Belize
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Geography
Belize is located in the northeast of Central America covering an area of 22,965 sq.km. It is bounded by Mexico to the north/northwest. by Guatemala to the south and west and by the Caribbean Sea along its 280 kilometers coastline to the east. Belize is a land of mountains, swamps and tropical jungle. The northern half consists of largely swampy lowlands less than 60 meters above sea level which are drained by the navigable Belize River, the New River and the Honda River that forms the narrow frontier with Mexico.

The southern half of Belize is dominated by the Maya mountains, a limestone plateau cut by erosion into hills and valleys extending northeastward from the Guatemalan boundary. The Cockscomb mountains, a spur of the Maya range run toward the sea rising to 1,112 meters at Victoria Peak, the highest point in Belize. The world's second largest barrier reef lies off the coast of Belize.

History
Mayan civilization flourished in Belize from about 300 BC to AD 900 reaching its peak with an estimated population of over 2 million sometime after the 6th century. Although the Spanish held nominal sovereignty they never attempted to settle Belize but always regarded the British who settled there are interlopers. British settlement was recognized in a number of treaties and Spain's last attempt to take the settlement by force was defeated in 1798.

British settlers began to penetrate the interior as coastal timber became exhaustive. The Indians resisted this penetration and the 19th century was punctuated by clashes between the two groups. Slavery was also a factor in logging enterprises, but conditions were superior to those of the Caribbean sugar plantations and emancipation was accomplished by 1838. In 1862 British Honduras as Belize was then called, became a crown colony but an unfulfilled provision of a treaty made between the British and Guatemala in 1859 led the latter to claim British Honduras. Belize became independent in 1981.

Economy
Belize's economy which traditionally depended on bananas, sugar, citrus, cacao and other agricultural and forest products has now diversified into eco-tourism, manufacturing and international financial services as well as non-traditional agricultural products. Tourism is the primary foreign exchange earner while the agricultural sector employs about 30% of the labor force and accounts for about 18% of GDP. The principal exports are sugar, citrus concentrate, seafood, bananas, garments, vegetables and lumber.

People & Culture
The population of Belize is racially mixed. Blacks and people of African-ancestry predominate in the coastal regions, while Maya Indians occupy the more sparsely inhabited interior. Black Caribs -descendants of Africans and the Carib Indians exiled from the British West Indies in the 18th century- live in settlements on the southern coasts. There are also small numbers of Europeans, East Indians and Salvadorans living in the coastal area. English is the official language but a Creole is commonly spoken. Indians speak Spanish or one of several Indian dialects. Roman Catholicism is the main religion but there are sizable groups of Methodists and Anglicans; groups of Mennonites have established settlements inland on the Belize River. The country's most indigenous festival "Dangriga Settlement Day" which features Caribbean songs and dances. Mayan antiques are exhibited in the Baron Bliss Institute in Belize City. Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Belmopan is the capital city.