General information about Belize:

Belize is located on the Caribbean coast of Central America, bordered by Mexico on the north and part of the West, with Guatemala on the southwest.

It has close proximity to the U.S.A. and offers daily flights to several destinations within the United States namely, Miami and Houston in under two hours.

Due to its physical nexus with other Central American countries and its proximity and close ties with the English speaking Caribbean islands, Belize has the unique advantage of being a bridge between these two worlds.

Area: 22,960 sq. km. (8,866 sq. mi. - approx. the size of the State of Massachusetts. U.S.A.)

Population: 273,700

Government:
Belize has a Parliamentary Democracy within the British Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is represented in the country by the Governor General Dr. Colville N. Young, Sr., a Belizean and Belize's second governor general.

The Head of Government is Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Said Wilbert Musa.

The National Assembly consists of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The 29 members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum 5-year term. The governor general appoints the Senate’s 12 members. Six are appointed in accordance with the advice of the prime minister, 3 with the advice of the leader of the opposition. The Belize Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee each advise the Governor General on the appointment of one senator each. The Senate is headed by a president, who is a nonvoting member appointed by the governing party.

Members of the independent judiciary are appointed. The judicial system includes local magistrates, the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal. Cases may, under certain circumstances, be appealed to the Privy Council in London. However, in 2001 Belize joined with most members of the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) to work for the establishment of a "Caribbean Court of Justice," which is expected to come into being in 2006. The country is divided into six districts: Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo.

Currency: Belize Dollar (Bz$)

Exchange rate: US$1=BZ$2.00 since 1976

The People:
Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. Mestizo, Creole, Ketchi, Yucatec and Mopan Mayas, Garifuna and East Indian maintains a large percent of Belize's population. Other ethnic groups such as German and Dutch Mennonites, Chinese, Arabs and Africans accounts for a small percentage of the population.

History:
Belize was first inhabited by Mayan Indians, whose relatively advanced civilization reached its height in 300 and 900 A.D. For unknown reasons, the civilization colapsed and the people migrated.

Known as British Honduras until 1973, Belize was settled by the British in around 1638. After Guatemala and Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, each claimed sovereignty over Belize. Great Britain rejected these claims. In 1863, the settlement was declared a British colony and in 1871, a Crown Colony. Mexico renounced its claims to Belize in 1893, but Guatemala’s claim was renewed in 1940.

Full internal self-government was granted to Belize in 1964. In 1972, the capital was moved from Belize City to the newly built town of Belmopan and the following year the colony was renamed Belize. During the mid-1970s, negotiations were held by Great Britain and Guatemala over the issue of Belizean independence. In November, 1980, the United Nations called for Belize to be granted independence and on September 21, 1981 Belize officially became a sovereign nation.

Language:
Belize is a bi-lingual country, where most people are fluent in both Spanish and English, although English is recognized as the national language.

Trade:
The main trading partners of Belize are the European Union, Mexico and the United States. Belize is also a member of Caricom and a party to the COTONOU AGREEMENT, which is an Agreement between the European Union (E.U.), African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.