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.
Punta Gorda, known locally as P.G., is the capital and largest town of Toledo District in southern Belize. Punta Gorda is the southernmost sizable town in the nation, with a population of about 5,000 people. Although the town bears a Spanish name, its inhabitants are mostly Kriol/English-speaking and are primarily of Garifuna, East Indian, Kriol, and Maya descent.
Stann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2010 census, the district had a population of 32,166 people. Its capital is the town of Dangriga, formerly known as "Stann Creek Town." Stann comes from "stanns," or safe havens used by colonialists coming from the "old world" to the "new world."
Toledo District is the southernmost and least populated district in Belize. Punta Gorda is the District capital. According to the Human Development Index (HDI), it is the second most developed region in the country. The district has a diverse topography which features rainforests, extensive cave networks, coastal lowland plains, and offshore cays. Toledo is home to a wide range of cultures such as Mopan, Kekchi Maya, Creole, Garifuna, East Indians, Mennonites, Mestizos, and descendants of US Confederate settlers.
Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize. Its capital is Belize City.
Corozal District is the northernmost district of the nation of Belize. The population was 33,894 in 2000. The district capital is Corozal Town.
Guinea Grass is a village in the Orange Walk District of the nation of Belize. It is 38 metres above sea level. According to the 2000 census, Guinea Grass had a population of 2,510 people; by 2010 the census figures showed a population of 3,500. The population is made up of mostly Mestizos, Creoles, and East Indians. There are a number of Mennonites, Taiwanese and other Central American immigrants living near or immediately in the village.
Chunox is a village located in the Corozal District of Belize, with a population of 1,143 people. It is primarily an agricultural community surrounded by sugar cane fields, and is located on the east bank of Laguna Seca. The official language is English, but most residents speak Spanish due to their Maya Mestizo ancestry. St. Viator Vocational High School serves the village. There are several Maya residential mound groups in Chunox from the Classic Period. Copper Bank, a fishing village, is situated across the lagoon from Chunox.
Mullins River is the name of both a river and of a village on that river in the Stann Creek District of Belize.
Gales Point is a village in Belize District in the nation of Belize, Central America. The village is on a peninsula in the Southern Lagoon In 2000, Gales Point had a population of about 500 people, most of whom subsist on fishing and farming.
Belizean Creoles, also known as Kriols, are a Creole ethnic group native to Belize.
Copper Bank is a fishing village in the Corozal District of Belize. It is situated on the west bank of Laguna Seca, a shallow lagoon that empties into Chetumal Bay just north-east of the village. The closest settlement is Chunox, located approximately 1.25 miles away on the east bank of the Laguna Seca.
Gardenia is a village in Belize District, Belize located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Belize City.
Tourism in Belize has grown considerably recently, and it is now the second largest industry in the nation. Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow has stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country. The growth in tourism has positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. The results for Belize's tourism-driven economy have been significant, with the nation welcoming almost one million tourists in a calendar year for the first time in its history in 2012.
Rancho Dolores is a village in Belize District, Belize, about 45 miles from Belize City.
Burrell Boom is on the Belize River twenty miles above Belize City, Belize. Tourists pass through this historic village on their way to the Community Baboon Sanctuary, where the population of black howler monkeys has grown to over 2,000.
Isabella Bank is a village in Belize District in Belize, Central America. It is located on the banks of the Belize River approximately two miles from the village of Bermudian Landing. It can be reached by traveling the Philip Goldson Highway out of Belize City to the junction of the road that branches into Burrell Boom. There is a paved road from Burrell Boom to Isabella Bank. Isabella Bank is well known for having a very respected private primary school- Isabella Harmony Private School. This prestigious village has a small but well respected population of 130 individuals. The central and outlying a bunnger age are located in pine ridge type terrain with very light, sandy, soil. Closer to the river the soil becomes a heavier clay, which supports thicker vegetation. Traditionally a farming community using slash and burn methods, there has been largely a transition to a workforce that commutes to larger metropolitan areas as day laborers. This has been particularly evident in the younger portion of the populace. As of 2016, the village was connected to the pipe water system operated by Belize Water Services. (BWS) Residents also benefit from grid electric service provided by Belize Electricity Limited (BEL). A number of residents have cleared acreage where they raise livestock including cattle and sheep. There is currently no store or shop operating in the village, but supplies are readily available at shops in nearby Bermudian Landing and Scotland Halfmoon. Public transportation includes a number of local bus lines serving surrounding villages and connecting with Belize City.
Bullet Tree Falls is a village located along the Mopan River in Cayo District, Belize. It lies approximately five kilometers northwest of San Ignacio. According to the 2010 census, Bullet Tree Falls has a population of 2,124 people in 426 households. The population consists mainly of Spanish-speaking mestizos, along with a smaller number of Yucatec Maya and Creoles.
Community Baboon Sanctuary is a protected area in Belize. It was established in 1985 to help address the threats of agriculture, logging and hunting of the black howler monkey ('baboon') and to educate locals and visitors about the importance of biodiversity, sustainability, and to promote the economic development of the Bermudian Landing community.
