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Belize Belize Former: British Honduras Cultural Note Although the history of Belize is heavily laced with pirates, it nevertheless is one of the most peaceful countries in Central America. Unlike its neighbors, Belize has not suffered even a single coup, major uprising, or guerrilla war. For the first decade after independence, Belize depended upon British troops stationed there to protect its sovereignty against territorial aggression from Guatemala. However, after Guatemala finally recognized Belize’s independence in 1991, the British troops were withdrawn and Belize created its own army of some 1,000 men. 3 What’s Your Cultural IQ? 1. True or False: The first Europeans to claim Belize were from the United Kingdom. ANSWER: False. Actually, the Spanish claimed Belize first, but they never bothered settling it. It was an Englander, Peter Wallace, who established the first European settlement in Belize in 1638. Spaniards expelled the British settlers three times (in 1754, 1759, and 1765), but the British always returned after the Spanish forces left. 2. Many of the first European settlers came to Belize to pursue careers as what? a. b. c. d. Farmers Missionaries Pirates Puritans and other religious exiles ANSWER: c. Belize, the one area of Central America free of Spanish settlements, had long been a haven for the pirates and privateers who preyed on Spanish ships. Piracy declined in the seventeenth century (in part because the British revoked the charters of its privateers), leading some pirates to settle down. 3. Belizeans are proud of their varied and spectacular wildlife. True or False? The moun- tain cow is the national animal of Belize. ANSWER: True. The mountain cow—better known as the tapir—is the national animal of Belize. Tapirs are protected and are the largest land mammal in the tropics, weighing up to 600 pounds. Belize’s national bird is the spectacular keel-billed toucan. 46

Belize Tips on Doing Business in Belize Belize is Central America’s youngest independent nation; it was the colony of British Honduras until 1981. There are two political parties: the People’s United Party (PUP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP). Whichever party is out of power often tries to inflame public opinion by denouncing the local plans of non-Belizeans. Curiously, once that party achieves power, they tend to be relatively cooperative with outside businesspeople and investors. Although Belize’s official language is English, visitors may be surprised that the Creole dialect of English spoken by most Belizeans is unintelligible to many foreign speakers of English. However, Belizean businesspeople can converse in conventional English. Business in Belize is concentrated in the areas of tourism, agriculture, and forestry. However, Belize has recently become a banking haven. Cultural Note Belizeans are as relaxed about street addresses as they are about most other things. Many houses and buildings do not have street numbers, nor do all streets have names. To find a particular address, get directions from a well-known landmark. 3 Country Background History In 1638, the British pirate Peter Wallace established the first European settlement in Belize, near the mouth of the Belize River. Then another British pirate, Bartholomew Sharp, began regular timber exports from Belize in 1660. He shipped valuable logwood, which provided dyes for textiles. His success brought other British loggers to Belize, who collectively became known as the Baymen. The first African slaves were brought to Belize for the timber-cutting industry sometime between 1700 and 1710. This combination of African and European ethnicity was the origin of Belize’s Creole population. The Spanish drove out the Baymen in 1754, 1759, and 1779. Each time, the Spanish did not stay, and the Baymen soon returned. The beginnings of local government emerged in 1765, when the Baymen established Burnaby’s Code. With the discovery of synthetic dyes, mahogany replaced logwood as Belize’s most important export. The 1783 Treaty of Paris confirmed Britain’s right to conduct logging in Belize but prohibited the establishment of agriculture. From then on, Belize would not be able to produce enough food to feed itself and became dependent upon outside imports. Slavery was outlawed in 1838, but the black population of Belize was still subject to restrictions, such as a prohibition against ex-slaves from receiving Crown land grants. Belize 3 47

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands Belize 48 A few white families became wealthy and owned most of Belize’s land. In 1853 the country established a local legislative assembly, dominated by the landowners. In 1862, while the United States of America was embroiled in the Civil War (and unable to enforce the Monroe Doctrine), Belize formally became the British colony of British Honduras, ruled by a lieutenant governor who was subordinate to the governor of Jamaica. The post of British Honduras’s highest official, the lieutenant governor, was raised to governor in 1884. This meant Belize was no longer subordinate to the governor of Jamaica. Creole soldiers, who returned from service overseas in World War I, rioted in 1919. Many date the start of the Belizean independence movement to this incident, known as the Ex-Servicemen’s Riot. Due to the vulnerability of Belize City to hurricanes, the capital was moved fifty miles inland to the new city of Belmopan in 1973. British Honduras became the independent nation of Belize in 1981. Cultural Note The people of Belize have a distinct style of popular music and dance called punta. Of West African origin, Punta dance is unique in that the feet remain stationary. Instead, the rest of the body—especially the hips—moves. It is especially popular among the Garifuna. Type of Government Since independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, Belize has been a constitutional monarchy. In the executive branch there is a prime minister and a Cabinet, and there are two legislative houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The monarch of the United Kingdom (currently Queen Elizabeth II) is the chief of state, represented by a governor-general (who is a native of Belize). The prime minister is head of the government. For current government data, check with the Embassy of Belize at www.embassyofbelize .org. An interesting, excellent source for additional information is www.belize.gov.bz. Language The official language of Belize is English. However, the dialect of English spoken by much of the Creole population is unintelligible to most foreigners. While the speech patterns sound familiar, the overall speech is not generally understood by outside English speakers. There are a total of nine languages currently spoken in Belize. If English and Creole English are categorized as separate languages, the majority language of Belize is actually Spanish. Also spoken is Plautdietsch, a dialect of German spoken by the 6,000 Mennonite farmers in Belize. Most of the other languages are indigenous Amerindian tongues. For further data on the various languages of Belize, see www.ethnologue.com.

Belize 49 There is no official religion in Belize, and the constitution guarantees freedom of religion. However, the country has a national prayer, which includes Christian references. Roman Catholics make up almost exactly 50 percent of the population. Some 27 percent of the remainder are Protestants, divided among Pentecostalists, Anglicans, Seventh-Day Adventists, Mennonites, Methodists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. About 14 percent of Belizeans follow non-Christian religions, and over 9 percent are not members of any organized religion. Ever since the Anglican Church established the first Belizean school in 1816, most primary schools in Belize have been run and staffed by churches. Traditionally, most schools were supported by Roman Catholics (who ran over half the schools in Belize), the Anglicans, and the Methodists. In recent years, evangelical churches (such as the Assemblies of God) have opened schools. Primary education is free in Belize. Isolated behind its barrier reef, Belize has been (and continues to be) ignored for the most part by outside forces. Race relations among the wide variety of ethnic groups are relatively good. The Creoles have formed the backbone of Belizean urban society for decades. Belize is an anomaly in Central America—a new nation with an English-speaking heritage surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries. Belizeans cannot agree on whether they live in a Central American country or a Caribbean country. Certainly, the Caribbean influence (and through that, their heritage from the United Kingdom) is predominant among the business class and along the coast. But in the interior, where the majority of inhabitants are Spanish speakers who have immigrated from Mexico or Guatemala, the heritage is very much Latin American. Belize has no oil, coal, or hydroelectric resources. The cost of electricity is high, as is the cost of air conditioning. Most Belizeans do without air conditioning. The people of Belize have come to view their wildlife protectively. Posters showing local animals with the slogan “This Is Their Land Too” abound. Land is constantly being set aside as nature reserves, and many species are protected. In Belize, the influence of the United States of America has long eclipsed the influence of the United Kingdom. Since World War II, it is estimated that one in every five Belizeans emigrated to the United States, legally or otherwise. * Know Before You Go The greatest hazard to visitors comes from vehicles. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of accidental death in Belize. Most such accidents occur in Belize City; victims include bicyclists and pedestrians. Street crime is also a concern—again, primarily in Belize City. Malaria is present throughout Belize and is a leading cause of hospital admissions. Road conditions vary in rural areas. Many are unpaved and become muddy during rainstorms. If you drive, be careful not to hit any of Belize’s wildlife—especially the tapirs. Belize The Belizean View