San Antonio | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 16°14′40″N89°01′25″W / 16.24444°N 89.02361°W | |
Country | Belize |
District | Toledo |
Constituency | Toledo West |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,204 [1] |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central) |
Climate | Af |
San Antonio is a village in the Toledo District of Belize. It is the largest Maya settlement in Belize, with a population of approximately 1,000 people, predominantly Mopan Maya. [2] About 88% of the inhabitants are Catholic, with 8% belonging to other Christian denominations, and 4% being non-denominational. [2] Along with 29 other mission parishes in the Toledo District, it is pastored by Jesuits from St. Peter Claver church in Punta Gorda.
The village was founded in 1883 by Maya fleeing persecution in Guatemala. [3] This was a part of a larger migration which also included Q’eqchi’ from Alta Verpaz who settled further south in the Crique Sarco, Dolores, and later Sarstoon, Temash, and Moho River areas. [4]
Economic development came to San Antonio in the early 1950s with the founding of a credit union and cooperative that enabled villagers to market their own produce. Fr. William Ulrich, S.J., spearheaded this movement. [5]
San Antonio features several attractions, including San Antonio Falls, a stone church built in 1950, and ecotourism guest houses. [2]
At the time of the 2010 census, San Antonio had a population of 1,204. Of these, 94.6% were Mopan Maya, 1.3% Ketchi Maya, 1.3% Mixed, 1.2% Mestizo, 0.4% Yucatec Maya, 0.2% Creole, 0.2% Caucasian, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Garifuna, 0.1% Mennonite and 0.5% others. [6]
Demographics of the population of Belize include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.
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.
Corozal Town is a town in Belize, capital of Corozal District. Corozal Town is located about 84 miles north of Belize City, and 9 miles from the border with Mexico. The population of Corozal Town, according to the main results of the 2010 census, is 9,871.
Orange Walk Town is the fourth largest town in Belize, with a population of about 13,400. It is the capital of the Orange Walk District. Orange Walk Town is located on the left bank of the New River, 53 miles (85 km) north of Belize City and 30 miles (48 km) south of Corozal Town. Despite the English name of the city, its residents are primarily Spanish-speaking mestizos. The city is in a very low-lying area of Belize, though the police station sits atop a buried Mayan pyramid at 49 m (161 ft) tall.
Benque Viejo del Carmen ("Benque") is the westernmost town in Belize, 130 km (81 mi) by road west and south of Belize City, at the Guatemalan border. San Ignacio lies 13 km to the east and Melchor de Mencos just across the border. The Mopan River runs along the town's north and west edges.
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.
Xaibe is small rural settlement in the country of Belize mainly consisting of people from the Yucatec Maya ethnicity. It is located in Corozal District. The name Xaibe literally means 'crossroads'. The people of the Maya civilization often traversed across the village to reach other Maya villages. The population of the village is very small. The last available data of the population of Xaibe in 2010 revealed that it had a modest population of approximately 1,575 people. There is, however, evidence of the fact that the people belonging to the Maya civilization resided in the Xaibe village. These people then gradually shifted to Mexico, just across the border at the time of the Caste War of Yucatán. The village is known for celebrating the Maya tradition Hanal Pixan which means "food for the souls" also known as Day of the Dead.
Silver Creek is a village in the Toledo District of Belize. According to the 2000 census, Silver Creek had a population of 1,326 people. There is also a stream named Silver Creek at this same location. Near the village of Silver Creek is an ancient Maya civilization site. Nearby there is a larger Maya site from at least as early as 700 AD, Lubaantun.
Roaring Creek is a small village in the Cayo District of Belize, just north-west of Belmopan. Its name is derived from the creek waterfalls which flow into the Belize River next to the Guanacaste Park area.
The major languages spoken in Belize include English, Spanish and Kriol, all three spoken by more than 40% of the population. Mayan languages are also spoken in certain areas, as well as German.
Hopkins Village is a coastal village in eastern Belize.
Mopan is a language that belongs to the Yucatecan branch of the Mayan languages. It is spoken by the Mopan people who live in the Petén Department of Guatemala and in the Maya Mountains region of Belize. There are between three and four thousand Mopan speakers in Guatemala and six to eight thousand in Belize.
The Mopan people are an indigenous, sub-ethnic group of the Maya peoples. They are native to regions of Belize and Guatemala.
Big Falls is a populated settlement located in the nation of Belize. It is a mainland village that is located in Toledo District.
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.
Hispanic and Latin American Belizeans are Belizeans of full or partial Hispanic and Latin American descent. Currently, they comprise around 52.9% of Belize's population.
Blue Creek is a village in the Toledo District of Belize. It is a Mopan people and Kekchi village of about 270 people. The community lies along flat roads, spanning both sides of Blue Creek. Clusters of thatch huts border both sides of Blue Creek, a beautiful, clear stream emerging from the surrounding thick jungle. The colour of blue-green pool where Maya women beat their laundry on the smooth stones gave the village its name. The banks are lined with tall shady trees. The reflection of the thick jungle rainforest, which lines both sides, is clearly visible in the surface of the creek.
St. Peter Claver Catholic parish is located in Punta Gorda, Toledo District, Belize.
Bella Vista is the largest village in the Toledo District of Belize. According to the 2010 census, Bella Vista had a population of 3,508 people. It is located ten miles south-west of Independence and Mango Creek and fifty miles north of Punta Gorda the district's capital. Its neighbouring village is San Isidro which is considerably smaller.