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Published: 03-10-2022
Belize, officially the Republic OF Belize, is a country located on the eastern coast of Central America. It has an area of 22,966 square km. Belmopan is its capital and Belize City is its largest city. Its land borders are the countries Mexico and Guatemala. Explore how the country has transitioned over the years; and learn about its culture, history, traditions, people, economy, wildlife and much more.
Sandy Beach
The islands in Belize are called Cayes (pronounced “keys”) and total around 450 including those on the outer atolls.
Belize is the only Central American Country where English is the official language. Apart from English, there are many recognized regional languages: Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna, and Mayan.
September 10th in Belize is celebrated as The National Day or St George’s Caye Day. On this day in 1798, Spanish forces were repelled by the British in the Battle of St George’s Caye, with no reported casualties on either side.
Belize obtained its independence from the United Kingdom on September 21, 1981. George Cadle Price was the first prime minister of Belize and he served from 12 September 1981 to 17 December 1984.
Belize has around 900 Maya temple sites.
Altun Ha
Belize’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture, agro-based industry and merchandising. However, tourism, construction, and the recent discovery of an oil field have presented new prospects for the country. The estimated GDP of the country is 1.354 billion dollars and the major trading partners are the United States of America, Mexico, Central America and the European Union.
The largest city of Belize is located at the mouth of the river Belize River and is known as Belize City. It has an estimated population of 79,600 and is the main port and the industrial hub of the country. It was discovered in the mid-17th Century by British lumber harvesters and was the capital of British Honduras.
Belize is one of the least populated countries in the world.
Belize has some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. Spanning the length of Belize is the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. In many other parts of the Caribbean, the diving is around volcanic rock!
Belize Dive Site
The Belizean barrier reef boasts an incredible array of marine life making it one of the premier Caribbean destinations for diving and snorkeling.
Belizean folklore tells of a 3-foot tall, evil dwarf called El Duende. The thumbless dwarf is said to hang out in the forest and punish any children who kill animals!
The tallest building in Belize is a Mayan temple!
Caracol Archaeological Site
There is no Mcdonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, or KFC in the entire country of Belize!!!
The country’s most prized culinary delicacy is a rodent called, Gibnut. Incidentally, it’s also called the “royal rat” because it was served to Queen Elizabeth.
The canopy of the forests has inspired the national motto of Belize which is “Under the Shade, I flourish”. It can be found everywhere and everything that is official.
The national flower of Belize is the black orchid.
Black Orchid of Belize
The national animal of Belize is a biological mix of a horse and a rhinoceros but is named Mountain Cow. Locally, it’s known as tapir and looks like a giant Guiana pig, weighing over 500 pounds
The Great Blue Hole is the world’s largest sea sinkhole and a paradise for deep sea divers. It’s a huge 984 feet across and 407 feet deep depression in the middle of the sea. It is said that the deeper one goes, the water becomes clearer and the formations, more complex. It is also a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef System
It’s bad luck to swim on Good Friday in Belize.
The Belize Rainforest is home to over 500 species of orchid.
