Belize

Belize is simply stunning. The official language spoken is English, which is somewhat different from the rest of Central America and makes life a lot easier! It is also a relatively small and easy country to travel around. This is the ideal destination for divers and snorkelers, as well as jungle lovers, history buffs, ornithologists, wildlife explorers and even honeymooners! The variety of activities and destinations packed into this small country are diverse interesting, beautiful and fascinating! The country was previously known as British Honduras due to it being a British colony from 1862 to 1981. The British arrived to free the island from the slavery introduced by the Spanish. The Spanish and the British both laid claim over the island until the battle of St. Georges Caye in 1798. The British won but did not declare Belize as a British colony until 1840 for fear of the neighbouring Spanish colonies invading the small island. Before the Europeans arrived, the island was a Mayan civilisation from 1500 BC until around 1200 AD. The Mayans controlled Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and the western part of Honduras for thousands of years. The Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1506 and declared it Spanish territory. Still, they had problems securing the hostile tribes of The Yucatan peninsula, plus there were not many natural resources to sustain them. The island has been independent from the British since 1981. The neighbouring country of Guatemala did not accept Belize's independence initially, due to a long-running feud with the British and claiming that Belize actually belonged to Guatemala. This was resolved in 1993. Belize is now an independent paradise popular with different types of travellers 'for its wildlife, biodiversity, spectacular diving and snorkelling, sea and beach resorts and adventure activities.