Stann Creek District | |
---|---|
Country | Belize |
Capital | Dangriga |
Area | |
• Total | 2,176 km2 (840 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | 50,640 |
• Density | 23/km2 (60/sq mi) |
ISO 3166 code | BZ-SC |
Website | www |
Stann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2022 census, the district had a population of 48,162 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."
Located within the district are the port of Big Creek (the main port of Belize's banana industry), the peninsula and village of Placencia (a popular tourist destination), the villages of Santa Cruz, Alta Vista, Georgetown, Independence, Kendal, Maya Mopan, Middlesex, Mullins River, Pomona, Red Bank, Sarawee, Silk Grass, San Roman, Sittee River and the Garifuna village of Hopkins.
The district is split into two constituencies. They are Dangriga, which contains the town proper and two villages (including Hope Creek and Sarawee) and the offshore islands (cayes), and Stann Creek West, which contains most of the remaining villages including Santa Cruz, Placencia and Independence.
The district is served by the Hummingbird Highway and the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway, connecting to Belize City by way of the George Price Highway at Belmopan.
Mostly used language in Stann Creek is English, with the main town of Dangriga having a mix of English and Garifuna, since the majority of the residents are Garifuna.
The Stann Creek District is also home to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary where South Stann Creek rises. Within the preserve is Victoria Peak, the second highest point in Belize, at 1,120 meters (3,670 feet) above sea level. The ethnic Garifuna village of Hopkins has recently undergone a huge transformation due to the growing tourism industry. Placencia is home to one of Belize's most popular tourist destinations due to its large selection of resorts, guest houses, hotels and white sandy beaches. The Garifuna are direct descendants of a group of African slaves who escaped two ship-wrecked Spanish slave ships near St. Vincent in 1635. They celebrate a diverse and rich culture that is a blend of African traditions of music, dance and religious ceremonies; Native American farming, hunting, and fishing techniques; and a French and Arawak influenced language.
Transport in Belize mostly consists of bus transportation on Belize's roads. There are some navigable waterways.
Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the North Stann Creek River. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District. Dangriga is served by the Dangriga Airport. Commonly known as the "culture capital of Belize" due to its influence on punta music and other forms of Garifuna culture, Dangriga is the largest settlement in southern Belize.
Punta Gorda, declared a town on Monday, 21 January 1895, 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.
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.
Cayo District is located in the west part of Belize, and it contains the capital, Belmopan. It is the most extensive, second-most populous and third-most densely populated of the six districts of Belize. The district's capital is the town of San Ignacio.
Mullins River is the name of both a river and of a village on that river in the Stann Creek District of Belize.
Placencia is a small village located in the Stann Creek District of Belize.
There are several ports of Belize through which boats enter.
Hopkins Village is a coastal village in eastern Belize.
The Belize Elections and Boundaries Department is the hands-on administrator of Belizean electoral politics. It was established in 1989 as a subordinate to the Elections and Boundaries Commission.
Belize's 6 districts are politically divided into 31 constituencies. Each constituency sends one representative to Belize's House of Representatives for 5-year terms. This election is known as the General Election. Each person votes for the candidate they would want to represent their constituency in Central Government.
Delvin "Pen" Cayetano is a Belizean artist and musician.
Thomas Vincent Ramos, commonly known as T. V. Ramos, was a Belizean civil rights activist who promoted the interests of the Garifuna people, and is now considered a national hero.
Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Dangriga, Belize.
The National Garifuna Council (NGC) of Belize is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that represents the Garifuna people of Belize. It was established in 1981 and is managed by a board of directors with affiliate branches in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. These countries all share the unique Garifuna culture, as they all served as refuges to the Garifuna people when they were exiled from their homeland, St. Vincent.
Santa Cruz is a village in Stann Creek District, Belize. It is located 24 miles northwest of the Placencia peninsula.
The Drums of Our Fathers Monument, located at the entrance of Dangriga, Stann Creek, Belize, is a monument designed by the Nigerian sculptor Stephen Okeke, honoring Garifuna history, culture and its beliefs.
Seine Bight is a village on the Placencia Peninsula located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. It is located 2+1⁄2 miles south of Maya Beach Village and North of the village of Placencia. This small village has roughly 1,000 inhabitants, mostly Garifuna people who subsist on fishing, hunting, and homegrown vegetables. The early settlers named their village for their favored fishing tackle, Seine fishing and a bight, a bend or curve in a coastline.
Iris Myrtle Palaciao is an educator and social planner from Belize. She is an advocate for Garifuna culture, and good governance in the public sector.