BELIZE

Belize is a country in Central America. It is the only officially English speaking country in the region. Belize was a British colony for more than a century and was known as British Honduras until 1973. It became an independent nation within The Commonwealth in 1981. Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Sistema de Integracion Centroamericana (SICA) and considers itself to be culturally both Caribbean and Central American. With 8,867 square miles (22,960 sq. km.) of territory and only 297,651 people (Belize CSO, 2007 mid year est.), the population density is the lowest in the Central American region and one of the lowest in the world. However, the country's growth rate is 3.5% (2006 est.).

MISSIONARIES:

Weaver, Dan & Vicki

HISTORY:

The Maya civilization spread itself over Belize between 1500 BC and 300 AD and flourished until about 900 AD. European settlement began with British Jews, privateers and English seamen as early as 1638.

The origin of the name Belize is unclear, but one idea is that it derives from the Spanish pronunciation of the surname of the pirate who created the first settlement in Belize in 1638, Peter Wallace. Another possibility is that the name is from the Maya word belix, meaning "muddy water", applied to the Belize River.

The early "settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras" grew from a few habitations located at Belize Town and St. George's Caye into a de-facto colony of the United Kingdom during the late 18th century. In the early 19th century the settlement was called British Honduras, and in 1871 it became a Crown Colony.

Taking advantage of Spain's inability to establish control over present-day Belize, Englishmen began to cut logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum L.), a dyewood greatly valued in Europe as the principal dyestuff for the expanding wool industry. By the 1770s, a second tropical exotic timber, mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King), replaced logwood as the main export from Belize. The economy of Belize remained based on the extraction of mahogany until the early 1900s when the cultivation of export crops such as citrus fruits, sugar cane, and bananas came to dominate the economy.

Hurricane Hattie inflicted significant damage upon Belize in 1961. The government decided that a coastal capital city lying below sea level was too risky. Over several years, the British colonial government designed a new capital, Belmopan, at the exact geographical centre of the country, and in 1970 began slowly moving the governing offices there.

British Honduras became a self-governing colony in January 1964 and was renamed "Belize" on June 1 1973; it was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland. George Price led the country to full independence on September 21 1981 after delays caused by territorial disputes with neighbouring Guatemala, which did not formally recognise the country.

Throughout Belize's history, Guatemala has claimed ownership of all or part of the territory. This claim is occasionally reflected in maps showing Belize as Guatemala's twenty-third province. As of March 2007, the border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved and quite contentious; at various times the issue has required mediation by the United Kingdom, CARICOM heads of Government, the Organization of American States and, on one occasion, the United States. Since independence, a British garrison has been retained in Belize at the request of the Belizean government. Notably, both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence-building measures approved by the OAS, including the Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project.
In 2005, Belize was the site of unrest caused by discontent with the country's ruling party as well as tax increases in the national budget.

RELIGION:

Belize is a predominantly Catholic society. Roman Catholicism makes up about half of the population, and Protestantism about a quarter. Much of the remaining population is comprised of Taoists, Buddhists and more recently introduced religions such as Jainism, Islam, and Baha'i. Hinduism is followed by most Indian immigrants, while Islam is common among Middle Eastern immigrants and has gained a following among Creoles and Garifuna. Religious freedom is guaranteed and churches dot the streets of Belize almost as frequently as places of business. Catholics frequently visit the country for special gospel revivals. Jehovah's Witnesses have enjoyed a significant increase in adherents in recent years and now make up around 2% of the population.