BELIZE |
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Belize is a small nation in Central America, on
the Caribbean Sea bordering Mexico to the northwest and Guatemala to the
west and south. Honduras lies 75 km away at the two nations' closest point
across the Gulf of Honduras to the east. In the Spanish language Belize is
usually called Belice. Belize was formerly known as British Honduras and the
current name is derived from Belize City and the Belize River. Belize City
is the country's largest city, as well as the principal port and its former
capital. Belize is a member of CARICOM and considers itself a Caribbean
nation, not Central American. |
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Politics
Belize is a parliamentary democracy and a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations. The British monarch is head of state and is represented in the
country by a governor general who must be a Belizean. The primary executive
organ of government is the cabinet, led by a prime minister who is head of
government. Cabinet ministers are members of the majority political party in
parliament and usually hold elected seats within it concurrently with their
cabinet positions.
The bicameral Belizean parliament is the National Assembly, which consists
of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The 29 members of the House are
popularly elected to a maximum 5-year term. Of the Senate's eight members,
five are elected by the prime minister, two by the leader of the opposition,
and one by the governor general on the advice of the Belize Advisory Council.
The Senate is headed by a president, who is a nonvoting member appointed by
the governing party...
Districts
Belize consists of six districts:
Belize District
Cayo District
Corozal District
Orange Walk District
Stann Creek District
Toledo District
Demographics
Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About half the population is of
mixed Maya and European descent (Mestizo); 25% are of African and Afro-European
(Creole) ancestry; about 10% are Maya; and about 6% are Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna).
The remainder includes European, Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern and
North American groups.
English is the official language. Most Belizeans other than recent arrivals
from neighboring countries have at least a working knowledge of English.
English or Creole English predominates along the coast, and in the center
and south of the country. In the west and north, the Spanish language is
more widely spoken. Spanish is the native tongue of about 50% of the people
and is spoken as a second language by another 20%. The various Maya groups
still speak Maya languages, and an English Creole dialect, similar to the
Creole dialects of the English-speaking Caribbean Islands, is spoken by most.
Some communities in southern Belize mostly speak Garifuna.
About 50% of the population is Roman Catholic; the Anglican Church and other
Protestant Christian groups account for most of the remainder. About 5%
belong to the German-/Plautdietsch-speaking Mennonite community.
Culture
National Holidays include Baron Bliss Day on 9 March; Commonwealth Day on
the second Monday in March; Labour Day on 1 May; The Battle of St. George's
Caye on 10 September; Independence Day on 21 September, Pan American Day on
13 October; and Garifuna Settlement Day on 19 November. |
