Belize is a burgeoning nation-state with close to 350,000 inhabitants spread over a land area twice the size of Jamaica. It is the only country in Central America with a British Colonial History and the largest Barrier Reef in the Western Hemisphere. Belize’s relatively undiscovered status has been one of the country’s most powerful attractants over the centuries and the inhabitants from the time of its modern history have liked it just that way. The area was the center of the vast Mayan Civilization founded about 2,000 B.C. Dozens of pyramids and ruins – most not yet excavated – can be found throughout the country once known as British Honduras.
The country has a wonderfully diverse society, made up of a multiplicity of cultures and speaking many languages. English is the official language but Spanish is widely spoken as the major ethnic group of Belize is now Latino. But most Belizeans are fully bilingual in English and Spanish and most everyone speaks and understands Creole which is an English derived dialect. The education system is in English and is well regarded by expats living there.
The country gained its independence from Great Britain on September 21st 1981 under the Peoples United Party Government led by Prime Minister Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price now known as the Father Of The Nation. Belize is a member of the United Nations, the Non Aligned Movement, the Organisation of American States, PARLACEN ( the Central American parliament), SICA (the acronym in Spanish for the Central American Integration System) and the British Commonwealth of Nations.
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