Editing Belize

{{short description|Country in Central America}}
{{other uses|Belize (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-move|small=yes}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Belize
| common_name            = Belize
| native_name            = {{lang|bzj|Bileez}} ([[Belizean Creole]])<br><small>{{lang|es|Belice}} ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])<br>{{lang|myn|B'eleze}} ([[Mayan languages|K'iche' Mayan]])<br>{{lang|myn|Belice}} ([[Mayan languages|Yucatec Mayan]])</small>
| image_flag             = Flag of Belize.svg
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of Belize.svg
| symbol_type            = [[Coat of arms of Belize|Coat of arms]]
| national_motto         = {{native phrase|la|Sub umbra floreo|icon=yes}}<br />"Under the shade I flourish"
| royal_anthem           = "[[God Save the King]]"<br/><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">[[File:United States Navy Band - God Save the King.oga]]</div>
| national_anthem        = "[[Land of the Free (anthem)|Land of the Free]]"<br /> <div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">{{center|[[File: Land of the Free instrumental.ogg]]}}</div>
| image_map              = {{switcher |[[File: BLZ orthographic.svg | frameless]] | Location of Belize (dark green) in [[the Americas]] | [[File:Belize - Location Map (2013) - BLZ - UNOCHA.svg | frameless]] | Belize and its neighbours}}
| map_caption            = 
| image_map2             = 
| capital                = [[Belmopan]]
| coordinates            = {{coord|17|15|N|88|46|W|type:city_region:BZ}}
| largest_city           = [[Belize City]]<br />{{coord|17|29|N|88|11|W|type:city_region:BZ|display=inline}}
| official_languages     = [[Belizean English|English]]
| religion               = {{tree list}}
*61.9% [[Christianity in Belize|Christianity]]
*31.8% [[Irreligion|no religion]]
*6.3% [[Religion in Belize|other]]
{{tree list/end}}
| religion_year          = 2022
| religion_ref           = <ref name="PHCensus2022">{{cite web | url=https://sib.org.bz/census/2022-census/ | title=2022 Population and Housing Census | access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref>
| demonym                = [[Belizeans|Belizean]]
| government_type        = Unitary [[parliamentary constitutional monarchy]]
| leader_title1          = [[Monarchy of Belize|Monarch]]
| leader_name1           = [[Charles III]]
| leader_title2          = [[Governor-General of Belize|Governor-General]]
| leader_name2           = [[Froyla Tzalam]]
| leader_title3          = [[Prime Minister of Belize|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name3           = [[Johnny Briceño]]
| legislature            = [[National Assembly (Belize)|National Assembly]]
| upper_house            = [[Senate (Belize)|Senate]]
| lower_house            = [[House of Representatives (Belize)|House of Representatives]]
| sovereignty_type       = [[History of Belize|Independence]]
| sovereignty_note       = from the [[United Kingdom]]
| established_event1     = [[History of Belize#Decolonization and the border dispute with Guatemala|Self-governance]]
| established_date1      = January 1964
| established_event2     = Independence
| established_date2      = 21 September 1981
| area_km2               = 22966
| area_footnote          = <ref name=CIAFactbookGeography2019>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belize|section=Geography|date=14 August 2019|year=2019}}</ref><ref name=censusarea/>
| area_rank              = 147th<!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]] -->
| percent_water          = 0.8
| population_census      = 397,483<ref name="sib2024">{{cite web |title=Statistical Institute of Belize Presents Key Findings of the 2022 Population and Housing Census |url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/PressRelease_2024-04-08_CensusLaunch.pdf |publisher=Statistical Institute of Belize |access-date=12 April 2024 |date=8 April 2024 |archive-date=10 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240410122550/https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/PressRelease_2024-04-08_CensusLaunch.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_census_year = 2022
| population_estimate    = 
| population_estimate_year = 
| population_estimate_rank = 170
| population_density_km2 = 17.31
| population_density_rank = 
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} $6.414 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BZ">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=258,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=1980&ey=2029&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Belize) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=IMF.org |date=10 October 2024 |access-date=2 January 2025 }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2025
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 180th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = {{increase}} $15,363<ref name="IMFWEO.BZ" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 123rd
| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} $3.488 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BZ" />
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 179th
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2025
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $8,355<ref name="IMFWEO.BZ" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 98th
| Gini                   = 53.1 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year              = 2013
| Gini_ref               = <ref>{{cite news |title=Income Gini coefficient |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/income-gini-coefficient |access-date=7 July 2019 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |archive-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702161000/http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/income-gini-coefficient |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| HDI                    = 0.721 <!--number only-->
| HDI_year               = 2023<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change             = increase<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_ref                = <ref name="UNHDR">{{cite web|url= https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf |title=Human Development Report 2025|language=en|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|date=May 3, 2025|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref>
| HDI_rank               = 115th
| currency               = [[Belize dollar]] ($)
| currency_code          = BZD
| calling_code           = [[+501]]
| time_zone              = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset             = −06:00
| drives_on              = right
| date_format            = {{abbr|dd|day}}/{{abbr|mm|month}}/{{abbr|yyyy|year}} ([[Anno Domini|AD]])
| cctld                  = [[.bz]]
| footnote_a             = 
| footnote_b             = <!--Orphaned (see population_density_rank)-->
| languages_type         = [[Vernacular language]]
| languages              = [[Belizean Creole]]
| languages2_type        = Regional and minority languages
| languages2             = {{hlist
|[[Belizean Spanish|Spanish]]
|[[Mayan languages|Mayan]]
|[[German language|German]]
|[[Garifuna language|Garifuna]]
|[[Chinese language|Chinese]]<ref name="sib.org.bz">{{cite web |url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Census_Report_2010.pdf |title=Belize Population and Housing Census 2010: Country Report |publisher=Statistical Institute of Belize |year=2013 |access-date=4 January 2019 |archive-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113162438/http://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Census_Report_2010.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
| ethnic_groups          = {{tree list}}
* 80.9% [[Multiracial people|Mixed]]
* 9.8% [[Maya peoples|Indigenous]]
* 1.5% [[Indo-Belizeans|Indo-Belizean]]
* 7.8% other<ref>{{cite web |title=Belize |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/belize/101327.htm |website=U.S. Department of State |publisher=Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs |access-date=10 May 2025}}</ref>
{{tree list/end}}
}}

'''Belize'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Belize.ogg|b|ɪ|ˈ|l|iː|z|,_|b|ɛ|-}} {{respell|bih|LEEZ|,_|beh|-}}; {{langx|bzj|Bileez}}}} is a country on the north-eastern coast of [[Central America]]. It is bordered by [[Mexico]] to the north, the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the east, and [[Guatemala]] to the west and south. It also shares a [[maritime boundary]] with [[Honduras]] to the southeast. Part of the [[Caribbean]] region, Belize is a member of the [[Caribbean Community]] (CARICOM) and the [[Commonwealth Caribbean]], the historical [[British West Indies]].

The [[Maya civilization]] spread into the area of Belize between 1500&nbsp;BCE and 300 CE and flourished until about 1200.<ref name=cs/> European contact began in 1502–04 when [[Christopher Columbus]] sailed along the [[Gulf of Honduras]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Byrd Downey |first=Cristopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uib9tgEACAAJ |title=Stede Bonnet: Charleston's Gentleman Pirate |date=22 May 2012 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-1609495404 |page=44 |access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref> European exploration was begun by English settlers in 1638. [[Spanish Empire|Spain]] and [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]] both laid claim to the land until Britain defeated the Spanish in the [[Battle of St. George's Caye]] (1798).<ref>{{cite web|last=Woodard|first=Colin|title=A Blackbeard mystery solved|url=http://republicofpirates.net/blog/2008/05/a_blackbeard_mystery_solved.html|website=Republic of Pirates Blog|access-date=25 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407103340/http://republicofpirates.net/blog/2008/05/a_blackbeard_mystery_solved.html|archive-date=7 April 2016|url-status=usurped}}</ref> It became [[British Honduras|a British colony]] in 1840, and a [[Crown colony]] in 1862. Belize achieved its independence from the [[United Kingdom]] on 21 September 1981.<ref>{{cite web |title=Belize {{!}} History, Capital, Language, Map, Flag, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Belize |access-date=25 October 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |archive-date=20 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920012833/https://www.britannica.com/place/Belize |url-status=live }}</ref> It is the only mainland Central American country which is a [[Commonwealth realm]], with [[King Charles III]] as [[Monarchy of Belize|its monarch]] and [[head of state]], represented by a [[Governor-General of Belize|governor-general]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Belize – British Honduras – Central America – Nations Online Project |url=https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/belize.htm |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=www.nationsonline.org |archive-date=25 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025191713/https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/belize.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine plants and animals and its diversity of ecosystems, including extensive [[coral reef]]s, give it a key place in the globally significant [[Mesoamerican Biological Corridor]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ecosystem Mapping.zip |url=http://biological-diversity.info/Downloads/Ecosystem%20Mapping.zip |access-date=3 July 2012 |archive-date=12 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512014016/http://biological-diversity.info/Downloads/Ecosystem%20Mapping.zip |url-status=usurped }}</ref> It is considered a [[Central America]]n and [[Caribbean]] nation with strong ties to both the American and Caribbean regions.<ref>{{cite web |title=CARICOM – Member Country Profile – BELIZE |url=http://www.caricom.org/jsp/community/belize.jsp?menu=community |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218025626/http://www.caricom.org/jsp/community/belize.jsp?menu=community |archive-date=18 February 2015 |access-date=17 February 2015 |website=www.caricom.org |publisher=CARICOM}}</ref>

It has an area of {{convert|8867|sqmi|km2|order=flip}} and a population of 397,483 (2022).<ref name=est>{{cite web |url=https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/PostcensalEstimates_2010-2022_AgeGroup.xlsx |title=Postcensal estimates by age group and sex, 2010 – 2022 |publisher=Statistical Institute of Belize |access-date=13 December 2022 |format=XLSX |archive-date=13 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213174058/https://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/PostcensalEstimates_2010-2022_AgeGroup.xlsx |url-status=live }}</ref> Its mainland is about {{convert|290|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|110|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide. It is the least populated and [[population density|least densely populated country]] in Central America. Its population growth rate of 1.87% per year (2018 estimate) is the second-highest in the region and one of the [[List of countries by population growth rate|highest in the Western Hemisphere]]. Its [[Capital city|capital]] is [[Belmopan]], and its largest city is the namesake city of [[Belize City]]. The country has a diverse society composed of many cultures and languages. It is the only Central American country where English is the official language. [[Belizean Creole]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] are widely spoken, followed by the [[Mayan languages]] and [[Garifuna language|Garifuna]]. Over half the population is [[multilingual]] due to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the population. It is known for its [[September Celebrations]] and [[Punta|punta music]].<ref>{{cite web|date=27 January 2012|title=Reid between the lines|url=http://www.belizetimes.bz/2012/01/27/reid-between-the-lines-43/|publisher=Belize Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510141513/http://www.belizetimes.bz/2012/01/27/reid-between-the-lines-43/|archive-date=10 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="ryan">{{cite book|last= Ryan|first=Jennifer|year=1995|chapter=The Garifuna and Creole culture of Belize explosion of punta rock|title= Popular Music: Style and Identity|editor=Will Straw |editor2=Stacey Johnson |editor3=Rebecca Sullivan |editor4=Paul Friedlander |editor5=Gary Kennedy|pages=243–248|publisher=Centre for Research on Canadian Cultural Industries and Institutions |isbn=978-0771704598}}</ref>

==Etymology==

The earliest known record of the name "Belize" appears in the journal of the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priest Fray José Delgado, dating to 1677.<ref name="Twigg">{{cite book|last= Twigg|first= Alan|title= Understanding Belize: A Historical Guide|year= 2006|publisher= Harbour Publishing|location= Madeira Park, BC|isbn= 978-1550173253|pages= 9–10, 38–45}}</ref> Delgado recorded the names of three major rivers that he crossed while travelling north along the Caribbean coast: Rio Soyte, Rio Kibum, and Rio Balis. The names of these waterways, which correspond to the [[Sittee River]], [[Sibun River]], and [[Belize River]], were provided to Delgado by his translator.<ref name="Twigg"/> It has been proposed that Delgado's "Balis" was actually the Mayan word ''belix'' (or ''beliz''), meaning "muddy water",<ref name="Twigg"/> although no such Mayan word actually exists.<ref name=Restall>{{cite journal |last1=Restall |first1=Matthew |title=Creating "Belize": The Mapping and Naming History of a Liminal Locale |journal=Terrae Incognitae |date=21 February 2019 |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=5–35 |doi=10.1080/00822884.2019.1573962 |s2cid=134010746 |url=https://www.academia.edu/38420710 |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308113304/https://www.academia.edu/38420710/Creating_Belize_The_Mapping_and_Naming_History_of_a_Liminal_Locale |url-status=live |issn=0082-2884 }}</ref>{{efn|"Mud" is rendered as ''lukʼ'' in the [[Yucatecan languages]], while "water" is rendered as ''jaʼ'', ''ja'', or ''ha''.<ref name=Restall/><ref name="Dienhart">{{cite book |last1=Dienhart |first1=John M. |title=The Mayan Languages: A Comparative Vocabulary |date=1989 |publisher=Odense University Press |location=Denmark |isbn=8774927221 |pages=443–444, 708}}</ref><ref name="Hofling">{{cite book |last1=Hofling |first1=Charles Andrew |title=Mopan Maya - Spanish - English dictionary |date=2011 |publisher=University of Utah Press |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |isbn=9781607810292 |pages=631, 662}}</ref>}} More recently, it has been proposed that the name comes from the Mayan phrase "bel Itza", meaning "the way to [[Peten Itza kingdom|Itza]]".<ref name=Restall/>

In the 1820s, the Creole elite of Belize invented the legend that the toponym Belize derived from the Spanish pronunciation of the name of a Scottish [[buccaneer]], [[Peter Wallace (buccaneer)|Peter Wallace]], who established a settlement at the mouth of the Belize River in 1638.<ref name="brit1893">{{cite encyclopedia |year= 1892 |title= British Honduras |encyclopedia= [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |volume= 12 |location= New York |publisher= The Britannica Publishing Company |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uGRJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA133 |access-date= 25 October 2010}}</ref> There is no proof that buccaneers settled in this area and the very existence of Wallace is considered a myth.<ref name="Twigg"/><ref name=Restall/> Writers and historians have suggested several other possible etymologies, including postulated French and African origins.<ref name="Twigg"/>

==History==

{{Main|History of Belize}}

===Early history===

[[File:Mayamap.png|right|thumb|Extent of the Maya civilization]]
The [[Maya civilization]] emerged at least three millennia ago in the lowland area of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] and the highlands to the south, in the area of present-day southeastern Mexico, Belize, [[Guatemala]], and western [[Honduras]]. Many aspects of this culture persist in the area, despite nearly 500 years of European domination. Prior to about 2500 BCE, some [[hunter-gatherer|hunting and foraging]] bands settled in small farming villages; they domesticated crops such as corn, beans, [[Cucurbita|squash]], and chili peppers.

A profusion of languages and subcultures developed within the Maya core culture. Between about 2500 BCE and 250 CE, the basic institutions of Maya civilization emerged.<ref name=cs>
{{cite book
|last= Bolland|first= Nigel
|date= 1993|chapter= Belize: Historical Setting
|chapter-url= https://cdn.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/gu/guyanabelizecoun00merr_0/guyanabelizecoun00merr_0.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://cdn.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/gu/guyanabelizecoun00merr_0/guyanabelizecoun00merr_0.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live
|title= Guyana and Belize: Country Studies|editor= Tim Merrill
|publisher= [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]]
}}
</ref>

===Maya civilization===

{{Main|Pre-Columbian Belize}}
The [[Maya civilization]] spread across the territory of present-day Belize around 1500{{nbsp}}BCE, and flourished until around 900 CE. The recorded history of the middle and southern regions focuses on [[Caracol]], an urban political centre that may have supported over 140,000 people.<ref>{{cite journal |author= Houston, Stephen D. |author-link= Stephen D. Houston |year= 2000 |title= The Language of Classic Maya Inscriptions |journal= [[Current Anthropology]] |volume= 41 |issue= 3 |pages= 321–356 |issn= 0011-3204 |pmid= 10768879 |last2= Robertson |first2= J |last3= Stuart |first3= D |doi= 10.1086/300142|s2cid= 741601 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= History: Site Overview|url= http://www.caracol.org/about/history/|work= Caracol Archaeological Project|publisher= Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida|access-date= 19 February 2014|archive-date= 3 May 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140503090209/http://www.caracol.org/about/history/|url-status= live}}</ref> North of the [[Maya Mountains]], the most important political centre was [[Lamanai]].<ref>{{cite book|last= Scarborough|first= Vernon L.|title= The Political Economy of Ancient Mesoamerica: Transformations During the Formative and Classic Periods|year= 2007|publisher= University of New Mexico Press|location= Albuquerque|isbn= 978-0826342980|page= 160|author2= Clark, John E.}}</ref> In the late [[Mesoamerican chronology|Classic Era]] of Maya Civilization (600–1000{{nbsp}}CE), an estimated 400,000 to 1,000,000 people inhabited the area of present-day Belize.<ref name=cs/><ref>{{cite book|last= Shoman|first= Assad|title= Thirteen chapters of a history of Belize|year= 1995|publisher= Angelus Press|location= Belize City, Belize|isbn= 978-9768052193|page= 4}}</ref>

When Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century, the area of present-day Belize included at least three distinct Maya territories:<ref>
{{cite book
|last= Shoman|first= Assad
|title= Thirteen chapters of a history of Belize
|year= 1995|publisher= Angelus Press
|location= Belize City, Belize
|isbn= 978-9768052193|pages= 5–6
}}
</ref>

* [[Chetumal Province|Chetumal province]], which encompassed the area around [[Corozal Bay]]
* [[Dzuluinicob]] province, which encompassed the area between the lower [[New River (Belize)|New River]] and the [[Sibun River]], west to [[Tipu, Belize|Tipu]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.belizeanstudies.com/early-maya-resistance.html |title=Belizean studies maya resistance |access-date=21 November 2021 |archive-date=21 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121192209/http://www.belizeanstudies.com/early-maya-resistance.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last1 = Jones| first1 = Grant D.| title = Maya Resistance to Spanish Rule: Time and History on a Colonial Frontier| date = 1989| publisher = University of New Mexico Press| location = Albuquerque, New Mexico| oclc = 20012099| hdl = 2027/mdp.39015015491791| isbn = 9780826311610| page = 98}}</ref>
* a southern territory controlled by the [[Manche Ch'ol]] Maya, encompassing the area between the [[Monkey River]] and the [[Sarstoon River]].

===Early colonial period (1506–1862)===
{{Further|History of Belize (1506–1862)|Colony of Jamaica}}
[[File:Territorial Evolution of Belize.svg|thumb|A map of the territorial evolution of Belize]]

Spanish [[conquistador]]s explored the land and declared it part of the [[Spanish Empire]], but they failed to settle the territory because of its lack of resources and the tribes of the Yucatán defending their land.

English pirates sporadically visited the coast of what is now Belize, seeking a sheltered region from which they could attack Spanish ships ''(see [[English settlement in Belize]])'' and cut [[logwood]] (''Haematoxylum campechianum'') trees. The first British permanent settlement was founded around 1716, in what became the [[Belize District]],<ref name="Johnson2003"/> and during the 18th century, established a system using [[Atlantic slave trade|enslaved Africans]] to cut logwood trees. This yielded a valuable fixing agent for clothing dyes,<ref>{{cite book|last=Hofenk de Graff|first=Judith H.|title=The Colourful Past: Origins, Chemistry and Identification of Natural Dyestuffs|date=2004|publisher=Archetype Books|location=London|isbn=978-1873132135|page=235}}</ref> and was one of the first ways to achieve a [[Natural dye#The rise of formal black|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.<ref name="cs"/>

[[File:St. George's Cay Day Official Holiday.jpg|thumb|An excerpt from the 1898 Gazette that declared 10 September an official holiday, [[Battle of St. George's Caye Day]]]]

The British government did not recognize the settlement as a colony for fear of provoking a [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] attack. This delay in government oversight enabled the settlers to establish their own laws and forms of government. During this period, a few settlers gained control of the local legislature, known as the Public Meeting, as well as of most of the settlement's land and timber. The British did not appoint their first superintendent over the Belize area until 1786.

Throughout the 18th century, the [[Spanish language|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 force of [[Baymen]] 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 [[Battle of St. George's Caye Day|a national holiday]] in Belize and is celebrated to commemorate the "first Belizeans" and the defence of their territory taken from the Spanish empire.<ref>{{cite web|last=Swift|first=Keith|title=St. George's Caye Declared a Historic Site|url=http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14922|publisher=News 7 Belize|date=1 September 2009|access-date=21 May 2013|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417144250/https://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14922|url-status=live}}</ref>

===As part of the British Empire (1862–1981)===
{{Main|British Honduras}}
[[File:Flag of British Honduras (1919-1981).svg|thumb|Colonial flag of British Honduras, 1919–1981]]
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 [[Slavery Abolition Act 1833|abolished]] in the [[British Empire]] in 1833.<ref>{{cite web|title=3° & 4° Gulielmi IV, cap. LXXIII An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and for compensating the Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves.|url=http://www.pdavis.nl/Legis_07.htm|access-date=14 August 2015|archive-date=24 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524010152/http://www.pdavis.nl/Legis_07.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of their enslaved Africans' abilities in the work of [[mahogany]] extraction, owners in [[British Honduras]] were compensated at £53.69 per enslaved African on average, the highest amount paid in any British territory. This was a form of reparation that was not given to the enslaved Africans at the time, nor since.<ref name="Johnson2003">{{cite journal |last=Johnson |first=Melissa A. |title=The Making of Race and Place in Nineteenth-Century British Honduras |journal=Environmental History |volume=8 |date=October 2003 |pages=598–617 |jstor=3985885 |issue=4 |doi=10.2307/3985885 |bibcode=2003EnvH....8..598J |hdl=11214/203 |s2cid=144161630 |url=https://suscholar.southwestern.edu/bitstream/11214/203/1/Johnson%20--%20The%20Making%20of%20Race.pdf }}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The end of slavery did little to change the formerly enslaved Africans' working conditions if they stayed at their trade. A series of institutions restricted the ability of emancipated African individuals to buy land, in a debt-peonage system. Former "extra special" mahogany or logwood cutters undergirded the early ascription of the capacities (and consequently the limitations) of people of African descent in the colony. Because a small elite controlled the settlement's land and commerce, formerly enslaved Africans had little choice but to continue to work in timber cutting.<ref name="Johnson2003" />

In 1836, after the [[Spanish American wars of independence|emancipation of Central America from Spanish rule]], the British claimed the right to administer the region. In 1862, the United Kingdom formally declared it a [[British Crown Colony]], subordinate to Jamaica, and named it British Honduras.<ref>{{cite book|author=Greenspan|title=Frommer's Belize|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AneYREkUJecC&pg=PA279|access-date=15 August 2012|year=2007|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-471-92261-2|pages=279–|archive-date=3 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703152529/https://books.google.com/books?id=AneYREkUJecC&pg=PA279|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1854, the richest inhabitants elected an assembly of notables by censal vote, which was replaced by a legislative council appointed by the British government.<ref name="clio">{{cite web |url=https://www.clio.fr/CHRONOLOGIE/pdf/pdf_chronologie_lamerique_centrale.pdf |title=L'Amérique centrale – Une Amérique indienne et latine |website=clio.fr |language=fr |access-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811231440/https://www.clio.fr/CHRONOLOGIE/pdf/pdf_chronologie_lamerique_centrale.pdf |archive-date=11 August 2019 }}</ref>

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.

The [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s caused a near-collapse of the colony's economy as British demand for timber plummeted. The effects of widespread unemployment were worsened by a [[1931 Belize hurricane|devastating hurricane]] 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.

[[File:British Honduras 1962 Hurricane Hattie stamp.jpg|right|thumb|A British Honduras postage stamp overprinted in 1962 to mark [[Hurricane Hattie]]]]
Following the war, the colony's economy stagnated. Britain's decision to [[Devaluation|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), sought constitutional reforms that expanded voting rights to all adults. The first election under [[universal suffrage]] was held [[British Honduras general election, 1954|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]] became PUP's leader in 1956 and the effective head of government in 1961, a post he would hold under various titles until 1984.

Progress toward independence was hampered by a [[Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute|Guatemalan claim to sovereignty over Belizean territory]]. In 1964 Britain granted British Honduras self-government under a new constitution. On 1 June 1973, British Honduras was officially renamed Belize.<ref name="caricom">{{Cite web|title=Belize|url=https://caricom.org/country_profiles/belize/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=CARICOM|language=en-US|archive-date=14 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214182247/https://caricom.org/country_profiles/belize/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Independent Belize (since 1981)===
{{see also|Monarchy of Belize}}

Belize was granted independence on 21 September 1981. [[Guatemala]] refused to recognize the new nation because of its longstanding territorial dispute, claiming that Belize belonged to Guatemala. After independence about 1,500 British troops remained in Belize to deter any possible Guatemalan incursions.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Merrill|editor1-first=Tim|title=Belize: A Country Study|date=1992|publisher=GPO for the Library of Congress|chapter-url=http://countrystudies.us/belize/87.htm|chapter=Relations with Britain|access-date=2 July 2016|archive-date=7 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407024832/http://countrystudies.us/belize/87.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

With [[George Cadle Price]] at the helm, the PUP won all national elections [[Belizean general election, 1984|until 1984]]. In that election, the first national election after independence, the PUP was defeated by the [[United Democratic Party (Belize)|United Democratic Party]] (UDP). UDP leader [[Manuel Esquivel]] replaced Price as prime minister, with Price himself unexpectedly losing his own [[House of Representatives (Belize)|House]] seat to a UDP challenger. The PUP under Price returned to power after elections [[Belizean general election, 1989|in 1989]]. 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]].

The UDP regained power in the [[Belizean general election, 1993|1993 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.

In 1996, the [[Belize Barrier Reef]], one of the Western Hemisphere's most pristine ecosystems, was designated as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].

The PUP won a landslide victory in the 1998 national elections, and PUP leader [[Said Musa]] 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.

In 2005, Belize was the site of [[2005 Belize unrest|unrest]] caused by discontent with the PUP government, including tax increases in the national budget. On 8 February 2008, [[Dean Barrow]] was sworn in as prime minister after his [[United Democratic Party (Belize)|UDP]] won [[Belizean general election, 2008|a landslide victory]] in general elections. Barrow and the UDP were re-elected [[Belizean general and local elections, 2012|in 2012]] 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. He said the election would be his last as party leader and preparations are under way for the party to elect his successor.

On 11 November 2020, the [[People's United Party]] (PUP), led by [[Johnny Briceño]], defeated the [[United Democratic Party (Belize)|United Democratic Party]] (UDP) for the first time since 2003, having won 26 seats out of 31 to form the new government of Belize. Briceño took office as Prime Minister on 12 November.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sanchez |first=Jose |date=12 November 2020 |title=Belize elects opposition leader to succeed retiring leader |url=https://in.reuters.com/article/belize-election-idINKBN27S2AL |work=Reuters India |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=12 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://in.reuters.com/article/belize-election-idINKBN27S2AL |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2023, Belize became the second Central American country to be awarded certification for the elimination of [[malaria]] by the [[World Health Organization|WHO]].

==Government and politics==

{{Main|Politics of Belize}}{{see also|Government of Belize}}<!--Please add new information to relevant articles of the series-->
[[File:Belmopan Parliament.jpg|thumb|[[National Assembly (Belize)|National Assembly]] in [[Belmopan]]]]
Belize is a [[parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[constitutional monarchy]]. The structure of government is based on the British parliamentary system, and the legal system is modelled on the [[English law#Common law|common law of England]]. The head of state is [[Charles III]], who is the [[King of Belize]]. He lives in the United Kingdom, and is represented in Belize by the [[Governor-General of Belize|governor-general]]. Executive authority is exercised by the cabinet, which advises the governor-general and is led by the [[Prime Minister of Belize|prime minister]], who is head of government. Cabinet ministers are members of the majority political party in parliament and usually hold elected seats within it concurrent with their cabinet positions.

The bicameral [[National Assembly of Belize]] comprises a [[House of Representatives of Belize|House of Representatives]] and a [[Senate of Belize|Senate]]. The 31 members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum five-year term and introduce legislation affecting the development of Belize. The governor-general appoints the 12 members of the Senate, with a Senate president selected by the members. The Senate is responsible for debating and approving bills passed by the House.

[[Legislative power]] is vested in both the government and the [[Parliament of Belize]]. Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.<ref>{{cite web|title=Belize 1981 (rev. 2001)|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belize_2001?lang=en|website=Constitute|access-date=30 March 2015|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417141723/https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belize_2001?lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

Members of the independent judiciary are appointed. The judicial system includes local magistrates grouped under the Magistrates' Court, which hears less serious cases. The [[Supreme Court of Belize|Supreme Court]] (chief justice) hears murder and similarly serious cases, and the Court of Appeal hears appeals from convicted individuals seeking to have their sentences overturned. Defendants may, under certain circumstances, appeal their cases to the [[Caribbean Court of Justice]].

=== Political culture ===

In 1935, elections were reinstated, but only 1.8 percent of the population was eligible to vote. In 1954, women won the right to vote.<ref name="clio"/>

Since 1974, the party system in Belize has been dominated by the centre-left [[People's United Party]] and the centre-right [[United Democratic Party (Belize)|United Democratic Party]], although other small parties took part in all levels of elections in the past. Though none of these small political parties has ever won any significant number of seats or offices, their challenge has been growing over the years.

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Belize}}
Belize is a full participating member of the [[United Nations]]; the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]; the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS); the [[Central American Integration System]] (SICA); the [[Caribbean Community]] (CARICOM); the [[CARICOM Single Market and Economy]] (CSME); the [[Association of Caribbean States]] (ACS); and the [[Caribbean Court of Justice]] (CCJ), which currently serves as a final court of appeal for only Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Saint Lucia. In 2001, the Caribbean Community heads of government voted on a measure declaring that the region should work towards replacing the UK's [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] as final court of appeal with the Caribbean Court of Justice. It is still in the process of acceding to CARICOM treaties including the trade and single market treaties.

[[File:Royal Marines feel the heat in the jungle of Belize MOD 45162175.jpg|thumb|A British [[Royal Marine]] training in the jungle of Belize in 2017]]
Belize is an original member (1995) of the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO), and participates actively in its work. The pact involves the Caribbean Forum ([[CARIFORUM]]) subgroup of the [[African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States|Group of African, Caribbean, and Pacific states]] (ACP). CARIFORUM presently the only part of the wider ACP-bloc that has concluded the full regional trade-pact with the [[European Union]].

The [[British Army Training and Support Unit Belize|British Army Garrison]] in Belize is used primarily for [[jungle warfare]] training, with access to more than {{convert|5000|sqmi|order=flip}} of jungle terrain.<ref>{{cite news|title=New Lease of Life for British Army Base in Belize|url=http://forces.tv/85677232|date=7 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411024152/http://forces.tv/85677232|work=Forces TV|archive-date=11 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Belize is a party to the [[Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://asp.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/asp/states%20parties/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states/Pages/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809030312/https://asp.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/asp/states%20parties/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states/Pages/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states.aspx |url-status=live |title=Latin American and Caribbean State Parties to the Rome Statute|publisher= International Criminal Court|access-date= 10 July 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021 }}</ref>

The United States (U.S.) is a major diplomatic partner to Belize and has been since 1981, following their Independence.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Belize {{!}} History, Capital, Language, Map, Flag, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Belize |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Over the past few decades, relations between the two states have consistently grown through mutual cooperation, forming a strong, long-lasting partnership. In Belize, areas such as the economy, international/national security, and education have greatly improved with the support of the U.S.

The U.S. frequently offers Belize financial support. Most recently in 2024, the development of the U.S. foreign assistance agency, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), was a big step in addressing further growth in the economy. The MCC is a U.S. government-funded foreign assistance agency that focuses on reducing poverty through economic growth. It provides grants as opposed to loans, ensuring the program is not profit-driven. In Belize, this has translated into a system that modernizes educational opportunities and enhances the energy sector.  Historically, Belize and the U.S. have had good relations because of a shared commitment to democratic governance. Along with financial aid, the U.S. has continuously provided disaster relief after detrimental natural disasters that have been a threat to Belize's overall stability. ''<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Relations With Belize |url=https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-belize/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=United States Department of State |language=en}}</ref> ''

The U.S. Peace Corps has also played a pivotal role in Belize. Since 1952, the U.S. Peace Corps has a public health and education program in Belize through the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Program in Central America. Volunteers work in rural and urban communities to address the improvement of education, economic development, public health, etc. These efforts have strengthened the relations between Belize and the U.S. on a more community-based level.<ref name=":03"/>

===Armed forces===

{{Main|Military of Belize}}
[[File:Belize Coast Guard and U.S. Navy Working Together.jpg|thumb|left|Belizean Coast Guard working with the [[United States Navy]]]]

The [[Belize Defence Force]] (BDF) serves as the country's military. The BDF, with the Belize National Coast Guard and the Immigration Department, is a department of the Ministry of Defence and Immigration. In 1997 the regular army numbered more than 900, the reserve army 381, the air wing 45 and the maritime wing 36, amounting to an overall strength of approximately 1,400.<ref name="cavehill.uwi.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/bnccde/belize/conference/papers/phillips.html|first=Dion E.|last=Phillips|title=The Military of Belize|date=2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121211184053/http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/bnccde/belize/conference/papers/phillips.html|archive-date=11 December 2012}}</ref> In 2005, the maritime wing became part of the Belizean Coast Guard.<ref name="ra_20071213">"Channel 5 Belize" (28 November 2005),{{cite web|url=http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=15230 |title=Belizean Coast Guard hits the high seas |access-date=26 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504030931/http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=15230 |archive-date=4 May 2011 }}</ref> In 2012, the Belizean government spent about $17 million on the military, constituting 1.08% of the country's [[gross domestic product]] (GDP).<ref name=CIAFactbookMilitary2019>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belize|section=Military and Security|date=14 August 2019}}</ref>
After Belize achieved independence in 1981 the United Kingdom maintained a deterrent force (British Forces Belize) in the country to protect it from invasion by [[Guatemala]] (see [[Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory]]). During the 1980s this included a battalion and [[No. 1417 Flight RAF]] of Harriers. The main British force left in 1994, three years after Guatemala recognized Belizean independence, but the United Kingdom maintained a training presence via the British Army Training and Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) and [[25 Flight AAC]] until 2011 when the last British Forces left Ladyville Barracks, with the exception of seconded advisers.<ref name="cavehill.uwi.edu" />

=== Administrative divisions ===
[[File:Belize, administrative divisions - en - monochrome.svg|right|thumb|Districts of Belize]]
Belize is divided into [[Districts of Belize|six districts]].
{{#section:Districts of Belize|list}}

These districts are further divided into [[Constituencies of Belize|31 constituencies]]. [[Local government in Belize]] comprises four types of local authorities: [[city council]]s, [[town council]]s, [[Town council|village councils]] and [[community council]]s. The two city councils ([[Belize City]] and [[Belmopan]]) and seven town councils cover the urban population of the country, while village and community councils cover the rural population.<ref name="belgov">{{cite web |url=http://www.belize.gov.bz/ct.asp?xItem=705&ctNode=568&mp=27 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110720103724/http://www.belize.gov.bz/ct.asp?xItem=705&ctNode=568&mp=27 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |title=Local Government |url-status=dead |access-date=1 June 2016}}. Government of Belize. belize.gov.bz</ref>

===Guatemalan territorial dispute===

{{Main|Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute}}
Throughout Belize's history, Guatemala has [[Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute|claimed sovereignty]] over all or part of Belizean territory. This claim is occasionally reflected in maps drawn by Guatemala's government, showing Belize as Guatemala's [[Departments of Guatemala|twenty-third department]].<ref name=CIAFactbookTransnational2019 />{{efn|In April 2019, a media outlet showed video of Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales showing students how to draw Guatemala's map to include all of Belize, reflecting his country's claim.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|url=https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/guatemalan-president-teaches-students-to-draw-guatemalan-map-with-belize-included/|title=Guatemalan President teaches students to draw Guatemalan map with Belize included|publisher=[[Breaking Belize News]]|location=[[San Ignacio, Belize]]|date=10 April 2019|access-date=10 April 2019|archive-date=10 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410190312/https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/guatemalan-president-teaches-students-to-draw-guatemalan-map-with-belize-included/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The Guatemalan territorial claim involves approximately 53% of Belize's mainland, which includes significant portions of four districts: Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo.<ref>"SATIIM launches Maya lands registry to celebrate UN Indigenous Peoples day". Breaking Belize News-The Leading Online News Source of Belize. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2018. {{verify source |date=August 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted ([[Special:Diff/870604224]]) by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at [[Special:Permalink/870603615]] cite #37 – please manually restore the original cite as the bot is unable fully due to technical limits (1). [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref> Roughly 43% of the country's population (≈154,949 Belizeans) reside in this region.<ref>"Historic Legal Victory for Indigenous Peoples in Belize | Rights + Resources". Rights + Resources. Retrieved 24 October 2018. {{verify source |date=August 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted ([[Special:Diff/870604224]]) by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at [[Special:Permalink/870603615]] cite #38 – please manually restore the original cite as the bot is unable fully due to technical limits (1). [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref>

{{As of|2020}}, the border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved and contentious.<ref name=CIAFactbookTransnational2019>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belize|section=Transnational Issues|date=14 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36114383|title=Belize-Guatemala border tensions rise over shooting – BBC News|date=22 April 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=11 September 2016|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417134210/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36114383|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/47/185.html|title=ACP-EU summit 2000|publisher=Hartford-hwp.com|access-date=29 August 2010|archive-date=24 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424031326/http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/47/185.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory rests, in part, on Clause VII of the [[Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty of 1859]], which obligated the British to build a road between Belize City and Guatemala. At various times, the issue has required mediation by the United Kingdom, [[Caribbean Community]] heads of government, the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS), Mexico, and the United States. On 15 April 2018, Guatemala's government held a referendum to determine if the country should take its [[Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute|territorial claim on Belize]] to the [[International Court of Justice]] (ICJ) to settle the long-standing issue. Guatemalans voted 95%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/insights/27884/territorial-dispute-between-belize-and-guatemala-who-is-likely-to-prevail|title=Why Belize Is Likely to Prevail in Its Territorial Dispute With Guatemala|website=www.worldpoliticsreview.com|date=23 May 2019|access-date=22 January 2020|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/insights/27884/territorial-dispute-between-belize-and-guatemala-who-is-likely-to-prevail|url-status=live}}</ref> yes on the matter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/news/boundary_news/?itemno=34541|title=Belize to hold a referendum on Guatemala territorial dispute – Durham University|website=www.dur.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/news/boundary_news/?itemno=34541|url-status=live}}</ref> A similar referendum was to be held in Belize on 10 April 2019, but a court ruling led to its postponement.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|url=https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/icj-referendum-postponed-until-further-notice/|title=ICJ Referendum postponed until further notice|publisher=[[Breaking Belize News]]|location=[[San Ignacio, Belize]]|date=10 April 2019|access-date=10 April 2019|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417141717/https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/icj-referendum-postponed-until-further-notice/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- cites previous 2 sentences --> The referendum was held on 8 May 2019, and 55.4% of voters opted to send the matter to the ICJ.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belize-referendum-guatemala-border-idUSKCN1SF1QT|title=Belizeans vote to ask U.N. court to settle Guatemala border dispute|first=Jose|last=Sanchez|newspaper=Reuters|date=9 May 2019|via=www.reuters.com|access-date=13 May 2021|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417100939/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belize-referendum-guatemala-border-idUSKCN1SF1QT|url-status=live}}</ref>

Both countries submitted requests to the ICJ (in 2018 and 2019, respectively) and the ICJ ordered Guatemala's initial brief be submitted by December 2020 and Belize's response by 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Extension of the time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/177/177-20200424-PRE-01-00-EN.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/177/177-20200424-PRE-01-00-EN.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=International Court of Justice |access-date=10 October 2020 |date=24 April 2020}}</ref> On 7 June 2023, the stage of written submissions ended, with the next step being oral arguments from each country's legal teams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowo |first=Janelle |date=2023-06-08 |title=Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute case moving to oral hearings at the ICJ |url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2023/06/08/belize-guatemala-territorial-dispute-case-moving-to-oral-hearings-at-the-icj/ |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=The San Pedro Sun |language=en |archive-date=17 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117193943/https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2023/06/08/belize-guatemala-territorial-dispute-case-moving-to-oral-hearings-at-the-icj/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Indigenous land claims===

Belize backed the [[Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples|United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]] in 2007, which established legal land rights to indigenous groups.<ref name="Cultural Survival">{{Cite news|url=https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/full-participation-belizes-indigenous-people-crucial-achieving-sustainable-development-goals|title=The Full Participation of Belize's Indigenous People is Crucial to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals|website=Cultural Survival|date=18 July 2017|access-date=23 October 2018|language=en|archive-date=31 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531225314/https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/full-participation-belizes-indigenous-people-crucial-achieving-sustainable-development-goals|url-status=live}}</ref> Other court cases have affirmed these rights like the [[Supreme Court of Belize]]'s 2013 decision to uphold its ruling in 2010 that acknowledges customary land titles as communal land for indigenous peoples.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://rightsandresources.org/en/blog/historic-legal-victory-for-indigenous-peoples-in-belize/|title=Historic Legal Victory for Indigenous Peoples in Belize {{!}} Rights + Resources|work=Rights + Resources|access-date=23 October 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023195834/https://rightsandresources.org/en/blog/historic-legal-victory-for-indigenous-peoples-in-belize/|archive-date=23 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another such case is the [[Caribbean Court of Justice]]'s (CCJ) 2015 order on the Belizean government, which stipulated that the country develop a land registry to classify and exercise traditional governance over Mayan lands. Despite these rulings, Belize has made little progress to support the land rights of indigenous communities; for instance, in the two years after the CCJ's decision, Belize's government failed to launch the Mayan land registry, prompting the group to take action into its own hands.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2017/08/09/satiim-launches-maya-lands-registry-celebrate-indigenous-peoples-day/|title=SATIIM launches Maya lands registry to celebrate UN Indigenous Peoples day|date=9 August 2017|work=Breaking Belize News-The Leading Online News Source of Belize|access-date=24 October 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=23 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023201717/https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2017/08/09/satiim-launches-maya-lands-registry-celebrate-indigenous-peoples-day/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://rightsandresources.org/en/blog/historic-legal-victory-for-indigenous-peoples-in-belize/|title=Historic Legal Victory for Indigenous Peoples in Belize {{!}} Rights + Resources|work=Rights + Resources|access-date=24 October 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023195834/https://rightsandresources.org/en/blog/historic-legal-victory-for-indigenous-peoples-in-belize/|archive-date=23 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The exact ramifications of these cases need to be examined. {{as of|2017}}, Belize still struggles to recognize indigenous populations and their respective rights. According to the 50-page voluntary national report Belize created on its progress toward the [[Sustainable Development Goals|UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals]], indigenous groups are not factored into the country's indicators whatsoever.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/16389Belize.pdf |title=Belize's Voluntary National Review For the Sustainable Development Goals 2017 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=9 August 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725030247/https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/16389Belize.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2018 }}</ref> Belize's Maya population is only mentioned once in the entirety of the report.<ref name="Cultural Survival" />

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Belize}}
[[File:OpenStreetMap Belize.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|[[OpenStreetMap]] map of Belize, showing landcover, protected areas, major cities and administrative divisions]]

Belize is on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. It shares a border on the north with the Mexican state of [[Quintana Roo]], on the west with the Guatemalan department of [[Petén (department)|Petén]], and on the south with the Guatemalan department of [[Izabal Department|Izabal]]. To the east in the Caribbean Sea, [[Belize Barrier Reef|the second-longest barrier reef]] in the world flanks much of the {{convert|386|km|mi}} of predominantly [[marsh]]y coastline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.know-belize.com/travel/|title=Move to Belize Guide|website=Belize Travel Guide|date=March 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021110627/http://www.know-belize.com/travel/|archive-date=21 October 2012}}</ref> The area of the country totals {{convert|22960|km2|sqmi|0}}, an area slightly larger than [[El Salvador]], [[Israel]], [[New Jersey]], or [[Wales]]. The many [[lagoon]]s along the coasts and in the northern interior reduces the actual land area to {{convert|21400|km2|sqmi|0}}. It is the only Central American country with no Pacific coastline.

Belize is shaped roughly like a [[rhombus]] that extends about {{convert|280|km|mi|0}} north-south and about {{convert|100|km|mi}} east-west, with a total land boundary length of {{convert|516|km|mi|0}}. The undulating courses of two rivers, the [[Rio Hondo (Belize)|Hondo]] and the [[Sarstoon River]], delineate much 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.

The north of Belize consists mostly of flat, swampy coastal plains, in places heavily forested. The [[Flora and vegetation of Belize|flora]] is highly diverse considering the small geographical area. The south contains the low [[mountain range]] of the [[Maya Mountains]]. The highest point in Belize is [[Doyle's Delight]] at {{convert|1124|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biodiversity.bz/belize/topography/ |title=BERDS Topography |publisher=Biodiversity.bz |access-date=29 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912073158/http://www.biodiversity.bz/belize/topography/ |archive-date=12 September 2010 }}</ref>

Belize's rugged geography has also made the country's coastline and jungle attractive to drug smugglers, who use the country as a gateway into Mexico.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/10/29/141808741/small-and-isolated-belize-attracts-drug-traffickers|title=Small And Isolated, Belize Attracts Drug Traffickers|publisher=NPR|date=29 October 2011|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417104514/https://www.npr.org/2011/10/29/141808741/small-and-isolated-belize-attracts-drug-traffickers|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, the United States added Belize to the list of nations considered major drug producers or transit countries for narcotics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/mexican-drug-cartels-reach-into-tiny-belize/2011/09/28/gIQA4lxzbL_story.html|title=Mexican drug cartels reach into tiny Belize|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=28 September 2011|access-date=24 August 2017|archive-date=8 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608020508/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/mexican-drug-cartels-reach-into-tiny-belize/2011/09/28/gIQA4lxzbL_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Environment preservation and biodiversity===
{{Main|List of protected areas of Belize}}
Belize has a rich variety of wildlife because of its position between [[North America|North]] and South America and a wide range of climates and habitats for plant and animal life.<ref>{{cite web| author = Moon Handbooks| title = Know Belize – Flora & Fauna| publisher = CentralAmerica.com| year = 2006| url = http://centralamerica.com/belize/moon/bmoflorafauna.htm| access-date = 15 February 2008| archive-date = 12 April 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080412020933/http://centralamerica.com/belize/moon/bmoflorafauna.htm| url-status = dead}}</ref> Belize's low human population and approximately {{convert|8867|sqmi|km2|order=flip}} of undistributed land make for an ideal home for the more than 5,000 species of plants and hundreds of species of animals, including [[armadillo]]s, snakes, and [[monkey]]s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Jayawardena | first = Chandana | title = Tourism and Hospitality Education and Training in the Caribbean | publisher = University of the West Indies Press | year = 2002 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/tourismhospitali0000unse/page/165 165–176] | isbn = 978-9766401191 | url = https://archive.org/details/tourismhospitali0000unse/page/165 }}</ref>

The [[Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary]] is a nature reserve in south-central Belize established to protect the forests, fauna, and [[Drainage basin|watersheds]] of an approximately {{convert|400|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} area of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains. The reserve was founded in 1990 as the first wilderness sanctuary for the [[jaguar]] and is regarded by one author as the premier site for jaguar preservation in the world.<ref name="autogenerated1996">{{cite book|last=Emmons|first=Katherine M.|date=1996|title=Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary|publisher=Orangutan Press|location=Gays Mills, Wisconsin|isbn=978-0963798220}}</ref>

===Vegetation and flora===

In Belize [[forest cover]] is around 56% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,277,050 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 1,600,030 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,274,670 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 2,390 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 59% of the forest area was found within protected areas.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Belize |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BLZ/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

Around 20% of the country's land is covered by cultivated land (agriculture) and human settlements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biological-diversity.info/Ecosystems.htm |title=Biodiversity in Belize – Ecosystems Map |publisher=Biological-diversity.info |date=23 August 2005 |access-date=29 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922195904/http://biological-diversity.info/Ecosystems.htm |archive-date=22 September 2010 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Belize had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 6.15/10, ranking it 85th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=6|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Savanna]], scrubland and [[wetland]] constitute the remainder of Belize's land cover. Important [[mangrove]] ecosystems are also represented across Belize's landscape.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00036-1|last1=Murray |first1=M. R. |last2=Zisman |first2=S. A. |last3=Furley |first3=P. A. |last4=Munro |first4=D. M. |last5=Gibson |first5=J. |last6=Ratter |first6=J. |last7=Bridgewater |first7=S. |last8=Mity |first8=C. D. |last9=Place |first9=C. J. |display-authors=6 |year= 2003|title=The Mangroves of Belize: Part 1. Distribution, Composition and Classification|journal=Forest Ecology and Management |volume=174|issue=1 |pages=265–279|bibcode=2003ForEM.174..265M }}</ref><ref>{{cite tech report |last1=Cherrington |first1=E. A. |last2=Hernandez |first2=B. E. |last3=Trejos |first3=N. A. |last4=Smith |first4=O. A. |last5=Anderson |first5=E. R. |last6=Flores |first6=A. I. |last7=Garcia |first7=B. C. |year=2010 |url=http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725142755/http://maps.cathalac.org/Downloads/data/bz/bz_mangroves_1980-2010_highres.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-25 |title=Identification of Threatened and Resilient Mangroves in the Belize Barrier Reef System |others=World Wildlife Fund |publisher=Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) / Regional Visualization & Monitoring System (SERVIR)}}</ref> Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within the country's borders – the [[Petén–Veracruz moist forests]], [[Belizian pine forests]], [[Belizean Coast mangroves]], and [[Belizean Reef mangroves]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=6|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> As a part of the globally significant [[Mesoamerican Biological Corridor]] that stretches from southern Mexico to Panama, Belize's biodiversity – both [[marine (ocean)|marine]] and [[Terrestrial ecoregion|terrestrial]] – is rich, with abundant [[flora]] and [[fauna]].

Belize is also a leader in protecting biodiversity and natural resources. According to the [[World Database on Protected Areas]], 37% of Belize's land territory falls under some form of official protection, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas.<ref name=ProtectedPlanetBZ>{{cite web|title=Belize|url=http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/BZ|website=ProtectedPlanet|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208071338/http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/BZ|url-status=dead}}</ref> By contrast, Costa Rica only has 27% of its land territory protected.<ref name=ProtectedPlanetCR>{{cite web|title=Costa Rica|url=http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/CR|website=ProtectedPlanet|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926191216/http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/CR|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Around 13.6% of Belize's [[territorial waters]], which contain the [[Belize Barrier Reef]], are also protected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=10030 |title=Belize protected areas 26% – not 40-odd percent |work=Amandala |date=2 July 2010 |author=Ramos, Adele |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514200537/http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=10030 |archive-date=14 May 2011 }}</ref> The Belize Barrier Reef is a [[UNESCO]]-recognized [[World Heritage Site]] and is the second-largest barrier reef in the world, behind Australia's [[Great Barrier Reef]].

A [[remote sensing]] study conducted by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) and [[NASA]], in collaboration with the Forest Department and the Land Information Centre (LIC) of the government of Belize's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), and published in August 2010 revealed that Belize's [[forest cover]] in early 2010 was approximately 62.7%, down from 75.9% in late 1980.<ref name="servir.net">{{cite report |url=http://www.servir.net/servir_bz_forest_cover_1980-2010.pdf |title=Forest Cover and Deforestation in Belize: 1980–2010 |last1=Cherrington |first1=E. A. |last2=Ek |first2=E. |publisher=Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean |location=Panama City, Panama |last3=Cho |first3=P. |last4=Howell |first4=B. F. |last5=Hernandez |first5=B. E. |last6=Anderson |first6=E. R. |last7=Flores |first7=A. I. |last8=Garcia |first8=B. C. |last9=Sempris |first9=E. |last10=Irwin |first10=D. E. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511134715/http://www.servir.net/servir_bz_forest_cover_1980-2010.pdf |archive-date=11 May 2011 |url-status=dead |display-authors=6 |year=2010}}</ref> A similar study by Belize Tropical Forest Studies and Conservation International revealed similar trends in terms of Belize's forest cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biological-diversity.info/deforestation.htm |title=Biodiversity in Belize – Deforestation |publisher=Biological-diversity.info |date=23 August 2009 |access-date=29 August 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100922193325/http://biological-diversity.info/deforestation.htm| archive-date= 22 September 2010 | url-status=usurped}}</ref> Both studies indicate that each year, 0.6% of Belize's forest cover is lost, translating to the clearing of an average of {{convert|24835|acre|order=flip}} each year. The [[USAID]]-supported SERVIR study by CATHALAC, NASA, and the MNRE also showed that Belize's protected areas have been extremely effective in protecting the country's forests. While only some 6.4% of forests inside of legally declared protected areas were cleared between 1980 and 2010, over a quarter of forests outside of protected areas were lost between 1980 and 2010.

As a country with a relatively high forest cover and a low [[deforestation]] rate, Belize has significant potential for participation in initiatives such as [[REDD]]. Significantly, the SERVIR study on Belize's deforestation<ref name="servir.net"/> was also recognized by the [[Group on Earth Observations]] (GEO), of which Belize is a member nation.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Cherrington |last1=Emil |last2=Irwin |first2=Dan |url=http://www.earthobservations.org/art_010_002.shtml |title=SERVIR supports forest management in Belize |journal=GEO News |volume=10 |date=October 2010 |access-date=6 October 2010 |archive-date=8 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008224628/http://www.earthobservations.org/art_010_002.shtml |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Natural resources and energy===

Belize is known to have a number of economically important minerals, but none in quantities large enough to warrant mining. These minerals include [[Dolomite (mineral)|dolomite]], [[barite]] (source of [[barium]]), [[bauxite]] (source of aluminium), [[cassiterite]] (source of tin), and gold. In 1990 [[limestone]], used in road construction, was the only mineral resource exploited for domestic or export use.

In 2006, the cultivation of newly discovered [[crude oil]] in the town of [[Spanish Lookout]] has presented new prospects and problems for this developing nation.<ref name="Maya Homeland">{{cite web|last=Burnett|first=John|date=11 October 2006|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6248500|title=Large Oil Field Is Found in Belize; the Angling Begins|website=NPR|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412132817/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6248500|url-status=live}}</ref>

Access to [[biocapacity]] in Belize is much higher than world average. In 2016, Belize had 3.8 global hectares<ref name=footprintdata>{{cite web|url=http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends,EFCpc|title=Country Trends|publisher=Global Footprint Network|access-date=24 June 2020|archive-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808050235/http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends,EFCpc|url-status=live}}</ref> of biocapacity per person within its territory, much more than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lin |first1=David |last2=Hanscom |first2=Laurel |last3=Murthy |first3=Adeline |last4=Galli |first4=Alessandro |last5=Evans |first5=Mikel |last6=Neill |first6=Evan |last7=Mancini |first7=MariaSerena |last8=Martindill |first8=Jon |last9=Medouar |first9=FatimeZahra |last10=Huang |first10=Shiyu |last11=Wackernagel |first11=Mathis |display-authors=6 |date=2018 |title=Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018 |journal=Resources |language=en |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=58 |doi=10.3390/resources7030058 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2018Resou...7...58L }}</ref> In 2016 Belize used 5.4 global hectares of biocapacity per person – their [[ecological footprint]] of consumption. This means they use more biocapacity than Belize contains. As a result, Belize is running a biocapacity deficit.<ref name=footprintdata/>

===Belize Barrier Reef===

{{Main|Belize Barrier Reef}}

[[File:Belize Barrier Reef Aerial Looking North.jpg|thumb|upright|Belize Barrier Reef; aerial view looking north]]

The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of [[coral reef]]s straddling the coast of Belize, roughly {{convert|300|m|ft}} offshore in the north and {{convert|40|km|mi}} in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a {{convert|300|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} section of the {{convert|900|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} [[Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System]], which is continuous from [[Cancún]] on the northeast tip of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] through the [[Riviera Maya]] up to [[Honduras]] making it one of the largest coral reef systems in the world.

It is the top tourist destination in Belize, popular for [[scuba diving]] and [[snorkelling]], and attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors. It is also vital to its fishing industry.<ref name="BBC News - 12 June 2006">{{cite news|last=Harrabin|first=Roger|date=12 June 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5064870.stm|title=Reef at forefront of CO2 battle|website=BBC News|access-date=21 February 2013|archive-date=9 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509173024/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5064870.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1842 [[Charles Darwin]] described it as "the most remarkable reef in the [[West Indies]]".

The Belize Barrier Reef was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]] in 1996 due to its vulnerability and the fact that it contains important natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biodiversity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System – UNESCO World Heritage Centre|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=23 December 2015|archive-date=2 November 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051102085701/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Species====

The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, and is one of the most diverse [[ecosystem]]s of the world:
* 70 hard coral species
* 36 [[Alcyonacea|soft coral]] species
* 500 species of fish
* hundreds of [[invertebrate]] species
With ~90% of the reef still yet to be researched, some estimate that only 10% of all species have been discovered.<ref>[http://www.westminster.edu/staff/athrock/BELIZE/Reef.html Belize Barrier Reef Case Study] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605060903/http://www.westminster.edu/staff/athrock/BELIZE/Reef.html |date=5 June 2013 }}. Westminster.edu. Retrieved on 21 October 2011.</ref>

====Conservation====
[[File:Great Blue Hole.jpg|thumb|The [[Great Blue Hole]], a phenomenon of [[karst topography]]]]
Belize became the first country in the world to completely ban [[bottom trawling]] in December 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemalans trawling in Belize's southern waters {{pipe}} Channel5Belize.com|url=https://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/82518|access-date=2021-11-23|language=en-US|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416133256/https://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/82518|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://oceana.org/en/news-media/press-center/press-releases/belize-bans-bottom-trawling-in-exclusive-economic-zone "Belize Bans Bottom Trawling in Exclusive Economic Zone"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009021343/http://oceana.org/en/news-media/press-center/press-releases/belize-bans-bottom-trawling-in-exclusive-economic-zone |date=9 October 2012 }}. Oceana.org.8 December 2010. Retrieved on 28 February 2013.</ref> In December 2015, Belize banned offshore oil drilling within {{convert|1|km|1|abbr=on}} of the Barrier Reef and all of its seven World Heritage Sites.<ref>{{cite web|title=Government Implements Ban On Offshore Drilling|url=http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=34483&frmsrch=1|website=7 News Belize|access-date=23 December 2015|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417101448/https://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=34483&frmsrch=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite these protective measures, the reef remains under threat from [[Marine pollution|oceanic pollution]] as well as uncontrolled tourism, shipping, and fishing. Other threats include hurricanes, [[climate change]] and the resulting increase in ocean temperatures,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/735941.stm |title=Coral collapse in Caribbean |work=BBC News |date=4 May 2000 |access-date=1 June 2021 |archive-date=8 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108212744/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/735941.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> which causes [[coral bleaching]]. It is claimed by scientists that over 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998.<ref name="BBC News - 12 June 2006"/>

===Climate===

{{see also|Hurricanes in Belize}}
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map BLZ present cropped.svg|thumb|upright=1.1|Köppen climate classification of Belize]]
Belize has a [[tropical climate]] with pronounced [[wet season|wet]] and [[dry season]]s, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from {{convert|24|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}} in January to {{convert|27|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}} in July. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the [[Mountain Pine Ridge]], where it is noticeably cooler year round. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.

Average rainfall varies considerably, from {{convert|1350|mm|in}} in the north and west to over {{convert|4500|mm|in}} in the extreme south. Seasonal differences in rainfall are greatest in the northern and central regions of the country where, between January and April or May, less than {{convert|100|mm|in|1}} of rainfall per month. The dry season is shorter in the south, normally only lasting from February to April. A shorter, less rainy period, known locally as the "little dry", usually occurs in late July or August, after the onset of the rainy season.

'''Hurricanes'''

[[Tropical cyclone|Hurricanes]] have played key—and devastating—roles in [[History of Belize|Belizean history]]. In 1931, an unnamed hurricane destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and killed more than 1,000 people. In 1955, [[Hurricane Janet]] levelled the northern town of [[Corozal Town|Corozal]]. Only six years later, [[Hurricane Hattie]] struck the central coastal area of the country, with winds in excess of {{convert|300|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} and {{convert|4|m|ft|0|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[storm tide]]s. The devastation of Belize City for the second time in thirty years prompted the relocation of the capital some {{convert|80|km|mi|0}} inland to the [[planned city]] of [[Belmopan]].

In 1978, [[Hurricane Greta-Olivia|Hurricane Greta]] caused more than US$25&nbsp;million in damage along the southern coast. In 2000, [[Hurricane Keith]], the wettest tropical cyclone in the nation's record, stalled, and hit the nation as a Category 4 storm on 1 October, causing 19 deaths and at least $280 million in damage. Soon after, on 9 October 2001, [[Hurricane Iris]] made landfall at [[Monkey River Town]] as a {{convert|145|mph|km/h|abbr=on|round=5|order=flip}} Category 4 storm. The storm demolished most of the homes in the village, and destroyed the banana crop. In 2007, [[Hurricane Dean]] made landfall as a Category 5 storm only {{convert|25|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} north of the Belize–Mexico border. Dean caused extensive damage in northern Belize.

In 2010, Belize was directly affected by the Category 2 [[Hurricane Richard]], which made landfall approximately {{convert|20|mi|km|order=flip}} south-southeast of Belize City at around 00:45 UTC on 25 October 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown |first1=Daniel |last2=Berg |first2=Robbie |name-list-style=amp |date=25 October 2010 |title=Hurricane Richard Discussion Seventeen |publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=25 October 2010 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2010/al19/al192010.discus.017.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029230303/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2010/al19/al192010.discus.017.shtml |archive-date=29 October 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> The storm moved inland towards [[Belmopan]], causing estimated damage of [[Belize dollar|BZ$]]33.8&nbsp;million ($17.4&nbsp;million 2010&nbsp;USD), primarily from damage to crops and housing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=You searched for 33.8|url=https://www.reporter.bz/search/33.8|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Reporter|language=en-US|archive-date=29 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144034/https://www.reporter.bz/search/33.8|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The most recent hurricane to make landfall in Belize was [[Hurricane Lisa (2022)|Hurricane Lisa]] in 2022. [[Extreme weather]] events, such as [[Tropical cyclone|hurricanes]] and floods, have become more frequent and intense due to climate change.<ref name=":102">{{Cite book |last=UNFCC |url=https://unfccc.int/documents/630427 |title=BELIZE: A CASE STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE CLIMATE RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS ALLIANCE |date=December 2022}}</ref>

'''Climate change'''

Belize is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its low-lying coastal areas, diverse ecosystems, and economic reliance on tourism and agriculture.<ref name=":102"/> As a country, Belize's 2023 [[greenhouse gas emissions]] are relatively low (7.46 million tonnes), however, it ranks as the 13th highest country for per capita emissions, at 18.13 tonnes per person.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Matthew W. |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia |last10=Le Quéré |first10=Corinne |date=2023-03-29 |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide since 1850 |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |journal=Scientific Data |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=155 |doi=10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |pmid=36991071 |pmc=10060593 |bibcode=2023NatSD..10..155J |issn=2052-4463|hdl=11250/3119366 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ritchie |first1=Hannah |last2=Rosado |first2=Pablo |last3=Roser |first3=Max |date=2024-01-05 |title=Greenhouse gas emissions |url=https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions |journal=Our World in Data |language=en}}</ref> [[Land use]] change and [[forestry]] together is the highest source of emissions in Belize.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Climate Action Watch |title=Belize |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/BLZ?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref> The government has committed to [[Net-zero emissions|net zero emissions]] by 2050 and has developed [[climate resilience]] and [[Climate change adaptation|adaptation]] plans.<ref name=":11" />

==Economy==

{{Main|Economy of Belize}}

[[File:Sugar Cane Processing Plant 2.jpg|thumb|A [[sugar cane]] processing plant, Orange Walk Town, Belize. Sugar is one of Belize's top exports.]]

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.<ref name="Maya Homeland" /> The country is also a producer of [[industrial mineral]]s,<ref>Oancea, Dan (January 2009).{{cite web|url=http://magazine.mining.com/Issues/0901/MiningCentralAmerica.pdf |title=Mining in Central America |access-date=16 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516031334/http://magazine.mining.com/Issues/0901/MiningCentralAmerica.pdf |archive-date=16 May 2011 }}. magazine.mining.com. pp. 10–12.</ref> [[crude oil]], and [[petroleum]]. {{As of|2017}}, oil production was {{convert|2000|oilbbl/d|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref name=EIA>{{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/data/browser/#/?pa=00000000000000000000000000000000002&c=ruvvvvvfvtvnvv1vrvvvvfvvvvvvfvvvou20evvvvvvvvvvvvuvo&ct=0&tl_id=5-A&vs=INTL.57-1-AFG-TBPD.A&vo=0&v=H&start=2014&end=2016 |title=Production of Crude Oil including Lease Condensate 2016 |publisher=[[U.S. Energy Information Administration]] |format=CVS download |access-date=27 May 2017 |archive-date=27 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427031435/https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/data/browser/#/?pa=00000000000000000000000000000000002&c=ruvvvvvfvtvnvv1vrvvvvfvvvvvvfvvvou20evvvvvvvvvvvvuvo&ct=0&tl_id=5-A&vs=INTL.57-1-AFG-TBPD.A&vo=0&v=H&start=2014&end=2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Maya Homeland" /> In 2007 Belize became the world's third largest exporter of [[papaya]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FE913 |title=An Overview of Global Papaya Production, Trade and Consumption |publisher=University of Florida Extension |access-date=13 February 2022 |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703084428/https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FE913 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The government of Belize faces important challenges to economic stability. Rapid action to improve [[tax collection]] has been promised, but a lack of progress in reining in spending could bring the [[exchange rate]] under pressure. The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999, leading to a preliminary estimate of revived growth at four percent. Infrastructure remains a major economic development challenge;<ref name="USDoS-Belize">{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1955.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611062556/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1955.htm |archive-date=11 June 2018 |title=Background Note: Belize|publisher=Department of State, United States}}</ref> Belize has the region's most expensive electricity. Trade is important and the major trading partners are the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the [[European Union]], and [[Caribbean Community|CARICOM]].<ref name="USDoS-Belize" />

Belize has four commercial bank groups, of which the largest and oldest is [[Belize Bank]]. The other three banks are Heritage Bank, Atlantic Bank, and [[Scotiabank]] (Belize). A robust complex of [[credit union]]s began in the 1940s under the leadership of [[Marion M. Ganey]], S.J.<ref>Woods, Charles M. Sr., et al. (2015) ''Years of Grace: The History of Roman Catholic Evangelization in Belize: 1524–2014''. Belize: Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan, pp. 227ff.</ref>

Because of its location on the coast of Central America, Belize is a popular destination for vacationers and for many North American drug traffickers. The Belize currency is pegged to the U.S. dollar and banks in Belize offer non-residents the ability to establish accounts, so drug traffickers and money launderers are attracted to banks in Belize. As a result, the [[United States Department of State]] has, since 2014, named Belize as one of the world's "major money laundering countries".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2014/vol2/index.htm|title=2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report – Volume II: Money Laundering and Financial Crimes|date=2014|accessdate=9 May 2024|work=[[United States Department of State]]|archive-date=11 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211054013/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2014/vol2/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Belize electricity production.svg|thumb|Belize electricity supply by source| upright=1.4]]

===Industrial infrastructure===
[[Belize Electricity Limited]] (BEL), the nation's primary utility, has embarked on an ambitious plan to enhance its energy infrastructure. In its 2024–2028 Full Tariff Review, BEL proposed a $500 million investment to support the integration of 60 MW of utility-scale [[Photovoltaic system|solar photovoltaic]] (PV) generation and 40 MW of battery energy storage systems. This initiative aims to stabilize electricity rates at 40 cents per kilowatt-hour and reduce reliance on imported electricity from Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BEL Submits 2024-2028 Full Tariff Review |url=https://www.bel.com.bz/press_releases/2024/BEL%20Submits%202024-2028%20Full%20Tariff%20Review%20Proceeding%20Application%20to%20the%20Public%20Utilities%20Commission.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BEL Presents Modern Energy Services Plan |url=https://www.bel.com.bz/press_releases/2024/BEL%20Presents%20Plans%20for%20Building%20a%20Modern%20Energy%20Services%20Infrastructure%20for%20Belize%20in%20Public%20Hearing%20as%20part%20of%20the%20Full%20Tariff%20Review%20Proceedings%202024%20-%202028.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize Electricity Limited Plans Half a Billion Dollar Investment in Energy Sector |url=https://lovefm.com/belize-electricity-limited-plans-half-a-billion-dollar-investment-in-energy-sector/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Love FM Belize News & Music Power |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Government of Belize]]'s [[National Energy Program|National Energy Policy]] 2023–2040 outlines a commitment to achieving 75% renewable energy in the electricity generation mix by 2030.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize Annual Energy Report 2023 |url=https://www.mpuele.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Energy-Report-2023_Digital-Copy_Final.pdf}}</ref> As of 2022, renewable sources accounted for 53% of total gross electricity generation, highlighting significant progress towards this goal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize Annual Energy Report 2022 |url=https://www.mpuele.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Energy-Report-2022-Final_25-Aug-1.pdf}}</ref>

To bolster grid reliability, BEL has undertaken several infrastructure upgrades. In 2024, the company completed an upgrade of the West Lake Gas Turbine, increasing its capacity from 19 MW to 30 MW. Additionally, a new gas turbine was installed on [[Ambergris Caye]], adding 20 MW of generation capacity to the national grid.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowo |first=Janelle |date=2024-04-13 |title=BEL Encourages Energy Conservation during Critical Generation Upgrade and Hot and Humid Weather Conditions |url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2024/04/13/bel-encourages-energy-conservation-during-critical-generation-upgrade-and-hot-and-humid-weather-conditions/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=The San Pedro Sun |language=en}}</ref> [[World Bank|The World Bank]] is supporting these efforts through the Belize Energy Resilience and Sustainability Project, which includes the deployment of four 10 MW battery storage systems in key districts. This project aims to enhance power reliability, reduce outages, and optimize electricity costs for consumers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize Launches New Energy Project to Enhance Power Reliability and Boost Renewables |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/02/04/belize-launches-new-energy-project-to-enhance-power-reliability-and-boost-renewables |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=World Bank |language=en}}</ref>

[[Belize Telemedia Limited]] (BTL), operating under the brand [[Belize Telemedia Limited|Digi]], is the nation's primary telecommunications provider, offering a comprehensive suite of services including [[Landline|fixed-line telephony]], mobile services, broadband internet, and digital television. As of recent reports, BTL maintains approximately 32,000 fixed telephone line contracts and serves around 190,000 GSM mobile customers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BNamericas - Belize Telemedia Limited (Digi) |url=https://www.bnamericas.com/en/company-profile/belize-telemedia-limited |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=BNamericas.com |language=en}}</ref> In alignment with the [[Government of Belize]]'s National Digital Agenda 2022–2025, which aims to enhance digital infrastructure and connectivity across the country, BTL has been actively expanding its service offerings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home - |url=https://digitalagenda.gov.bz/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122174404/https://digitalagenda.gov.bz/ |archive-date=22 January 2025 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=digitalagenda.gov.bz |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Belize’s national digital agenda 2022-2025 {{!}} Digital Watch Observatory |url=https://dig.watch/resource/belizes-national-digital-agenda-2022-2025?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-05-07 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Digital Agenda - |url=https://digitalagenda.gov.bz/digital-agenda/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122175834/https://digitalagenda.gov.bz/digital-agenda/ |archive-date=22 January 2025 |access-date=2025-05-07 |language=en-US |url-status=live }}</ref> The company provides [[Broadband|high-speed broadband]] services with speeds up to 200 Mbps, mobile services including [[LTE (telecommunication)|4G LTE]], and digital television through [[Digi-TV|DigiTV]] . Additionally, BTL has introduced bundled service packages under the DigiONE brand, combining internet, mobile, and television services for residential and business customers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Digi - Internet, Mobile {{!}} DigiONE {{!}} DigiTV {{!}} DigiBusiness |url=https://livedigi.com/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Digi |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Tourism===
{{Main|Tourism in Belize}}
A combination of natural factors – climate, 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 (terrain)|jungle]] and [[wildlife reserves]] of fauna and flora, for hiking, [[birdwatching]], and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya sites – support the thriving tourism and [[ecotourism]] industry.

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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-02-08|title=2012: A Remarkable Year for Belize's Tourism Industry|url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/travel-and-tourism/2013/02/08/2012-a-remarkable-year-for-belizes-tourism-industry/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=The San Pedro Sun|language=en-US|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124348/https://www.sanpedrosun.com/travel-and-tourism/2013/02/08/2012-a-remarkable-year-for-belizes-tourism-industry/|url-status=live}}</ref>

After [[COVID-19]] struck tourism, Belize became the first country in the Caribbean to allow vaccinated travellers to visit without a COVID-19 test.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=HospiBiz|title=Belize becomes 1st Caribbean country to welcome vaccinated travelers without Covid test requirement {{!}} HOSPIBIZ|date=15 March 2021|url=https://hospibiz.com/belize-becomes-1st-caribbean-country-to-welcome-vaccinated-travelers-without-covid-test-requirement/|access-date=6 April 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=10 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610190256/https://hospibiz.com/belize-becomes-1st-caribbean-country-to-welcome-vaccinated-travelers-without-covid-test-requirement/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of Belize|Belizean people}}
According to the 2022 census, Belize's population is 397,483.<ref name="sib2024"/> Belize's [[total fertility rate]] in 2023 was 2.010 children per woman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ceicdata.com/en/belize/social-demography-non-oecd-member-annual/bz-total-fertility-rate-children-per-woman|title=Belize BZ: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman|access-date=8 February 2024|archive-date=8 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208104956/https://www.ceicdata.com/en/belize/social-demography-non-oecd-member-annual/bz-total-fertility-rate-children-per-woman|url-status=live}}</ref> Its birth rate was 17.8 births/1,000 population (2022), and the death rate was 6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2022).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://knoema.com/atlas/Belize#Demographics|title=Belize|access-date=8 February 2024|archive-date=15 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315005114/https://knoema.com/atlas/Belize#Demographics|url-status=live}}</ref> A substantial ethnic-demographic shift has been occurring since 1980 when the Creoles, formerly a majority of the population, have become outnumbered by the Hispanic/Mestizo community due to many Creoles moving to the United States, as well as a rising Mestizo birth rate and migration from Latin America.<ref>{{Cite journal|jstor=2503998|title=The Composition and Distribution of Ethnic Groups in Belize: Immigration and Emigration Patterns, 1980–1991|last1=Woods|first1=Louis A.|last2=Perry|first2=Joseph M.|last3=Steagall|first3=Jeffrey W.|journal=Latin American Research Review|year=1997|volume=32|issue=3|pages=63–88|doi=10.1017/S0023879100038048 |s2cid=146531217 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Ethnic groups ===

{{bar box
|title=Ethnic Groups in Belize
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Ethnic Groups
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|Hispanic/Mestizo|darkgreen|51.7}}
{{bar percent|Creole|purple|25.2}}
{{bar percent|Maya|gold|9.8}}
{{bar percent|White|lime|4.8}}
{{bar percent|Garifuna|yellow|4}}
{{bar percent|East Indian|orange|1.5}}
{{bar percent|Other|darkgray|1.2}}
{{bar percent|East Asian and Arab|maroon|1}}
{{bar percent|Not Stated|teal|0.3}}<ref name="auto1">https://sib.org.bz/press-release_census-launch/#:~:text=While%2051.7%20percent%20of%20the,mosaic%20of%20numerous%20other%20ethnicities {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506223111/https://sib.org.bz/press-release_census-launch/#:~:text=While%2051.7%20percent%20of%20the,mosaic%20of%20numerous%20other%20ethnicities |date=6 May 2024 }}.</ref>
|width=109km}}

====The Maya====
The Maya are thought to have been in Belize and the [[Yucatán region]] since the second millennium BCE. Many died in conflicts or by catching disease from invading Europeans. Three Maya groups inhabit the country: The [[Yucatec]] (who came from Yucatán, Mexico, to escape the savage [[Caste War of Yucatán|Caste War]] of the 1840s), the [[Mopan people|Mopan]] (indigenous to Belize but were forced out to Guatemala by the British for raiding settlements; they returned to Belize to evade enslavement by the Guatemalans in the 19th century), and [[Q'eqchi' people|Q'eqchi']] (also fled from slavery in Guatemala in the 19th century).<ref>Cho, Julian (1998).&nbsp;{{cite web|url=http://geography.berkeley.edu/ProjectsResources/MayanAtlas/MayaAtlas/mayahome.htm |title=Maya Homeland |access-date=3 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203235635/http://geography.berkeley.edu/ProjectsResources/MayanAtlas/MayaAtlas/mayahome.htm |archive-date=3 February 2010 }}. University of California Berkeley Geography Department and the Toledo Maya of Southern Belize. Retrieved 4 January 2007.</ref> The latter groups are chiefly found in the [[Toledo District]]. The Maya speak their native languages and Spanish, and are also often fluent in English and Belizean Creole.

====Belizean Creoles====
{{Main|Belizean Creole people|Baymen}}
Belizean Creoles are primarily [[mixed-race]]d descendants of [[African slave trade|West and Central Africans]] who were brought to the [[British Honduras]] (modern Belize along the [[Bay of Honduras]]) as well as the [[English people|English]] and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] log cutters, known as the [[Baymen]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belize-Guatemala Territorial Issue – Chapter 1|url=http://www.belizenet.com/bzeguat/intro.html|access-date=2023-02-04|website=www.belizenet.com|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801161521/http://www.belizenet.com/bzeguat/intro.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="jstor.org">{{Cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Melissa A.|date=2003|title=The Making of Race and Place in Nineteenth-Century British Honduras|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3985885|journal=Environmental History|volume=8|issue=4|pages=598–617|doi=10.2307/3985885|jstor=3985885|bibcode=2003EnvH....8..598J |s2cid=144161630|issn=1084-5453|access-date=21 November 2022|archive-date=21 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121225247/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3985885|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>  Over the years they have also intermarried with [[Miskito people|Miskito]] from [[Nicaragua]], [[Jamaicans]] and other [[Caribbean people]], [[Hispanic Belizean|Mestizo]]s, [[White Caribbeans|Europeans]], [[Garifuna]]s, [[Maya people|Maya]], etc. The majority of Creoles trace their ancestry to several of the aforementioned groups. The creole and African slaves came to British Honduras (modern day Belize) from Jamaica, as Jamaica was the closest British colony administering British Honduras at the time and it was the slave ships' final destination. It is also mentioned that many slaves brought to Belize were trouble makers and resisters from Jamaican sugar cane plantations.

Belize town was the epicentre of the colony and many slaves ended up in the logwood and timber industry. Women and children stayed doing domestic and farm work. Slaves in Belize were more free to travel and roam around the colony due to their work. This caused the rapid integration of African slaves from different tribes and parts of Africa to mingle with the free coloureds and sons and daughters of slave owners with slaves.

Some predominant coloured or light-skinned creole communities were in the Belize river valley namely Crooked Tree, Isabela Bank, Bermudian Landings and Lemonal among others. Most of them have light or blue eyes and light skin. Unlike the fast integration and intermarriages of creoles with Africans and Hispanics in Belize City, the creoles in the Belize river valley area had a more lighter complexion and more visible European traits.

The Belizean Creole along with Africans and Garifuna make up the Afro-Belizean population; about 30% of the population. The Creoles have had a great impact in Belizean history and politics. They were active and part of the Battle of St George's Caye, Part of the British West Indies Battalion in world war one and world war two, and the Negro movement for equal rights. They were one of the first group of people to advocate for and get a higher education in Jamaica and the UK in which after returning to Belize, the educated scholars rallied and started the movement for adult suffrage, self-government and independence.  All of the important historical events started in Belize City and most of the first people involved were of creole descent which were the upper and middle class of Belize at the time. Well known Creole Belizeans were Samuel Haynes, Philip Goldson, Dean Barrow, Dame Minita Gordon, Cleopatra White, Cordel Hyde and Patrick Faber among others.

The Creole were the biggest ethnic group in Belize until the 1980s due to mass migration of Afro Belizeans to the United States, United Kingdom and West Indies from the 1960s to 1970s and the mass immigration of Central American refugees to Belize. Due to the Central American War, and political instability, the country's demographics changed forever.

====Belizean Creole language====
For all intents and purposes, Creole is an ethnic and linguistic denomination. Some natives, even with blonde hair and blue eyes, may call themselves Creoles.<ref name="Johnson 2003 pp. 598">{{cite journal|author=Johnson, Melissa A.|title=The Making of Race and Place in Nineteenth-Century British Honduras|journal=Environmental History|volume=8|issue=4|year=2003|pages=598–617|jstor=3985885|doi=10.2307/3985885|bibcode=2003EnvH....8..598J |hdl=11214/203|s2cid=144161630|url=https://suscholar.southwestern.edu/bitstream/11214/203/1/Johnson%20--%20The%20Making%20of%20Race.pdf}}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

[[Belizean Creole]] or ''Kriol'' developed during the time of slavery, and historically was only spoken by former enslaved Africans. It became an integral part of the Belizean identity, spoken by about 45% of Belizeans.<ref name="census2010">{{cite web |title=Belize Population and Housing Census 2010: Country Report |url=http://www.sib.org.bz/Portals/0/docs/publications/census/2010_Census_Report.pdf |publisher=Statistical Institute of Belize |year=2013 |access-date=11 December 2014 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127084833/http://www.sib.org.bz/Portals/0/docs/publications/census/2010_Census_Report.pdf |archive-date=27 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="Johnson 2003 pp. 598"/> Belizean Creole is derived mainly from English. Its [[substratum (linguistics)|substrate languages]] are the Native American language [[Miskito language|Miskito]], and the various [[West African]] and [[Bantu languages]], native languages of the enslaved Africans. Creoles are found all over Belize, but predominantly in urban areas such as Belize City, coastal towns and villages, and in the Belize River Valley.<ref>[http://www.kriol.org.bz/ Belize Kriol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928123702/http://www.kriol.org.bz/ |date=28 September 2008 }} – Kriol.org.bz (16 March 2013). Retrieved on 12 July 2013.</ref>

====Garinagu====
{{Main|Garifuna people}}
[[File:Garifuna dancers in Dangriga, Belize.jpg|left|thumb|Traditional Garifuna dancers in [[Dangriga]], Belize]]
The [[Garinagu]] (singular ''Garifuna''), at around 4.5% of the population, are a mix of West/Central African, [[Arawaks|Arawak]], and [[Island Carib]] ancestry. Though they were captives removed from their homelands, these people were never documented as slaves. The two prevailing theories are that, in 1635, they were either the survivors of two recorded shipwrecks or somehow took over the ship they came on.<ref name="www2.ku.edu">{{cite journal|last=Crawford |first=M.H. |year=1997 |url=http://www2.ku.edu/~lba/courses/articles/Crawford%20Carib.pdf |title=Biocultural adaptation to disease in the Caribbean: Case study of a migrant population |journal=Journal of Caribbean Studies. Health and Disease in the Caribbean |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=141–155 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105001105/http://www2.ku.edu/~lba/courses/articles/Crawford%20Carib.pdf |archive-date=5 November 2012 }}</ref>

Throughout history they have been incorrectly labelled as [[Black Caribs]]. When the British took over [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]] after the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]] in 1763, they were opposed by French settlers and their Garinagu allies. The Garinagu eventually surrendered to the British in 1796. The British separated the more African-looking Garifunas from the more indigenous-looking ones. 5,000 Garinagu were exiled from the Grenadine island of [[Baliceaux]]. About 2,500 of them survived the voyage to [[Roatán]], an island off the coast of Honduras. The [[Garifuna language]] belongs to the [[Arawakan languages|Arawakan language family]], but has a large number of loanwords from Carib languages and from English.

Because [[Roatán]] was too small and infertile to support their population, the Garinagu petitioned the Spanish authorities of Honduras to be allowed to settle on the mainland coast. The Spanish employed them as soldiers, and they spread along the Caribbean coast of Central America. The Garinagu settled in Seine Bight, [[Punta Gorda, Belize|Punta Gorda]] and Punta Negra, Belize, by way of Honduras as early as 1802. In Belize, 19 November 1832 is the date officially recognized as "[[Garifuna Settlement Day]]" in Dangriga.<ref name="2000 Belize Census">{{cite web|url=http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/RpWebEngine.exe/PortalAction?MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000&MAIN=WebServerMain.inl |title=Belize 2000 Housing and Population Census |access-date=9 September 2008 |year=2000 |publisher=Belize Central Statistical Office }}{{dead link|date=May 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

According to one genetic study, their ancestry is on average 76% [[Sub Saharan Africa]]n, 20% [[Arawak]]/[[Island Carib]] and 4% [[European ethnic groups|European]].<ref name="www2.ku.edu"/>

====Belizean Hispanics====
The Hispanic population in Belize makes up about half of the population and consists of two main groups, the Yucatec Mestizos, better known as Mestizos, and the Central American Refugees and migrants. [[Central American]] immigrants from [[El Salvador]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]] and [[Nicaragua]]
{{see also| Mestizo}}
The Mestizo are people of mixed Spanish and Yucatec Maya descent. They were the first to bring the Catholicism and the Spanish language to Belize after various failed attempts over the century by Spanish conquistadores. They originally came to Belize in 1847, to escape the [[Caste War of Yucatán|Caste War]], which occurred when thousands of Mayas rose against the state in Yucatán and massacred over one-third of the population. The surviving others fled across the borders into British territory. The Mestizos are found everywhere in Belize but most make their homes in the northern districts of Corozal and Orange Walk. In the 1980s a wave of Central American migrants from [[El Salvador]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]], and [[Nicaragua]] came to settle in Belize. The Government of Belize with the help of the United Nations opened the nation's doors to Central American neighbors fleeing from civil war and persecution.

Due to the influences of Belizean Creole and English, many Mestizos speak what is known as [[Spanglish|"Kitchen Spanish"]].<ref name="ambergriscaye.com">{{cite news | title=Northern Belize Caste War History; Location | url=http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/holidays.html | access-date=21 February 2013 | archive-date=20 November 1996 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961120201952/http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/holidays.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The mixture of Yucatec Mestizo and Yucatec<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3653717 | jstor=3653717 | title=Social Categories, Ethnicity and the State in Yucatán, Mexico | last1=Gabbert | first1=Wolfgang | journal=Journal of Latin American Studies | year=2001 | volume=33 | issue=3 | pages=459–484 | doi=10.1017/S0022216X01005983 | pmid=17657902 | s2cid=21033334 | access-date=2 May 2023 | archive-date=2 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502184415/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3653717 | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}</ref> Maya foods like tamales, escabeche, chirmole, relleno, and empanadas came from their Mexican side and corn tortillas were handed down by their Mayan side. Music comes mainly from the [[marimba]], but they also play and sing with the guitar. Dances performed at village fiestas include the Hog-Head, Zapateados, the Mestizada, Paso Doble and many more.
Just like Southern Mexico and Northern Belize the marimba and its music is an iconic and important traditional folklore instrument across Central America. Some typical Central American foods blended into the Belizean gastronomy are the famous Salvadorian pupusas, the famous Honduran baleadas, the gacho, tajadas, tostones and they have also influenced the form of the Spanish language in the South of Belize. In the short span of their mass migration to Belize, Central American immigrants have contributed significantly to Belize not only culturally but also economically.

The Yucatec Mestizo culture is unique and very different from the culture of those migrants and refugees coming form other Central American countries. Mestizos make up 37% of the population and Latin American Immigrants and refugees make up  15% of the population. Together the Mestizo and Hispanic population make up roughly 52% of the Belizean population.

====White Belizeans====
[[White people|Whites]] in Belize form around 4.8% of the population, largely from Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, [[Lebanese people|Lebanon]], [[Mennonites|Mennonite communities]] and others brought to assist the country's development.  Irish settlers and migrants and veterans from [[Louisiana]] and other Southern states established [[Confederate settlements in British Honduras]] and introduced commercial sugar cane production to the colony, establishing 11 settlements in the interior.
The biggest White group are the Mennonites: they divide themselves into traditional and conservative or orthodox Mennonites and modern or reformed Mennonites.

{{Main|Mennonites in Belize}}
[[File:Menonite Children.JPG|thumb|[[Mennonites|Mennonite]] children selling peanuts near Lamanai in Belize.]]

Over 12,000 [[Plautdietsch language|Plautdietsch]]-speaking [[Mennonites in Belize|Mennonites]] live in Belize, farming the land and living according to their religious beliefs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sib.org.bz/Portals/0/docs/publications/census/2010_Census_Report.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127084833/http://www.sib.org.bz/Portals/0/docs/publications/census/2010_Census_Report.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Belize Population and Housing Census – Country Report 2010|archive-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>

The majority of the [[Mennonites|Mennonite]] population comprises so-called [[Russian Mennonites]] of German descent who settled in the [[Russian Empire]] during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most Russian Mennonites live in Mennonite settlements like [[Spanish Lookout]], [[Shipyard, Belize|Shipyard]], [[Little Belize]], and Blue Creek. These Mennonites speak [[Plautdietsch]] (a [[Low German|Low German dialect]]) in everyday life, but use mostly [[Standard German]] for reading (the Bible) and writing. The Plautdietsch-speaking [[Mennonites in Mexico|Mennonites came mostly from Mexico]] in the years after 1958 and they are trilingual with proficiency in Spanish. There are also some mainly [[Pennsylvania Dutch]]-speaking [[Old Order Mennonites]] who came from the United States and Canada in the late 1960s. They live primarily in [[Upper Barton Creek]] and associated settlements. These Mennonites attracted people from different [[Anabaptist]] backgrounds who formed a new community. They look quite similar to [[Amish|Old Order Amish]], but are different from them.

====East Indians====
{{Main|Indo-Belizeans}}
'''Indo-Belizeans''', also known as '''East Indian Belizeans''', are citizens of Belize of [[Indian people|Indian]] ancestry. The community made up 3.9% of the population of Belize in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belize/|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|date=11 April 2023|access-date=24 January 2021|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109132306/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belize/|url-status=live}}</ref> and are a bit over 2% presently. They are part of the wider [[Indo-Caribbean]] community, which itself is a part of the global [[Indian diaspora]].

East Indians began arriving in Belize after the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], with the first ship with Indians arriving in 1858 as part of the [[Indian indenture system]] set up by the British government after slavery was abolished.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://chabilmarvillas.com/east-indians-of-belize.html | title=The East Indians of Belize – Everything You Need to Know | date=11 December 2021 | access-date=6 May 2024 | archive-date=30 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130130657/https://chabilmarvillas.com/east-indians-of-belize.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Initially coming in as indentured, many of them stayed on to work the sugar plantations and were joined by other Indian immigrants. Indians have spread out over many villages and towns primarily in the Corozal and Toledo districts and live in reasonably compact rural communities. While there are few descendants of the original Indian indentured immigrants of full Indian descent, many of their descendants intermarried with other ethnic groups in Belize, notably the [[Belizean Creole people|Creoles]] and [[Hispanic and Latin American Belizean|Mestizos]]. However, they are still identifiable through their physiognomy and are known as 'Hindus' or 'East Indians'.<ref name="auto"/> This set of Indians were almost entirely composed of people from the [[Bhojpuri region|Bhojpur]] region, [[Awadh]] region, and other places in the [[Hindi Belt|Hindustani Belt]] in [[North India]]. A minority of indentured labourers were from [[South India]] and other regions throughout [[South Asia]]. Most Indians in urban areas are entrepreneurs and are invested in the import and retail industry.

====East Asian and Arabs====
{{Main|Ethnic Chinese in Belize}}
The 20th century saw the arrival of more Asian settlers from [[Mainland China]], India, [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]]. [[Said Musa]], the son of an immigrant from [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], was the [[Prime Minister of Belize]] from 1998 to 2008.

The importation of Chinese workers to British Honduras was a response to economic shifts in the mid-19th century. As [[Haematoxylum campechianum|logwood]] and [[mahogany]] production declined, [[sugarcane]] [[plantations]] became of increasing importance. Recruitment of workers from China was facilitated by the colonial governor [[John Gardiner Austin]], who had previously served as a labour broker in [[Xiamen]], [[Fujian]] on China's southeast coast.<ref name="Robinson108">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xrGShVU6VrgC&pg=PA108 |page=108 |title=The Chinese in Latin America and the Caribbean |editor-first1=Chee |editor-last1=Beng Tan |editor-first2=Walton |editor-last2=Look Lai |first1=St John |last1=Robinson|date=2010 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-18213-4 }}</ref> 474 Chinese workers thus arrived in British Honduras in 1865.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sell |first=Zach |date=April 2017 |title=Asian Indentured Labor in the Age of African American Emancipation |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-labor-and-working-class-history/article/asian-indentured-labor-in-the-age-of-african-american-emancipation/48C74291A23F4EB8C0D09AC7A128A7A7#fn85 |journal=International Labor and Working-Class History |language=en |volume=91 |pages=8–27 |doi=10.1017/S0147547916000375 |issn=0147-5479}}</ref> They were sent to the north of the colony, but were reassigned to central and southern areas beginning in 1866 due to the large numbers of deaths and abscondments.<ref name="Robinson108"/> By 1869, only 211 remained accounted for; 108 had died, while another 155 had sought refuge with the native peoples at [[Chan Santa Cruz]].

From the 1990s and presently, Belize has been a safe haven for those of East Asian and Arab descent, and many have integrated into Belizean society. Belize's [[Immigrant investor programs|citizenship-by-investment]] programme, which began in 1986, was a popular option among Chinese migrants in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=50aL41XGlQAC&pg=PA27 |first1=Anne |last1=Sutherland |title=The Making of Belize: Globalization in the Margins |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |date=1998 |isbn=9780897895798 |page=27}}</ref> In response to the demand, the price rose from US$25,000 to US$50,000 in 1997. Hong Kong migrants, who lacked real [[British citizenship]] but only had [[British National (Overseas)]] status, sought to obtain [[Belizean passport]]s as an insurance policy in case conditions in their homeland went downhill after the [[Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|1997 resumption of sovereignty by China]].

The East Asian and Arab Belizeans are an overwhelmingly urban population, with five-sixths living in cities, the highest proportion out of all tabulated ethnic groups. This is a slightly higher proportion than the Garifuna people and Creoles, but contrasting sharply with East Indians, of whom roughly half live in rural areas. East Asian and Arab Belizeans have a significant presence in the retail industry and fast food restaurant chains in Belize. Belizean Arabs mostly reside in Belize City and the towns in the islands and cayes. Belizean Arabs, although a minority, have contributed significantly to politics and education throughout the history of Belize. Some influential Arab families are the Musas, Espat, Shoman, and Chebat among others. Their influence on the People's United Party has made Belize an advocate for Palestine's right to self-determination.

====Emigration, immigration, and demographic shifts====

Creoles and other ethnic groups are emigrating mostly to the United States, but also to the United Kingdom and other developed nations for better opportunities. Based on the latest [[U.S. Census]], the number of Belizeans in the United States is approximately 160,000 (including 70,000 legal residents and naturalized citizens), consisting mainly of Creoles and Garinagu.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Census.gov|url=https://www.census.gov/en.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Census.gov|language=EN-US|archive-date=27 December 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Because of conflicts in neighboring Central American nations, [[refugee]]s from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have fled to Belize in significant numbers from the 1980s onward, and have significantly added to Belize's Hispanic population. This has significantly changed the country's ethnic makeup.<ref name="paulglassman.com">{{cite news | title=People of Belize | url =http://www.paulglassman.com/bg4.htm | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110715053315/http://www.paulglassman.com/bg4.htm | archive-date =15 July 2011 | access-date =14 February 2008 }}</ref> In the 2020 U.S. Census Data, Belizeans made the top 5, ranking at number 4, of largest "Some Other Race Alone" or "Some Other Race Alone or in Any Combination" group. The number of Belizeans in the "Some Other Race Alone" was 11,311 people, and the number of Belizeans in the "Some Other Race Alone or in any Combination" was 48,618 people.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Population for More Than 200 New Detailed Race and Ethnicity Groups |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/2020-census-dhc-a-race-overview.html |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Census.gov}}</ref> However, the U.S. State Department estimates upwards 100,000 Belizeans are in the U.S., making it the largest Belizean diaspora outside of Belize.<ref name=":03"/>

$2.62 billion U.S. dollars were given in aid to Belize from the United States between 2020 and 2023, to help combat an increase in trafficking, including drug and human, narcotic smuggling, and the spread of organized gang violence. The aid was dedicated to reinforcing Belize's police enforcement system and tighter border regulations.<ref name=":03" /> Belize led to a request for assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2016, which led to the 2018 launch of a national migration policy plan.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=UN Migration Agency to Support Belize Develop New Migration Policy |url=https://www.iom.int/news/un-migration-agency-support-belize-develop-new-migration-policy |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=International Organization for Migration |language=en}}</ref>  Most migrants enter Belize with intentions to cross into the U.S., and as of 2018, migrants made up 15% of Belize's population.<ref name=":12" />

Emigration from Belize has tended to be concentrated on the United States, and sometimes Canada or other English-speaking countries. The majority of immigrants to Belize are from other Central American countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras, as Belize has a fairly welcoming immigration policy to help these newcomers assimilate.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=Belize |url=https://migrants-refugees.va/country-profile/belize/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Migrants & Refugees Section |language=en-US}}</ref> Belizeans have historically moved to the US and Canada mostly in search of better educational opportunities, family reunions, and economic prospects.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Belize |url=https://www.iom.int/countries/belize |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=International Organization for Migration |language=en}}</ref> Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a key instrument that has made this trend possible in the US. TPS allows individuals from nations that are undergoing armed conflicts, natural disasters, or extraordinary situations to temporarily stay in the United States. This status has been especially important for Belizeans since Hurricane Hattie in 1961 forced major internal relocation.<ref name=":5" /> Belizean immigrants frequently participate in family reunion programs in Canada, which is consistent with the country's larger immigration policy that values social integration and family harmony.

Belize's major economic sector is services, making up over 60% of the economy. Nearly 50% of migrants came from Guatemala, and the total composition of the migrants was around 50% men and 49% women.<ref name=":22" /> The majority of Guatemalan migrants were from indigenous populations like the Mopan Maya or Kekchi Maya Indians, and many remained in urban areas for economic opportunity, while native Belizeans moved to rural areas.

===Languages===

{{bar box
|title=Languages in Belize
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Languages
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|English|darkgreen|80.9}}
{{bar percent|Spanish|red|62.8}}
{{bar percent|Creole|purple|44.6}}
{{bar percent|Mayan|black|10.5}}
{{bar percent|German|orange|4.2}}
{{bar percent|Garifuna|darkblue|2.9}}
{{bar percent|Caribbean Hindustani/Hindi|brown|1.9}}
{{bar percent|Chinese|green|0.9}}
{{bar percent|Other|maroon|0.9}}
{{bar percent|None|darkgray|0.2}}
{{bar percent|American Sign Language|gray|0.3}}
}}
{{Main|Languages of Belize}}

[[English language|English]] is the official language of Belize, a legacy of its former status as a British colony. Belize is the only country in Central America with English as the official language. English is the primary language of public education, government, and most media outlets. Although English is widely used, [[Belizean Creole]] is spoken in several situations, whether informal, formal, social, or interethnic{{clarify|date=August 2024}} dialogue, even in meetings of the House of Representatives.

When a creole language exists alongside its [[lexifier]] language, as is the case in Belize, a continuum forms between the creole and the lexifier language.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belize English Creole|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bzj|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Ethnologue|language=en|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bzj|url-status=live}}</ref>

Approximately 52.9% of Belizeans self-identify as [[Mestizo]], [[Hispanic]]. When Belize was a British colony, [[Spanish language|Spanish]] was banned in schools, but since then it has become widely spoken. [[Spanglish|"Kitchen Spanish"]] is an intermediate form of Spanish mixed with Belize Creole, spoken in the northern districts. Some good examples are [[Corozal Town|Corozal]] and [[San Pedro Town|San Pedro]].<ref name="ambergriscaye.com"/>

Over half the population is [[multilingual]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Merrill|first1=Tim|title=Guyana and Belize: Country Studies|date=1993|publisher=Library of Congress|location=Washington, D.C.|page=201}}</ref> owing to Belize's status as a small, multiethnic state, surrounded by Spanish-speaking nations.<ref name="belize2011">{{Cite web|title=Belize Demographics Country Profile {{pipe}} With Belize Census Data|url=https://belize.com/belize-demographics/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=belize.com|language=en-US|archive-date=23 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723091826/https://belize.com/belize-demographics/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Belize is also home to three [[Mayan languages]]: [[Q'eqchi' language|Q'eqchi']], [[Mopan language|Mopan]] (an [[endangered language]]), and [[Yucatec Maya language|Yucatec Maya]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Q'eqchi'|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kek|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Ethnologue|language=en|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kek|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Maya, Mopán|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mop|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Ethnologue|language=en|archive-date=5 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105083603/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mop|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Maya, Yucatec|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/yua|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Ethnologue|language=en|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229170238/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/yua|url-status=live}}</ref>
Approximately 16,100 people speak the [[Ta-Arawakan languages|Arawakan-based]] [[Garifuna language]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Garifuna|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cab|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Ethnologue|language=en|archive-date=26 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326032520/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cab|url-status=live}}</ref> and 6,900 Mennonites in Belize speak mainly [[Plautdietsch language|Plautdietsch]] while a minority of Mennonites speak [[Pennsylvania Dutch language|Pennsylvania Dutch]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Plautdietsch|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/pdt|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Ethnologue|language=en|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402192648/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/pdt|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Largest cities===
{{See also|List of municipalities in Belize}}
{{Largest cities
| country      = Belize
| stat_ref     = [http://www.sib.org.bz/Portals/0/docs/publications/census/2010_Census_Report.pdf Belize Population and Housing Census 2010]
| list_by_pop  = 
| div_name     = District
| div_link     =

|city_1 = Belize City
|div_1 = Belize District
|pop_1 = 57,169
|img_1 = Belize City Aerial Shots.jpg

|city_2 = San Ignacio, Belize{{!}}San Ignacio
|div_2 = Cayo District
|pop_2 = 17,878
|img_2 = San Ignacio Laslovarga016.JPG

|city_3 = Belmopan
|div_3 = Cayo District
|pop_3 = 13,939
|img_3 = Belmopan Belize View.jpg

|city_4 = Orange Walk Town
|div_4 = Orange Walk District
|pop_4 = 13,708
|img_4 = OWtownBZE.JPG

|city_5 = San Pedro Town
|div_5 = Belize District
|pop_5 = 11,767

|city_6 = Corozal Town
|div_6 = Corozal District
|pop_6 = 10,287

|city_7 = Dangriga
|div_7 = Stann Creek District
|pop_7 = 9,593

|city_8 = Benque Viejo del Carmen
|div_8 = Cayo District
|pop_8 = 6,140

|city_9 = Ladyville
|div_9 = Belize District
|pop_9 = 5,458

|city_10 = Punta Gorda, Belize{{!}}Punta Gorda
|div_10 = Toledo District
|pop_10 = 5,351
}}

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Belize}}
According to the 2010 census,<ref name="census2010"/> 40.1% of Belizeans were [[Catholics]], 31.8% [[Protestants]] (8.4% [[Pentecostal]]; 5.4% [[Adventist]]; 4.7% [[Anglican]]; 3.7% [[Mennonite]]; 3.6% [[Baptist]]; 2.9% [[Methodist]]; 2.8% [[Church of the Nazarene|Nazarene]]), 1.7% were [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], 10.3% adhered to other religions ([[Maya religion]], [[Garifuna religion]], [[Obeah]] and [[Myalism]], and minorities of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], [[Hinduism|Hindus]], [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], [[Islam|Muslims]], [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼís]], [[Rastafarians]] and other) and 15.5% professed to be irreligious.
[[File:HRrubenFromWest.jpg|thumb|right|[[Holy Redeemer Catholic Parish, Belize City]]]]
According to PROLADES, Belize's population was 64.6% Catholic, 27.8% Protestant, and 7.6% of other faiths in 1971.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.prolades.com/cra/regions/cam/bel/belize_census_1970-2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.prolades.com/cra/regions/cam/bel/belize_census_1970-2010.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live | title=National Census of Belize Religious Affiliation, 1970–2010 | first=Clifton L. | last=Holland | date=8 September 2011 | access-date=8 May 2017 }}</ref> Until the late 1990s, Belize was [[History of the Catholic Church in Belize|a Catholic-majority country]]. Catholics formed 57% of the population in 1991, a share that dropped to 49% in 2000. The percentage of Catholics in the population has been decreasing in the past few decades due to the growth of Protestant churches, other religions and irreligiosity.<ref>[http://www.caricomstats.org/Files/Publications/NCR%20Reports/Belize.pdf Belize 2000 Census] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125104920/http://www.caricomstats.org/Files/Publications/NCR%20Reports/Belize.pdf |date=25 January 2012}}. caricomstats.org</ref>

In addition to Catholics, there has always been [[Protestantism in Belize|a large accompanying Protestant minority]]. It was brought by [[British people|British]], [[German people|German]], and other settlers to the British colony of [[British Honduras]]. From the beginning, it was largely [[Anglican]] and [[Mennonite]] in nature. The Protestant community in Belize experienced a large [[Pentecostal]] and [[Seventh-Day Adventist]] influx tied to the recent spread of various [[Evangelical Protestant]] denominations throughout [[Latin America]]. Geographically speaking, [[Mennonites in Belize|German Mennonites]] live mostly in the rural districts of Cayo and Orange Walk.

The [[Greek Orthodox Church]] has a presence in [[Santa Elena, Belize|Santa Elena]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orthodoxchurch.bz/ |title=Orthodox Church of Belize homepage |publisher=Orthodoxchurch.bz |date=22 August 1982 |access-date=29 August 2010 |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502203936/http://orthodoxchurch.bz/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] estimates there were 7,776 Baháʼís in Belize in 2005, or 2.5% of the national population. Their estimates suggest this is the highest proportion of Baháʼís in any country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Most Baha'i Nations (2005)|url=http://www.thearda.com/QuickLists/QuickList_40.asp|website=The Association for Religion Data Archives|access-date=21 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209035957/http://www.thearda.com/QuickLists/QuickList_40.asp|archive-date=9 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Their data also states that the Baháʼí Faith is the second most common religion in Belize, following Christianity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Belize: Religious Adherents (2010)|url=http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_23_2.asp|website=The Association for Religion Data Archives|access-date=21 November 2015|archive-date=22 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122030203/http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_23_2.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hinduism is followed by most Indian immigrants. [[Sikhs]] were the first [[Indians in Belize|Indian immigrants to Belize (not counting indentured workers)]], and the former [[Chief Justice of Belize]] [[George Singh]] was the son of a [[Sikh diaspora|Sikh immigrant]],<ref name="News519980202">{{cite news|url=http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/25393|title=Chief and two new justices sworn in|work=News 5 Belize|date=2 February 1998|access-date=20 April 2012|archive-date=10 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410223718/https://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/25393|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="SGV">{{cite web|url=http://www.sikhglobalvillage.com/stories_sikhbelize1.htm|title=Immigrant Stories: Belize|publisher=Sikh Global Village|access-date=20 April 2012|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417134046/https://www.sikhglobalvillage.com/stories_sikhbelize1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> there was also a Sikh cabinet minister. Belize's Muslim population dates from the 1980s. Muslims numbered 577 in 2010 according to the official statistics,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://belize.com/belize-demographics/|title=Belize Demographics Country Profile {{pipe}} With Belize Census Data|website=belize.com|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=23 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723091826/https://belize.com/belize-demographics/|url-status=live}}</ref> accounting for 0.16 percent of the population.

=== Health ===
{{further|Healthcare in Belize}}
Belize has a high prevalence of communicable diseases such as respiratory diseases and intestinal illnesses.<ref name=MoH>[https://www.healthresearchweb.org/files/National_Health_Policies-Belize_2007-2011.pdf Health Agenda 2007 – 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324053628/https://healthresearchweb.org/files/national_health_policies-belize_2007-2011.pdf |date=24 March 2016 }}. Ministry of Health, Belize</ref>

===Education===
{{main|Education in Belize}}
A number of kindergartens, secondary, and tertiary schools in Belize provide education for students—mostly funded by the government. Belize has about a dozen [[List of universities in Belize|tertiary level institutions]], the most prominent of which is the [[University of Belize]], which evolved out of the University College of Belize founded in 1986. Before that [[St. John's College, Belize|St. John's College]], founded in 1877, dominated the tertiary education field. The Open Campus of the [[University of the West Indies]] has a site in Belize.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Open Campus in Belize |url=http://www.open.uwi.edu/belize |website=Open Campus |publisher=The University of the West Indies |access-date=16 March 2019 |archive-date=27 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527065326/https://www.open.uwi.edu/belize |url-status=live }}</ref> It also has campuses in [[Barbados]], [[Trinidad]], and [[Jamaica]]. The government of Belize contributes financially to the UWI.

Education in Belize is compulsory between the ages of six and 14 years. {{As of|2010}}, the literacy rate in Belize was estimated to be 79.7%,<ref name="census2010"/> one of the [[List of countries by literacy rate|lowest in the Western Hemisphere]].

The educational policy is currently following the "Education Sector Strategy 2011–2016", which sets three objectives for the years to come: Improving access, quality, and governance of the education system by providing technical and [[vocational education]] and training.<ref>{{cite web|title=TVET Country Profiles|url=http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=BLZ|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.unevoc.unesco.org|archive-date=13 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413140950/http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=BLZ|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Crime===
Belize has moderate rates of violent crime.<ref name="state1">{{cite web|url=https://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1055.html|title=Belize: Country Specific Information|publisher=US Department of State|access-date=17 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501204518/http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1055.html|archive-date=1 May 2013}}</ref> The majority of violence in Belize stems from gang activity, which includes trafficking of drugs and persons, protecting drug smuggling routes, and securing territory for drug dealing.<ref name="police2006">{{cite web|title=Serious Crimes Comparative Summary 2006–2007 |url=http://police.gov.bz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=26 |publisher=Belize Police Department |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605094405/http://police.gov.bz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=26 |archive-date=5 June 2013}}</ref>

In 2023, 87 murders were recorded in Belize, giving the country a homicide rate of 19.7 murders per 100,000 inhabitants,<ref name="bco2024">{{cite web |title=Belize Crime Observatory Statistical Report: 2023 |url=https://bco.wimp.bz/file_directory/files/annual_report/End_of_Year_2023_Report.pdf |publisher=Government of Belize |access-date=7 April 2024 |date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=7 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407151130/https://bco.wimp.bz/file_directory/files/annual_report/End_of_Year_2023_Report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> lower than the neighbouring countries of Mexico and [[Honduras]], but higher than [[Guatemala]] and [[El Salvador]].<ref name="InSight">{{cite web |last1=Manjarrés |first1=Juliana |last2=Newton |first2=Christopher |title=InSight Crime's 2023 Homicide Round-Up |url=https://insightcrime.org/news/insight-crime-2023-homicide-round-up/ |website=InSight Crime |access-date=7 April 2024 |date=21 February 2024 |archive-date=7 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407152503/https://insightcrime.org/news/insight-crime-2023-homicide-round-up/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Belize District]] (containing Belize City) had the most murders by far compared to all the other districts. In 2023, 66% of the murders occurred in the Belize District.<ref name="bco2024"/> The violence in Belize City (especially the southern part of the city) is largely due to gang warfare.<ref name="state1"/>

In 2023, there were 34 reported cases of rape, 170 robberies, 628 burglaries, and 118 cases of theft.<ref name="bco2024"/>

=== Social structure ===
{{further|Belizean society}}
Belize's social structure is marked by enduring differences in the distribution of wealth, power, and prestige. Because of the small size of Belize's population and the intimate scale of social relations, the social distance between the rich and the poor, while significant, is nowhere as vast as in other [[Caribbean]] and [[Central America]]n societies, such as [[Jamaica]] and [[El Salvador]]. Belize lacks the violent class and racial conflict that has figured so prominently in the social life of its Central American neighbours.<ref name=sbs>Rutheiser, Charles C., "Structure of Belizean Society". In Merrill.</ref>

Political and economic power remain vested in the hands of the local elite. The sizeable middle group is composed of peoples of different ethnic backgrounds. This middle group does not constitute a unified [[social class]], but rather a number of middle-class and [[working-class]] groups, loosely oriented around shared dispositions toward education, cultural respectability, and possibilities for upward social mobility. These beliefs, and the social practices they engender, help distinguish the middle group from the grass roots majority of the [[Belizean people]].<ref name=sbs/>

===Women===
In 2021, the [[World Economic Forum]] ranked Belize 90th out of 156 countries in its [[Global Gender Gap Report]]. Of all the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Belize ranked fourth from last. It ranked higher in the categories of "economic participation and opportunity" and "health and survival", but very low in "political empowerment".<ref name="ggr">{{cite web|title=The Global Gender Gap Report 2021|url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|publisher=World Economic Forum}}</ref> In 2019, the [[United Nations|UN]] gave Belize a [[Gender Inequality Index]] score of 0.415, ranking it 97th out of 162 countries.<ref name="hdr">{{cite web|title=Human Development Report |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |year=2020}}</ref>

{{As of|2019}}, 49.9% of women in Belize participate in the workforce, compared to 80.6% of men.<ref name="hdr"/> 11.1% of the seats in Belize's [[National Assembly (Belize)|National Assembly]] are filled by women.<ref name="hdr"/>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Belize}}
In Belizean folklore, there are the legends of [[Lang Bobi Suzi]], [[La Llorona]], [[La Sucia]], [[Tata Duende]], [[Anansi]], [[Xtabay]], Sisimite and the [[cadejo]].

Most of the [[public holidays in Belize]] are traditional Commonwealth and [[liturgical year|Christian holidays]], although some are specific to Belizean culture such as [[Garifuna Settlement Day]] and Heroes and Benefactors' Day, formerly [[Baron Bliss Day]].<ref>[http://www.belizenet.com "National Holidays of Belize"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006104751/http://belizenet.com/ |date=6 October 2008 }} Council on Diplomacy, Washington, D.C. and Consulate General of Belize. Retrieved 5 February 2008.</ref> In addition, the month of September is considered a [[September Celebrations of Belize|special time of national celebration]] called September Celebrations with a whole month of activities on a special events calendar. Besides [[Independence Day]] and St. George's Caye Day, Belizeans also celebrate [[Carnival]] during September, which typically includes several events spread across multiple days, with the main event being the Carnival Road March, usually held the Saturday before 10 September. In some areas of Belize, it is celebrated at the traditional time before [[Lent]] (in February).<ref>{{cite journal|last=Briceño|first=J.|title=Carnival in Northern Belize|journal=Belizean Studies|year=1981|volume=9|issue=3|pages=1–7}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Cuisine of Belize}}
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2020}}
[[File:Rice and Beans, Stew Chicken and Potato Salad - Belize.jpg|right|thumb|Rice and beans (with coconut milk), stewed chicken and potato salad. An inter-ethnic staple meal.]]
Belizean cuisine is a vibrant blend that reflects the country's multicultural makeup, incorporating elements from Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, Maya, and immigrant influences, including Chinese and Indian traditions. This unique combination makes Belizean food an amalgamation of flavours from [[Central America]], the [[Caribbean]], and even further afield, producing dishes that are at once familiar to these areas yet distinctly Belizean.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=5 December 2022 |title=Belizean Food: 9 Must-Try Traditional Dishes of Belize |url=https://travelfoodatlas.com/belize-food |access-date=27 October 2024 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=27 March 2023 |title=20 Traditional Belizean Foods In Belize To Try |url=https://nomadsunveiled.com/traditional-foods-in-belize/ |access-date=27 October 2024 |website=Nomads Unveiled }}</ref>

[[Breakfast]] is often hearty, featuring staples like bread, flour [[tortilla]]s, or [[fry jack]]s (fried dough pieces), which are typically paired with cheese, refried beans, and eggs, along with coffee or tea. Street vendors frequently offer breakfast options such as tacos and [[meat pie]]s, while a midday meal, known locally as "dinner," serves as the main meal of the day. Traditional midday dishes include [[rice and beans]] (with or without coconut milk), stewed chicken, [[tamale]]s, [[escabeche]] (an onion soup), and [[Empanada#Belize|panades]] (fried corn shells with beans or fish).<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |author=McNab Editorial Team |date=16 March 2023 |title=Belizean Cuisine and Cultures |url=https://caribbeanlifestyle.com/belizean-cuisine/ |access-date=27 October 2024 |website=Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle }}</ref>

In rural areas, meals often centre around locally grown [[maize]], [[bean]]s, and [[Cucurbita|squash]], particularly in Maya communities, whereas [[Garifuna#Food|Garifuna cuisine]] is known for its Afro-Caribbean roots and heavily features seafood and [[cassava]]-based dishes like ''ereba'' (cassava bread). These local ingredients and cooking methods provide a deep connection to the land and traditions. This culinary diversity is supported by Belize's abundant agriculture, which allows for a wide variety of fresh ingredients, from tropical fruits to seafood.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

The nation abounds with restaurants and fast food establishments that are fairly affordable. Local fruits are quite common, but raw vegetables from the markets less so. Mealtime is a communion for families and schools and some businesses close at midday for lunch, reopening later in the afternoon.

===Media===
{{Main|List of newspapers in Belize|List of radio stations in Belize|List of television stations in Belize}}

=== Music ===
{{Main|Music of Belize}}
In recent years, Latin music, including [[reggaeton]] and [[Banda music|banda]], has experienced a surge in popularity in Belize, alongside the traditional genres of punta and brukdown. This growing trend reflects the influence of neighbouring Latin American countries and the cultural connections that exist within the region. The rise in popularity of Latin music in Belize demonstrates the vibrant and diverse musical landscape of the country, showcasing the ability of music to transcend borders and bring people together.

[[Punta]] is distinctly Caribbean, and is sometimes said to be ready for international popularization like similarly descended styles ([[reggae]], [[calypso music|calypso]], [[merengue (music)|merengue]]).

[[Brukdown]] is a modern style of Belizean music related to [[Calypso music|calypso]]. It evolved out of the music and dance of loggers, especially a form called ''buru''. [[Reggae]], [[dance hall]], and [[Soca music|soca]] imported from Trinidad, Jamaica, and the rest of the [[West Indies]], [[rapping|rap]], [[hip-hop]], [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], and [[rock music]] from the United States, are also popular among the youth of Belize.

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Belize}}
[[File:Shalini Zabaneh, Cyclist, Belize.jpg|thumb|left|Accomplished Belizean cyclist Shalini Zabaneh]]
The major sports in Belize are [[association football|football]], [[basketball]], [[volleyball]] and [[Cycle sport|cycling]], with smaller followings of [[boat racing]], [[Sport of athletics|athletics]], [[softball]], [[cricket]] and [[Rugby football|rugby]]. [[Fishing]] is also popular in coastal areas of Belize.

The [[Cross Country Cycling Classic]], also known as the "cross country" race or the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, is considered one of the most important Belize sports events. This one-day sports event is meant for amateur cyclists but has also gained worldwide popularity. The history of Cross Country Cycling Classic in Belize dates back to the period when [[Monrad Metzgen]] picked up the idea from a small village on the [[Northern Highway (Belize)|Northern Highway]] (now Phillip Goldson Highway). The people from this village used to cover long distances on their bicycles to attend the weekly game of cricket. He improvised on this observation by creating a sporting event on the difficult terrain of the [[George Price Highway|Western Highway]], which was then poorly built.

Another major annual sporting event in Belize is the [[La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge]], a 4-day [[canoe marathon]] held each year in March. The race runs from [[San Ignacio, Belize|San Ignacio]] to [[Belize City]], a distance of {{convert|180|mi|km|order=flip}}.<ref name="Peddicord">{{cite web|last1=Peddicord|first1=Kathleen|title=La Ruta Maya – One of the World's Toughest and Most Historic River Races|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-peddicord/la-ruta-mayaone-of-the-wo_b_6652828.html|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=4 March 2016|date=11 February 2015|archive-date=22 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322060252/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-peddicord/la-ruta-mayaone-of-the-wo_b_6652828.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On Easter day, citizens of Dangriga participate in a yearly fishing tournament. First, second, and third prize are awarded based on a scoring combination of size, species, and number. The tournament is broadcast over local radio stations, and prize money is awarded to the winners.

The [[Belize national basketball team]] is the only national team that has achieved major victories internationally. The team won the 1998 CARICOM Men's Basketball Championship, held at the Civic Centre in Belize City, and subsequently participated in the 1999 Centrobasquet Tournament in Havana. The national team finished seventh of eight teams after winning only 1 game despite playing close all the way. In a return engagement at the 2000 CARICOM championship in Barbados, Belize placed fourth. Shortly thereafter, Belize moved to the Central American region and won the Central American Games championship in 2001.

The team has failed to duplicate this success, most recently finishing with a 2–4 record in the 2006 COCABA championship. The team finished second in the 2009 COCABA tournament in Cancun, Mexico where it went 3–0 in group play. Belize won its opening match in the Centrobasquet Tournament, 2010, defeating Trinidad and Tobago, but lost badly to Mexico in a rematch of the COCABA final. A tough win over Cuba set Belize in position to advance, but they fell to Puerto Rico in their final match and failed to qualify.

[[Simone Biles]], the winner of four gold medals in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics is a dual citizen of the United States and of Belize,<ref name="Gazette">{{cite web |url=http://www.haitigazette.com/belize-tourism-scores-gold-with-simone-biles-tweet/ |title=Belize Tourism Scores Gold With Simone Biles Tweet |editor=Staff |date=12 August 2016 |publisher=Haiti Gazette |access-date=27 August 2016 |archive-date=29 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829032726/http://www.haitigazette.com/belize-tourism-scores-gold-with-simone-biles-tweet/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> which she considers her second home.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/16/sport/simone-biles-belize-ties-rio-olympics-gymnastics-2016/ |title=Simone Biles has support in another country: Belize |editor=Martin, Jill |editor2=Lopez, Elwyn |date=16 August 2016 |publisher=CNN |access-date=27 August 2016 |archive-date=29 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829011749/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/16/sport/simone-biles-belize-ties-rio-olympics-gymnastics-2016/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Biles is of Belizean-American descent.<ref name="Laymon">{{cite web |url=http://gymnasticsnewsnetwork.com/even-world-champions-need-a-vacation/ |title=Even World Champions Need A Vacation |last1=Laymon |first1=Terri |website=gymnasticsnewsnetwork.com |access-date=15 August 2016 |quote=Biles' mother, Nellie Cayetano, is Belizean, while Biles herself is a Belizean-American of [[Garifuna people|Garifuna]] descent. |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224125638/http://gymnasticsnewsnetwork.com/even-world-champions-need-a-vacation/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===National symbols===
[[File:Prosthechea cochleata - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A black orchid flower (''[[Prosthechea cochleata]])'']]
The national flower of Belize is the black orchid (''[[Prosthechea cochleata]]'', also known as ''Encyclia cochleata''). The national tree is the [[mahogany]] tree (''[[Swietenia macrophylla]]''), which inspired the national motto ''Sub Umbra Floreo'', which means "Under the shade I flourish". The national ground-dwelling animal is the [[Baird's tapir]] and the national bird is the [[keel-billed toucan]].<ref name=GovBelize>{{cite web |author1=<!-- not stated --> |title=National Symbols |url=https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/national-animals/ |website=[[Government of Belize]] Press Office |access-date=2025-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250318090510/https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/national-animals/ |archive-date=2025-03-18 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Belize|Caribbean|Central America}}
* [[List of Belize-related topics]]
* [[Outline of Belize]]
{{clear}}

== Explanatory notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Belize|Belize}}
* {{official website|https://www.belize.gov.bz/}} – Government of Belize. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110020204/https://www.belize.gov.bz/ |date=10 January 2021 }}.
* [https://www.royal.uk/belize Official webpage of Queen Elizabeth II] (as former Queen of Belize)
* {{Wikiatlas|Belize}}
* [https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/belize.html Profile at U.S. Department of State]
* [https://www.nemo.org.bz Belize National Emergency Management Organization] – Official governmental site
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130204023932/https://wildlifebelize.com/ Belize Wildlife Conservation Network] – Belize Wildlife Conservation Network (archived 4 February 2013)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205214449/https://www.cathalac.org/ CATHALAC] – Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (archived 5 February 2012)
* [https://lanic.utexas.edu/la/ca/belize/ LANIC Belize page]
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belize/ Belize]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511095345/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/belize.htm Belize] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs'' (archived 11 May 2013)
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1211472.stm Belize] from the [[BBC News]]
* [https://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=BZ Key Development Forecasts for Belize] from [[International Futures]]
* [https://www.hydromet.gov.bz/ Hydromet.gov.bz] – Official website of the Belize National Meteorological Service
* [https://bzj.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page Bileez Kriol Wiki – A wiki in Belizean Creole about Belize]

{{Belize topics}}
{{Central America topic}}
{{North America topic}}
{{Commonwealth of Nations}}
{{Commonwealth realms}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Belize| ]]
[[Category:Countries in North America]]
[[Category:Countries in Central America]]
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[[Category:Former British colonies]]
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[[Category:Member states of the Caribbean Community]]
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[[Category:Small Island Developing States]]
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