal blue, with a white disc at the centre containing the national coat of arms held by a mestizo and a man of African descent. The flag of Belize is the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element on its national flag. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes.<\/p>\n The colours on the flag are respectively those of the country’s national parties, the People’s United Party (PUP) and United Democratic Party (Belize) (UDP).<\/p>\n The two red stripes at the top and bottom were added to the original design at independence. The coat of arms was granted in 1907. Red stripes were added to denote the colour of the opposition party. The 50 leaves recall 1950, the year PUP came to power.<\/p>\n In 1981, Belize gained its independence and a competition was held to design a national flag for the country. The winning submission consisted of the unofficial national flag used by the People’s United Party with a red border added to all four sides. This was changed to a red border on just the top and bottom before the design was officially adopted.<\/p>\n Previous flags to fly in Belize include:<\/p>\n The flag of Belize was adopted on 21 September 1981, the day Belize became independent. It consists of the Coat of Arms on a blue field with red stripes at the top and bottom.<\/p>\n British Honduras obtained a coat of arms on 28 January 1907, which formed the basis of the badge used on British ensigns. The coat of arms recalls the logging industry that first led to British settlement there. The figures, tools, and mahogany tree represent this industry. The national motto, Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning “Under the Shade I Flourish”, is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.<\/p>\n The flag is royal blue, with a white disc at the centre containing the national coat of arms held by a mestizo and a man of African descent. The flag of Belize is the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element on its national flag. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes.<\/p>\n The colours on the flag are respectively those of the country’s national parties, the People’s United Party (PUP) and United Democratic Party (Belize) (UDP). <\/p>\n The two red stripes at the top and bottom were added to the original design at independence. The coat of arms was granted in 1907. Red stripes were added to denote the colour of the opposition party. The 50 leaves recall 1950, the year PUP came to power.<\/p>\n In 1981, Belize gained its independence and a competition was held to design a national flag for the country. The winning submission consisted of the unofficial national flag used by the People’s United Party with a red border added to all four sides. This was changed to a red border on just the top and bottom before the design was officially adopted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[32,71,5,6,7,41],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3248"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Map-of-Belize-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Etymology:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Districts-of-Belize-216x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
Maya Civilization:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Caracol-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Maya-Civilization-300x220.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Early Colonial Period (1506\u20131862):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Xunantunich-300x197.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>British Empire (1862\u20131981):<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/1898-Holiday-300x231.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Territorial-Dispute-216x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Independent Belize:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Belize-Coast-Guard-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Belize-Barrier-Reef-225x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Topography-of-Belize-214x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Export-Map-300x224.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Sugar-Cane-Processing-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
Public Transport:<\/h3>\n
Roads:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Southern-Highway-Near-Deep-River-300x198.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Ports:<\/h3>\n
Airports:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Philip-Goldson-International-Airport-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The Flag of Belize:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Flag-of-Belize-300x200.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Flag-of-British-Honduras-1870-1919-300x150.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Flag-of-British-Honduras-1919-1981-300x150.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/09\/Unofficial-Flag-of-Belize-1950-1981-300x200.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>