Belize

Country Overview

Belize is in northeast Central America and is a little smaller than the state of Massachusetts. The nation is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Belize has only been an independent nation since 1981. From 1783 to 1964, it was a British colony called British Honduras. It was renamed Belize and became self-governing in 1973. The nation only became  independent after launching an international campaign against Guatemala’s claims to the land. Still Belize is a member state of the British Commonwealth.

Belize’s capital Belmopan was built after the country’s original capital Belize City was decimated by a hurricane in 1961. Still the former capital is the most populous region in the nation and is the  commercial center.

The mainland of Belize includes mountains, swamps and tropical jungle. Off the coast, Belize has more than 400 islands, including many tiny “cayes” or keys.

Belize also has more than 600 Maya ruin sites, including many that are unexplored and buried. The Maya began development in Belize around 1500 B.C.E. The larger settlements they created include Caracol, Xunantunich, and Lamanai. Many centuries later Christopher Columbus traveled to the area’s coast in 1502, marking the first known European contact in the region.

Weather

Belize has tropical weather that’s rather hot and humid. The country’s rainy season runs from May to November and its dry season is February to May.

Here are average weather conditions you may expect if you were visiting in the summertime:

Language

English is the official language in Belize, but many residents speak Kriol or Belizean Creole. According to the CIA Factbook, here was the breakdown of languages back in 2010:

English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.5%; *Note – shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2010 est.)