Editing Placencia (section)

==History==
Prior to the [[European colonization of the Americas]], the Placencia Peninsula was inhabited by the [[Maya peoples|Maya]]. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Maya in this area produced salt and traded it with other settlements along the coast.<ref name="Environs89">{{cite book |last1=Vernon |first1=Lawrence |last2=Young-Westby, Sr |first2=Henry |title=Placencia and Its Environs |date=2014 |publisher=Henry Young Enterprises |location=Belize City |pages=8–9}}</ref>

In the 17th century, Placencia was settled by [[English Puritans]], originally from [[Nova Scotia]] and [[Providence Island colony|Providence Island]]. This settlement died out during the [[Spanish American wars of independence]] in the 1820s.<ref name="Environs9">{{cite book |last1=Vernon |first1=Lawrence |last2=Young-Westby, Sr |first2=Henry |title=Placencia and Its Environs |date=2014 |publisher=Henry Young Enterprises |location=Belize City |page=9}}</ref>

The Placencia Peninsula was resettled in the late 1800s by several families. Placencia prospered and soon became a village, earning its livelihood from the sea.

The Spaniards that traveled the southern coast of Belize gave Placencia its name. At that time Placencia was called Placentia, with the point being called Punta Placentia, or Pleasant Point.<ref>{{cite web| title = Placencia History| publisher = Placencia Tourism Center| year = 2008| url = http://www.placencia.com/Informative%20_%20Page/experience.htm| accessdate = 2009-04-22| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090306234853/http://www.placencia.com/Informative%20_%20Page/experience.htm| archivedate = 2009-03-06}}</ref>

In the late 20th century it became a significant [[tourism]] destination, and is now referred to as Placencia Village, or simply Placencia.

On October 8, 2001, [[Hurricane Iris]] hit southern Belize with {{convert|145|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} winds causing major damage to nearly 95% of buildings in Placencia. Many developers took advantage of plummeted real estate value and an increased development of the peninsula and Placencia proper is consistently on the rise, as well as property value.<ref>consejo.bz/weather/storms.html</ref>