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BELIZEAN Facts & Figures

Size: 8,867 square miles

Population: 333,200

Capital: Belmopan

Currency: Belize Dollar

Weather / Climate:

Belizehas a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from 24 °C (75.2 °F) in January to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in July. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, where it is noticeably cooler year round. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.

Average rainfall varies considerably, ranging from 1,350 mm (53.1 in) in the north and west to over 4,500 mm (177.2 in) in the extreme south. Seasonal differences in rainfall are greatest in the northern and central regions of the country where, between January and April or May, fewer than 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain fall per month. The dry season is shorter in the south, normally only lasting from February to April. A shorter, less rainy period, known locally as the "little dry," usually occurs in late July or August, after the initial onset of the rainy season.

Hurricanes have played key—and devastating—roles in Belizean history. In 1931 an unnamed hurricane destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and killed more than 1,000 people. In 1955 Hurricane Janet levelled the northern town of Corozal. Only six years later, Hurricane Hattie struck the central coastal area of the country, with winds in excess of 300 km/h (186 mph) and 4 m (13.1 ft) storm tides. The devastation of Belize City for the second time in thirty years prompted the relocation of the capital some 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland to the planned city of Belmopan. Hurricane Greta caused more than US$25 million in damages along the southern coast in 1978. On 9 October 2001, Hurricane Iris made landfall at Monkey River Town as a 145 mph (233 km/h) Category Four storm. The storm demolished most of the homes in the village, and destroyed the banana crop. In 2007 Hurricane Dean made landfall as a Category 5 storm only 25 miles north of the Belize/Mexico border. Dean caused extensive damage in northern Belize.

The most recent hurricane to affect Belize directly was the Category 2 Hurricane Richard, making landfall approximately 20 miles south-southeast of Belize City at around 0045 UTC on 25 October 2010. The storm moved inland towards Belmopan, causing estimated damage of BZ$33.8 million ($17.4 million 2010 USD), primarily from damage to crops and housing.

Taken from: www.wikipedia.com

BELIZEAN languages

English is the official language of Belize, a former British colony. Although only 4 percent of the population speaks it as their first language, a majority speak English very well. Kriol is spoken as the first language of 33 percent of Belizeans. It is considered by some linguists to be a dialect of English, as the two are mutually intelligible. About 75 to 80 percent of the population speak some Kriol and English.Spanish is the first language of 46 percent, and is spoken very well by a majority of Belizeans.Mayan languages and Garifuna are the first languages of about 12 percent of the population. The Germanic Plautdietsch dialect, Chinese, Hindustani and other languages are mother tongues of about 5 percent of the population.

English is the primary language of public education, with Spanish taught in primary and secondary school as well. Bilingualism is very common. Literacy currently stands at nearly 80%.

Taken from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize#Language

BELIZEAN culture

The people of Belize have an array of traditions and customs that represent more than 10 diverse cultures. This is truly a melting pot of colourful personalities, making the 314,000 residents of Belize the country’s greatest resource on the tourism front. The Belizean people are comprised of a harmonious combination of Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Arab and Chinese, as well as a number of European, American and other expatriates. Due to racial harmony, religious tolerance and a relatively non-violent political culture, all of these different elements have mixed and blended successfully, to give Belize a widespread reputation for its friendly peoples.

The ethnic make-up is changing now and the use of Spanish is on the rise, boosted by an amnesty for many immigrants from neighbouring Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, was the UK's last colony on the American mainland. Its independence was delayed until 1981 by long-running tension with neighbouring Guatemala, which claims a large portion of its territory. Guatemala recognised Belize's independence in 1991, but the neighbours have yet to settle their border dispute, which is rooted in colonial times. Belize has always had strong ties with Britain and the United States, but has recently also forged closer links with Latin American countries such as Mexico and Venezuela. In common with many Caribbean economies, the service sector has overtaken agriculture, fishing and forestry. Also, Belize has a problem with violent crime, much of it drug-related, and the trafficking of narcotics to the US. In 2006 the US state department included Belize in a list of countries which it said were not doing enough to tackle human trafficking.

Tourism is a major source of foreign currency. Belize's attractions include wildlife, Mayan ruins and one of the longest barrier reefs in the world. More than 200 islands nestle inside the reef. For the outdoor enthusiast, Belize presents unlimited opportunities. The country has a lot more in common with the Caribbean island states (its style of architecture, for example) than its Central American neighbours. Every destination in Belize has its share of archaeological and national parks, marine and nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Mayan temples tower above rainforest canopies while an incredible array of marine wildlife finds protection in Belize's barrier reef.

Holidays

· 01 January – New Year's Day

· 09 March – Baron Bliss Day

· April – Easter

· 01 May – Labour Day

· 24 May – Commonwealth Day

· 10 September – St George’s Caye Day

· 21 September – Independence Day

· 11 October Columbus Day

· 19 November – Garifuna Settlement Day

· 25 December – Christmas Day

· 26 December – Boxing Day

Taken from:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.worldtravelguide.net

www.travelbelize.org

BELIZEAN people

Colonisation, slavery, and immigration have played major roles in affecting the ethnic composition of the population and as a result, Belize is a country with numerous cultures, languages, and ethnic groups.The country's population is currently estimated to be a little over 333,000.Mestizos comprise about 34% of the population, Kriols 25%, Spanish 15%, Maya 11%, and Garinagu 6%.

Taken from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize#Demographics

BELIZEAN food

Belizean cuisine is an amalgamation of all ethnicities in the nation of Belize, and their respectively wide variety of foods. Breakfast consists of bread, flour tortillas, or fry jack that are often homemade. Fry jacks aren't only served in Belize.[citation needed] In fact, they go by many different names all over the world—beignets in New Orleans, sopapillas in Mexico and the American southwest, or often, simply 'fried dough'. It is eaten with various cheeses, refried beans, various forms of eggs or cereal, topped off by milk for younger ones and coffee or tea for adults. Midday meals vary, from lighter foods such as rice and beans or beans and rice with or without coconut milk, tamales, panades, (fried maize shells with beans or fish) and meat pies, escabeche (onion soup), chirmole (soup), stew chicken and garnaches (fried tortillas with beans, cheese, and sauce) to various constituted dinners featuring some type of rice and beans, meat and salad or coleslaw. In the rural areas meals may be more simplified than in the cities; the Maya use recado, corn or maize for most of their meals, and the Garifuna are fond of seafood, cassava (particularly made into cassava bread or Ereba) and vegetables. The nation abounds with restaurants and fast food establishments selling fairly cheaply. Local fruits are quite common, but raw vegetables from the markets less so. Mealtime is a communion for families and schools and some businesses close at midday for lunch, reopening later in the afternoon.

Mestizo and Maya

Regular deli items originally from the Mestizo culture that are now considered pan-Belizean include garnaches, fried corn tortilla smeared with beans and shredded cheese, tamales made from corn and chicken or its sister and panades which can be thought of as a fried corn patty with beans or seasoned shredded fish inside and topped by a tangy onion sauce.

The most famous Maya dish is called Caldo. Tortillas, cooked on a comal and used to wrap other foods (meat, beans, etc.), were common and are perhaps the most well-known pre-Columbian Mesoamerican food. Tamales consist of corn dough, often containing a filling, that are wrapped in a corn husk and steam-cooked. Both atole and pozole were liquid based gruel-like dishes that were made by mixing ground maize (hominy) with water, but being the first much more dense used as a drinking source and the second one with complete big grains of maize incorporated into a chicken broth. Though these dishes could be consumed plain, other ingredients were added to diversify flavor, including, for example, honey, chiles, meat, seafood, cacao, wild onions, and salt.

Several different varieties of beans were grown, including pinto, red, and black beans. Other cultivated crops, including fruits, contributed to the overall diet of the ancient Maya, including tomato, chile peppers, avocado, breadnut, guava, guanabana, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, and sweet potato. Various herbs were grown and used, including vanilla, epazote, achiote (and the annatto seed), white cinnamon, hoja santa, avocado leaf, and garlic vine.

Kriols

Kriols in general eat a relatively balanced diet. The Bile Up (or Boil Up) is consider the cultural dish of the Belizean Kriols. It is combination Boiled Eggs, Fish and/or Pig tail, with a number of ground foods such as Cassava, Green Plantains, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, cocoa, and Tomato Sauce. In Belize, cassava is traditionally made into "bammy," a small fried cassava cake inherited from the Garifuna. The cassava root is grated, rinsed well, dried, salted, and pressed to form flat cakes about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. The cakes are lightly fried, then dipped in coconut milk and fried again. Bammies are usually served as a starchy side dish with breakfast, with fish dishes or alone as a snack. Cassava Pone is a traditional Belizean Kriol and pan-West Indian dessert recipe for a classic cassava flour cake sometimes made with coconuts and raisins.

The Kriol fish seré is similar to a dish from the Garifuna culture, called hudut. There are two main types of hudut – one made with coconut milk, similar to the seré described above, but made with mashed half-ripe plantain. The other type does not use coconut milk and may best be compared to a spicy fish soup – of course, less spice to taste. If you are really brave, you can “bos a pepa” into the mix! Belizean pepper sauce is famous, whether it’s the hot habanero or the more temperate jalapeño!

Every single part of the coconut has some use: the dried husk for ornamental arts and for getting the fire going in a bar-b-cue; the water as a refreshing beverage or as a mixer with alcoholic drinks; the meat grated for its milk for uses as described above, or in other preparations, like the distinctive coconut-flavored taste of Kriol bread and bun. Dukunu is a dish made with sweetened starch (usually cornmeal but can also be sweet corn wrapped and boiled in aluminum foil or a banana leaf. Cahn Sham is ground or powdered sweetened parched corn. The dried grated coconut meat, after you mix with water and squeeze out its milk, provides the basis for many Belizean desserts. Like coconut pie and tarts, coconut crust (the grated coconut is sweetened with sugar and baked in a flour crust folded over like a patty), tablata, which is the grated coconut meat mixed with thin ginger slices, sugar and water, baked and cut into squares; there is also the version called cut-o-brute, which is made of chunks of coconut instead of the grated pieces; and then there is trifle, made with half green grated coconut, milk, flour, sugar, eggs, lemon essence, margarine and baking powder (think of it as coconut cake), and coconut fudge and coconut ice cream to mention just some of the delicious coconut-based desserts.

Now let’s get a quick taste of some of the other traditional Belizean cuisine regulars which you can find on most menus. Often, restaurants will earmark a particular item for a particular day of the week (with rice-and-beans always daily!). Let’s start with breakfast. Sizzling fry jacks or earthy Johnny cakes accompanied by fried beans with sausage and/or eggs makes for a hearty Belizean breakfast. Both the jacks and Johnny cakes are made from flour, but while the jacks are flattened and fried, the Johnny cakes are round fluffy savory biscuits. Just a pat of butter melting with a slice of cheese on a hot Johnny cake is often enough to start the day!

Among the main staples of a Kriol dinner are rice and beans with some type of meat and salad, whether potato, vegetable, or coleslaw, seafoods including fish, conch, lobster, some game meats including iguana, deer, peccary and gibnut; and ground foods such as cassava, potatoes, cocoa and plantains. Fresh juice or water are typically served, occasionally replaced by soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (homemade wines made from berries, cashew, sorosi, grapefruit and rice are especially common). Typical desserts include sweets such as wangla and powderbun, cakes and pies, and potato pudding (pound). Usually to be seen on a breakfast table are specially made bread and bun (officially named after them), johnny-cakes and fry-cakes (also called fry jacks). In recent years Kriols have adopted foods from other groups as they have adopted theirs.

Garifuna

There is a wide variety of Garifuna dishes , including the more commonly known ereba (cassava bread) made from grated cassava or manioc. This is done in an ancient and time-consuming process involving a long, snake-like woven basket (ruguma) which strains the cassava of its juice. It is then dried overnight and later sieved through flat rounded baskets (hibise) to form flour that is baked into pancakes on a large iron griddle. Ereba is fondly eaten with fish, hudutu (pounded plantains) or alone with gravy (lasusu). Others include: Bundiga (a plantain lasusu), Mazapan, and Bimacacule (sticky sweet rice).

Popular ingredients

There is a difference in the flavors of meats, such as turkey and chicken, from other countries because of differences in the diet of the animals being fed on local foodstuffs as opposed to imported grains. Belizean chickens in particular some allege compared to other chickens have an unusually rich flavor. Belizeans eat much more chicken and fish than beef or pork.

Cassava
Cohune
Plantain
Green Banana
Habanero
Chayote (locally known as "chocho")
Allspice
Ginger
Callaloo
Escallion
Breadfruit
Yam (vegetable)
Garlic
Black Pepper
Dried and salted cod (locally known as "salt fish")
Salted Beef
Thyme
Cow feet
Pig Tail
Coconut milk
Coconut
Guava
Soursop
Passion fruit
Sugar cane
Ketchup
Onion
Browning Sauce
Mamey sapote (locally known as "Mahmee")
Calabash
Avocado (locally known as "pear")
Black bean
Kidney bean
Roselle (plant) (locally known as "sorrel")
Tamarind (locally known as "Tambran")
Starfruit
Golden apple
Kraabu
Jackfruit
Pineapple
Malay apple
banana
Vinegar
Recado
Masa
Maize
Curry

Popular dishes

conch fritter
Dukunu
Hudutu
Boil-up
Tamales
Tortillas
Curry chicken
Rice and beans - rice stewed with beans and coconut milk.
Garnache
Brown Stew Chicken, Brown Stew Beef
Caldo
Escoveitch Fish
Conch Soup
Callaloo and Saltfish
Cabbage and Saltfish
Steamed Fish
Cowfoot
Renta Pineapple Drink

Taken from Wikipedia

Places to go in BELIZE

When you travel to Belize, you will take part in a host of extraordinary experiences, but you won’t feel like a stranger in this land. One of the most endearing aspects of the Belizean people is their ability to achieve a very real and intimate connection with visitors from any country and every walk of life. The warm and friendly welcome you’ll receive in Belize combined with the breathtaking adventures you’ll experience will stir your soul, expand your mind and forever change your life.

While Belize could not be considered a major clubbing destination, there is no shortage of bars throughout the country. In Belize City, the main spots tend to be the bars in the top-end hotels, which usually have live bands. There is also a casino here. San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, has a lively bar scene and a couple of clubs. San Ignacio has some excellent music bars.

When it comes to shopping, Belize doesn't have the same traditions with handicrafts as its neighbouring countries, Mexico and Guatemala. The best handmade crafts and jewellery are found in the Ambergris Cayes. Further south you can find hand woven baskets created by the Mayan women, as well as mahogany chairs and other carvings. Probably the most distinctive craft are the drums created by the Garifuna. Standard souvenirs fare includes slogan T-shirts and Belikin paraphernalia.

Mayan culture can be also experiences while visiting Altun Ha, a major Mayan ceremonial centre and trading centre in the Classic period (AD 250-900). An extraordinary head of the sun god, ornately carved in jade, was found here and is now a national symbol of Belize.

Remember to wander through the exquisitely carved Xunantunich ruins, considered some of the most beautiful and intricate in the Maya world. Experience their life with a visit to the stunning Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave located in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, a short drive from San Ignacio Cayo. The cave reveals secrets of Mayan culture through well-preserved ceramics, skeletons and hidden chambers. Tours are limited to a small number of operators to preserve the archaeologically important site.

Head offshore to Ambergris Caye's resorts or chill out at a beachside cabaña in laid-back Caye Caulker: the islands make ideal bases for diving and snorkelling.

Windsurf or kite surf off Caye Caulker. The water is so clear beneath that it may be possible to spot fish, stingrays and even dolphins. The best wind conditions usually occur from February to June. Located only a 15-minute plane flight or 30-minute water taxi ride from Belize’s mainland, Caye Caulker’s swaying palms, white sandy beaches and warm waters entice travelers from around the world. Five miles long and a half mile wide, the former fishing village of Caye Caulker was essentially redeveloped in 1961 when Hurricane Hattie expanded a previously narrow channel through the island. Now known as “the split”, the marine thruway divides the sparsely populated north side of the island from the south where most of Caye Caulker’s visitor services are located. The island offers a range of accommodations from budget-friendly hotels to small full service resorts. The split provides the perfect location for a lazy day at the beach and acting as a venue for celebrations and community events such as Caye Caulker’s Annual Lobster Festival, held at the beginning of every lobster season in June.

It is also a perfect base for diving excursions. Plummet into the depths of the Blue Hole: the startlingly vivid blue sinkhole measures 300m (1,000ft) across and over 120m (400ft) deep and is considered one of the best dive sites in the world. Belize has the longest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere and covers 296km (185 miles), including a nearly continuous wall of coral stretching almost 224km (140 miles) from Mexico to the Sapodilla Cayes. Swim with the nurse sharks and stingrays in the crystal-clear waters of Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Join a tour at the Swallow Caye Marine Sanctuary: these gentle aquatic mammals are an endangered species, typically growing to about 3m (9.8ft) long.

Belizeis also a great destination for boat lovers. The beautiful bay at Placencia has gentle winds will push you along the azure waters. If not you are not interested in sailing, you can take a motorboat up the New River from Orange Walk to Lamanai: the spectacular Mayan citadel ruin sits in its own archaeological reserve, which also contains a museum, the remains of two 16th-century Spanish churches and a 19th-century sugar mill.

Fine views and secluded streams can be enjoyed in the 121-hectare (300-acre) Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in the Cayo district. The area contains the Hidden Valley Falls, which plunge 305m (1,000ft) into the valley. You can hike along the Macal River and see hundreds of different bird species and mammals along the way. Learn about the flora of Belize at the San Ignacio Botanical Gardens. Discover the healing herbs of Belize at the Chaa Creek Medicine Trail nearby or visit the ancient agricultural settlements of the Maya at the nearby archaeological ruins of El Pilar. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is the 40,500 hectares (100,000 acres) of tropical forest that was set aside in the Maya Mountains in 1984 to protect the jaguar population. Other residents include jaguarondis, howler monkeys and toucans.

For bird spotting Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is a must. It is most notable for its jaribu stork population and is also home to howler monkeys, crocodiles, coatimundis, turtles and iguanas. You can also visit the rare Red-footed booby at the Half Moon Caye Bird Sanctuary.

Taken from:

www.worldtravelguide.net

www.travelbelize.org

Doing business in BELIZE

Lightweight suits are often worn, although dress is more casual. Appointments should be made and business cards are acceptable. This is a child-friendly culture so it's considered polite to enquire about a colleague's family.

Belizeis small. Almost any business venture will require less start-up capital than it would anyplace else. Advertising campaigns can easily focus on specific groups or target areas.

Belizean Law is based on British Common Law. This means that if you're from a similar country you understand the principles of law already. Contracts are the same, proceedings are the same, and – most importantly -- property rights are respected. Your land will not be confiscated without due process.

Belizeans are hungry for change. They see the world on television, and they want it. "They are ripe for Consumerism" and that is the job of the media, to inform and to create desire for products & services.

The bureaucracy is (mostly) well-documented and reasonably consistent. The process for doing this has traditionally been manual, but is being more computerized every day.

The economy of Belize has taken a real beating due to a disastrous 2008 season. Cane sugar accounts for almost half the country's exports followed closely by orange concentrates. Bananas, fish (farmed shrimp, cobia and tilapia), papayas and grapefruits are also an important secondary industry. With the exception or marine products, growth in these sectors has slowed considerably due to crop failures and the aftermath of several hurricanes. The oil sector grew by 3.4% in 2008 as a result of the sweet crude oil that was discovered in 2006. The tourism industry, a vital part of the economy has also suffered with a 2.1% decline in overnight tourists and a 19% decline in cruises.

The country is still recovering from severe flooding caused by several tropical storms that affected the western and northern regions. The southern region was severely damaged by Hurricane Arthur. Natural catastrophes caused $66 million worth of structural damages, slowing the economy by 1.5% in 2009 with inflation increasing to 4.3% and unemployment hitting just above 12%.

Main exports: Sugar, citrus concentrates, bananas, papayas, cultured shrimp and fish.

Main imports: Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemical products, pharmaceuticals, food, beverages and tobacco.

Main trading partners: USA, UK, Central America, EU (Finland, Spain) and Canada.

Taken from:

www.worldtravelguide.net

http://www.belizenorth.com/doing_business.htm