OFFICIAL NAME: Belize

CAPITAL CITY: Belmopan

POPULATION: 334,000 (2013)

AREA: 22,800 km²

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (S): English, Spanish, Mayan language, Creole language

RELIGION: Catholics 58%, Protestants 34%, others 8%

COIN: belize dollar

CURRENCY CODE: BZD

ENGLISH NAME: Belize

INDEPENDENCE: 1981

POPULATION COMPOSITION: mestizer 44%, Creoles (especially black) 31%, Mayan Indians 10%, whites 4%, others 11%

GDP PER residents: $ 4535 (2012)

LIFE EXPECTANCY: men 70 years, women 74 years (2005)

INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, HDI: 0.702

INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, POSITION: 96

INTERNET DOMAIN NAME: .bz

Belize, formerly British Honduras, small and sparsely populated state in Central America located on the Yucatan Peninsula between Mexico and Guatemala.

Belize – national flag

The flag originates in its current form from 1981. The coat of arms in the middle with a mahogany tree, the country’s natural product, and symbols of tree felling and trade held by a mestizo and a creole became official in 1907, but dates from the early 1800’s. When the blue flag with the weapon in particular was associated with one particular political party, the United People’s Party, the two narrow red stripes were added, red being the color of the United Democratic Party.

Belize – geography

A large part of Belize is covered by tropical rainforest. The coastline is characterized by mangrove forest. To the north is a low and swampy limestone area, while the densely forested Maya Mountains to the SW rise just over 1100 m. At the foot of the mountains are the country’s most fertile agricultural areas, but only 2% of the land is cultivated.

Several streams bring the large amounts of precipitation out into the Caribbean Sea; the largest river, the Belize River, is navigable for smaller ships.

The Spanish-speaking mestizo population has grown steadily and since 1992 has surpassed the number of people of African and European descent. The second largest is the group of English-speaking Creoles (meaning people of mixed African and European descent), who are descendants of immigrants from the West Indies. In addition, there is a group of Mayan Indians, some so-called black caribs and smaller groups of white immigrants, among others. individual colonies of German Mennonites. This mixed culture sets Belize apart from the rest of Central America.

Belize is very sparsely populated; Nearly a quarter of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City, which dominates the economy. Agriculture can not feed the population; the main crops are sugar cane, corn and citrus fruits. In addition, fishing and forestry are important. Tourism is growing rapidly; several of the coral islands in the long barrier reef off the coast are inhabited by hotels. Also, a number of smaller temples from the Mayan civilization attract tourists. Furthermore, parts of the rainforest have been protected, among other things. for the purpose of nature tourism. In 2006, commercial exploitation of the country’s small oil reserves began.

• Countryaah: Do you know how many people there are in Belize? Check this site to see population pyramid and resident density about this country.

Belize forms a Caribbean outpost on the Central American isthmus. Culturally and economically, the country is oriented towards the English-speaking part of the Caribbean and the United States, it is a member of the British Commonwealth and the Caribbean cooperation CARICOM, and it receives financial assistance from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Belize – language

The official language is English, which is also spoken in more or less creolized form. Belize is dominated by Spanish speakers; with Spanish teaching in primary and lower secondary school, active efforts have been made to achieve Spanish-English bilingualism on a national basis. There are also German-speaking minorities. In addition, a small portion of the Native American population speaks Maya, Kekchi, and Garifuna. For culture and traditions of Belize, please check calculatorinc.

Belize – Constitution

Belize is an independent member of the British Commonwealth. The Constitution is from 1981. The formal head of state is the British Monarch, represented by the Governor-General, who is appointed in consultation with the Prime Minister of Belize. The executive power lies with the government. Legislative power lies in the two chambers of the National Assembly: the House of Representatives with 28 members is elected for five years by general election, while the Senate with eight members is appointed by the governor in consultation with the prime minister and opposition leader, who has the right to appoint two members.

Belize – history

Mayans, whose civilization reached its peak in the 800-t., still lived in present-day Belize when the Spaniards arrived in the 1500-t. and gained supremacy over the area, though it became more formal than real. In the 1650’s, English colonists settled in Belize and were legally, militarily and financially supported by England. Belize came under actual British administration in 1786 under the name British Honduras, but it was not until 1862 that it gained the status of a crown colony. Spain’s last attempt to maintain supremacy over Belize and expel the English took place in 1798. Development in Belize ran parallel to that of the Caribbean, but timber and not sugar were the economic basis. Just as on the islands, many slave revolts took place; a major revolt in 1773 was crushed by British units from Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834, but social problems continued,

In 1821, the Spanish colonies in Central America became independent, and both Mexico and Guatemala claimed British Honduras. Mexico quickly withdrew the demands, but only 170 years later and after complicated negotiations did the dispute with Guatemala officially end in 1991. After tripartite negotiations between those involved, the British promised to fulfill a treaty of 1859, in which the borders were set, but the border issue has since turned out not to be finally settled, and strife between Belize and Guatemala continued in 2005. In return for Guatemala’s acceptance, the British undertook to provide Guatemala with financial assistance, with port construction, which would provide easier access to the sea. Belize could now be admitted to the Organization of American States.

In 1950, the United People’s Party, PUP, was formed, and from the beginning it pursued an anti-British policy. In the 1954 election, it gained a majority and dominated politics for the next 30 years. In 1964 the country gained internal autonomy and in 1973 officially changed its name to Belize. On September 21, 1981, Britain’s last colony on the American mainland became an independent state within the British Commonwealth.

Belize had its independence sealed by an agreement in 1991 with Guatemala, which definitively renounced an old demand for the conquest of the country. In return, Belize promised to narrow its fishing waters and give Guatemala free access to the Gulf of Honduras, while Britain promised Guatemala assistance to, among other things. port construction.

In the 1990’s, power shifted between the two major parties, the PUP and the conservative United Democratic Party, UDP.

The PUP won the election in 1998, and the leader Said Musa (b. 1944) became prime minister and continued after re-election in 2003, when the party won 22 of 29 seats in parliament. Musa’s position is an expression of political continuity in the country; he has been involved in parliamentary work since independence and has been involved in border negotiations with Guatemala as well as in drafting the country’s constitution.

However, there were widespread protests against Musa’s government, and in the 2008 election, the UDP won a landslide victory, in which party leader Dean Barrow (b. 1951) became prime minister. The UDP and Barrow also won the 2012 election.