Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a water boundary with Honduras to the southeast. It has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of 441,471 (2022). Its mainland is about 290 km (180 mi) long and 110 km (68 mi) wide. It is the least populated and least densely populated country in Central America. Its population growth rate of 1.87% per year is the second-highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Its capital is Belmopan, and its largest city is the namesake city of Belize City. Belize is often thought of as a Caribbean country in Central America because it has a history similar to that of English-speaking Caribbean nations. Belize's institutions and official language reflect its history as a British colony.
Orders of Commonwealth countries.
.bz is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Belize. It is administered by the University of Belize.
Belizean Creole is an English-based creole language spoken by the Belizean Creole people. It is closely related to Miskito Coastal Creole, San Andrés-Providencia Creole, and Jamaican Patois.
Islam is one of the smallest minority faiths in Belize, which is a predominantly Christian country. The statistics for Islam in Belize estimate a total Muslim population of 577, representing 0.2 percent of the total population. There is an Islamic Mission of Belize (IMB) headquartered in Belize City. There is also presence of fast growing dynamic worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat since 2013. They have a membership of about 200 from all over Belize.They have three mosques in Belize. Masjid Noor in Belize City is situated on 1.5 Miles George Price Highway. They have mosques in Belmopan and Orange Walk.. The Muslim Community Primary School (MCPS) was recognised by the government in 1978 and offers Islamic as well as elementary level academic courses to Muslim and non-Muslim children.
The Catholic Church in Belize is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Bishops in Belize are members of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.
The Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission is the primary electoral body in Belize. It supervises all local and national elections. The commission also establishes the boundaries of Belize's electoral divisions.
The Belize Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It came into operation on 28 July 1981.
The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 metres (980 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometres (25 mi) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300-kilometre (190 mi) long section of the 900-kilometre (560 mi) Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and down to Honduras, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is Belize's top tourist destination, popular for scuba diving and snorkeling and attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors. It is also vital to the country's fishing industry.
The monarchy of Belize is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Belize. The current Belizean monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Belizean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled Kingof Belize and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions as representatives of the Belizean state. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
Belize first participated at the Olympic Games in 1968 and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except when they participated in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. The nation has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games. From 1968 to 1972, Belize was known by its colonial name of British Honduras.
Leigh Richardson was a Honduran-born Belizean politician. Richardson served as the leader of the People's United Party in the 1950s, and also as mayor of Belize City.
The Order of Belize is the second highest honour awarded to foreigners in Belize by the government of Belize. It was instituted on 16 August 1991.
The Order of the National Hero is the highest honour awarded by the government of Belize. The Order of the National Hero is given for "extraordinary and outstanding achievement and merit in service to Belize or to humanity at large." Unlike the lower Order of Belize which can be awarded to foreign dignitaries, only Belizean citizens are eligible for the Order of the National Hero.
Mennonites in Belize form different religious bodies and come from different ethnic backgrounds. There are groups of Mennonites living in Belize who are quite traditional and conservative, while others have modernized to various degrees.
Hector Silva airstrip is an airport located in Cayo District serving Belmopan, the capital city of Belize. The runway is on the northern edge of the city off the George Price Highway, and has a small terminal building.
The sport of association football in the country of Belize is run by the Football Federation of Belize. The association administers the Belize national football team, as well as the Belize Premier Football League. Football is the most popular sport in Belize.
Floss Casasola, MBE, OD was a British Honduran teacher and music instructor who became involved in the Belizean Independence Movement. She was one of the first women to vie for public office, serving on the Belize City Council from 1952 to 1956. Recognized numerous times for her contributions to increasing literacy and music development in the country, she was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire, with the Outstanding Artist Award in 1997 and in 2010 was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction from the government of Belize.
Faith L. Babb OBE was a member of the House of Representatives of Belize representing Collet from 1993 to 1998, for the United Democratic Party. She was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Minister of State of Youth Development and Human Resources during this period.
Dame Froyla Tzalam, is a Belizean Mopan Maya anthropologist and community leader, who has served as the Governor-General of Belize since 27 May 2021.
Belize 
