Belize is a Caribbean country located on the northeastern coast of Central America. Belize is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the east by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by Guatemala. It has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of 419,199 (2020). Its mainland is about 290 km (180 mi) long and 110 km (68 mi) wide. It has the lowest population and population density in Central America. The country's population growth rate of 1.87% per year is the second highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
Juan Antonio "Johnny" Briceño is a Belizean politician who is the 5th and current Prime Minister of Belize since 12 November 2020, and the leader of the People's United Party (PUP) since 2016. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2020. From 1998 to 2007, he served as Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Said Musa.
Belize Kriol is an English-based creole language closely related to Miskito Coastal Creole, Jamaican Patois, San Andrés-Providencia Creole, Bocas del Toro Creole, Colón Creole, Rio Abajo Creole, and Limón Coastal Creole.
Full Basket Belize (FBB) is a US-registered, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization that supports two programs: scholarships and community-based development projects in Belize. These programs are funded entirely through donations to Full Basket Belize. Since Full Basket Belize is completely run by volunteers, fully 100 cents of every dollar received directly support FBB projects in the communities of Belize.
The Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is a one-day amateur cycling race held in Belize every year during the Easter holidays. It is Belize's biggest cycling event and has begun to be recognized internationally.
The culture of Belize is a mix of influences and people from Kriol, Maya, East Indian, Garinagu, Mestizo, Mennonites who are of German descent, with many other cultures from Chinese to Lebanese. It is a unique blend that emerged through the country's long and occasionally violent history.
Sharon Matola was an American-born Belizean biologist, environmentalist, and zookeeper. She was the founding director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, a zoo which was started in 1983 to protect native animals that had been used in a documentary film in Belize. Motola graduated from New College of Florida in 1981 with a degree in biology.
The Belizean Writers Series, published by local media house Cubola Productions, preserves some of the best of Belizean arts and letters, mainly poetry and short stories. The series began in 1995 and is ongoing.
The Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute is an unresolved territorial dispute between the states of Belize and Guatemala, neighbours in Central America. The territory of Belize has been claimed in whole or in part by Guatemala since 1821.
The Belize International Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Belize City, Belize since 2003. It focuses on Central American and Caribbean films, as well as international films from around the world. A recurring theme in the Festival is the highlighting of relevant contemporary issues, such as poverty, abuse, poaching. A distinct award category called "Best Environmental Film" was created to further acknowledge and solidify its commitment to environmental awareness. There are different categories of film presented at the festival: feature narratives, short films, feature documentaries, short documentaries a special music video category. An international jury is invited to every Festival to judge the films presented.
The monarch of Belize is the head of state of Belize. The incumbent Queen of Belize is Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 21 September 1981. The heir apparent is Elizabeth's eldest son, Prince Charles, though the Queen is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role. She and the rest of the royal family undertake various public ceremonial functions across Belize and on behalf of Belize abroad.
Indo-Belizeans, also known as East Indian Belizeans, are citizens of Belize of Indian ancestry. The community made up 3.9% of the population of Belize in 2010. They are part of the wider Indo-Caribbean community, which itself is a part of the global Indian diaspora.
Matthiew Klinck was a film director and producer who lived in Belize. He founded and operated the cinema arts training and production program Make-Belize Films. On January 4, 2016, Klinck was found dead outside his home in Selena, Belize, a village in Cayo District, Belize.
Wilfred Peter "Sedi" Elrington is a Belizean politician who has been the Foreign Minister of Belize since 2008.
2012 was a leap year in the Gregorian calendar.
The sport of football in the country of Zimbabwe is run by the Zimbabwe Football Association. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Premier League. Football is the most popular sport in Zimbabwe.
The Belize Athletic Association (BAA) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Belize.
Hispanic Belizeans, Latin Belizean or Belizean Mestizos are Belizeans of Hispanic and mestizo descent. Currently, they comprise around 52.9% of Belize's population.
This history of the Catholic church in Belize has three parts: the historical periods of the Catholic presence in Belize, religious congregations laboring in Belize, and apostolic works undertaken.
Belizean Spanish is the dialect of Spanish spoken in Belize. It is similar to Caribbean Spanish, Andalusian Spanish, and Canarian Spanish. While English is the only official language of Belize, Spanish is the common language of majority (62.8%), wherein 174,000 speak some variety of Spanish as a native language. Belizeans of Guatemalan, Honduran, Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Salvadoran descent may speak different dialects of Spanish, but since they all grow up in Belize, they all adopt the local accent.
