Property Pro Belize: About Belize

History

Pre-20th-Century History

The first stirrings of Mayan civilization came with the emergence of farming villages in what are now Guatemala, Belize, Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, and northern Honduras between 2000-1000 BC. Cuello, near Orange Walk in northern Belize, was one of the first settlements, dating back to around 2400 BC. Lamanai, beside the New River, surged in importance around 200-100 BC, when its core became a major ceremonial center. It remained an important city until at least AD 700.

The Classic period of more advanced Mayan civilization reached its peak between the 6th and 9th centuries. In 562, the greatest of Belize's Mayan cities, Caracol, conquered Tikal, some 80km (50mi) northwest. The following decades saw a surge in construction and population here. Though it declined in importance after a defeat by Naranjo (Guatemala) in 680, it remained locally influential.

Sometime between the 9th and 10th centuries, Classic Mayan civilization mysteriously collapsed and many settlements were abandoned. Research points to a series of devastating droughts as the major cause of this disaster. Archaeologists have discovered that ritual activity in many caves increased after about AD 750, most likely in supplication for a reversal of whatever crisis was overwhelming Mayan civilization. The Classic Mayan heartland reverted to a more primitive cultural level, with a much-reduced population living away from the big cities. By the 15th century, the Yucatán and northern Belize were divided among a number of small, often quarrelsome, city states.

The first Spanish ships may have visited Belize's coast in 1508, possibly already bringing diseases such as smallpox, yellow fever and measles, which were to decimate the Mayan population. In 1544, a cruel Spanish expedition from southeast Mexico conquered Mayan settlements as far south as Tipu. The Spanish set up Christian missions, but the Maya rebelled frequently. A major rebellion in 1638 expelled the Spanish from most of Belize, and attacks on Bacalar by Caribbean pirates in 1642 and 1648 effectively ended Spanish efforts to control the country.

It was British pirates who began the next chapter for Belize - with the logwood they looted from Spanish ships. They discovered that the timber, which was in demand by the European wool industry, was just as profitable to cut as it was to steal. Consequently, many pirates began working in the logging trade. Most of the Baymen, as they became known, based themselves on St George's Caye.
Spain launched a series of attacks on the Baymen throughout the 18th century. The most famously unsuccessful of these, the Battle of St George's Caye, occurred in 1798. Around this time, African slaves were brought to Belize to cut mahogany - they soon made up over half of the population. In 1862, Great Britain declared Belize to be the colony of British Honduras.

Modern History

The start of the 20th century was tough for Belize, and British mismanagement fueled claims for independence. After WWII, Belize's economy weakened, and independence agitators had their wish partly fulfilled in 1964 when self-government was granted. Democratic political parties and institutions were formed. The government decided to build a new capital at Belmopan in 1971, after Hurricane Hattie all but destroyed Belize City in 1961.

Independence became a reality in September 1981 when British Honduras officially became Belize, a member of the British Commonwealth. Guatemala, which had territorial claims on Belize, threatened war in 1972, but British troops were stationed in Belize to make sure the dispute remained diplomatic. During the volatile 1980s, Belize remained stable and pro-US, thanks mainly to large influxes of US aid. In 1992, a new Guatemalan government recognized Belize's territorial integrity. The British garrison was withdrawn in 1994; Belize now has a standing army of only a few hundred soldiers. An interesting point is that, in 1994, Guatemala (perhaps seeking distraction from domestic troubles) revived its claim on Belize, stating that it had never formally recognized it as an independent state, and claiming half of southern Belize. Tension eased somewhat in 2001 when the two countries signed a provisional agreement over the disputed land and Caribbean fishing rights. It picked up, however, when Belize threatened to expel two Guatemalan settlements it claimed were on the wrong side of the border.

Since the fall of General Noriega in Panama, Belize has become a major trans-shipment point for cocaine heading into the US from South America. Cultivation and smuggling of marijuana is also prevalent.

Over the past 20 years, Belizeans have been struggling to reintegrate indigenous culture. Many have had to leave the country to make their fortunes, sending money home to support family.

Recent History

Prime Minister Said Musa, in power since 1998, has overseen the transformation of Belize's economy. Service industries, especially tourism, dominate where farming, logging and fishing were once predominant. Closer ties to other Central American countries mean Belize is being gradually Hispanicized.

The country is prone to hurricane damage at the end of summer, as Hurricanes Keith and Iris proved in 2000 and 2001 respectively.

A recent diplomatic dust-up with the US has developed over the Bush administration, upgrading Belize to a 'Level 3' nation in terms of human trafficking; the Belizean government countered that the US is unhappy with the small nation's ties (and developing economic projects) with Hugo Chavez's regime in Venezuela.

Culture

The history of Belize includes territorial wars and the inhumane enslavement of people of various ethnicities. But the outcome of this marred past is a country brimming with diversity and a population with roots from all over the world. Today, the little Central American country of Belize is a melting pot of cultures that have combined to make this beautiful nation a unique and fascinating place.

Influence of the Mayans

The Mayans were the first known people to inhabit the territories known today as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Archaeologists estimate that during the peak of the Mayan empire, about 1 million to 2 million Mayans lived in the Belize region. Ancient Mayans and many of the Mayan people who live in the country today consider themselves to be fruit of the ceiba tree. In Mayan culture, the ceiba tree is symbolic of life and is said to be the center of the universe that holds up the heavens.

The Mayans' advanced ancient civilization contributed a great deal to Belize and beyond, specifically in terms of scientific and mathematical practices. In fact, the Mayans are credited with the concept of the number zero. Today three groups of Mayans inhabit Belize: the Yucatec, Mopan, and Kekchi Mayas. As their name suggests, the Yucatec Mayas came from Yucatan when trying to escape the Caste War. They now live in the Orange Walk and Corozal District of Belize. The Yucatec people no longer speak their original language, but now speak English and Spanish. The Mopan Mayas also fled to Belize, but were running away from forced labor and taxation in Peten. This group of Mayas can be found in San Antonio Village in the Toledo District and in the Cayo District. Kekchi Mayas were another group trying to escape oppression, but they were fleeing enslavement by German coffee growers in Verapaz Guatemala. The Kekchi are the most isolated and self-reliant group in Belize, with their villages located in low-lying areas along rivers and streams throughout Toledo.

The Mestizos

Mestizos, people with a mixture of Mayan and Spanish heritages, comprise 48 percent of the Belizean population. The Mestizos arrived in Belize in 1840, trying to escape the Caste War; they now live all over Belize, but predominately in the northern regions of Orange Walk and Corozal. The Mestizos have played a very important part in the growth and progression of Belize, and are vital to the Belize community.

The Creoles

Creoles are another major ethnic group in Belize, making up about 30 percent of the Belizean population as of the year 2001. The Creole culture came about with the mixing of British settlers and African slaves. Their descendants have created a unique and fascinating culture all their own. What makes the Creole people a distinct ethnic group is based not so much on their appearance, but on their way of life. Most of the Creole population resides in Belize City, and many of the Creole men work in logging crews and provide great civil services.

Other Ethnic Groups in Belize

Smaller parts of the population in Belize consist of various ethnic groups, including the Garifuna, the Chinese, East Indians, and Mennonites. The Garifuna people make up about 6.6 percent of Belize's overall population, and their culture is a mixture of heritages from African slaves, Arawak, and Carib Indians. The majority of the Garifuna now flourish in Belize's southern towns of Punta Gorda and Dangriga, but they also have villages in Seine Bight, Hopkins, Georgetown and Barranco.

The East Indians first arrived in the country around 1838 and now represent about 2 percent of the Belize population. They live in villages and towns spread throughout Belize. The Chinese migrated to this part of the world when fleeing the Japanese invasion of China just before the start of World War II. And, finally the Mennonites, who arrived in Belize in 1958 from Manitoba, Canada, Chihuahua, and Mexico, live in six main communities in the Orange Walk and Cayo District: Blue Creek, Shipyard, Little Belize, Progresso, Spanish Lookout, and Barton Creek. The Mennonites have made it a point to have very distinct communities in Belize with their own schools, churches, and financial establishments.

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