The coast here is made of white sand beaches, lined with coconut palms and conk shells. Coral thrives in the water just offshore, composing the second largest barrier reef in the world, and attracting more species of fish than are found in fresh waters of the United states. Just inland, mountains loom over the low hanging clouds that can be seen each morning, often bringing rain showers in the afternoon or evening. Although it truly its environment is truly dynamic, the 8,867 square mile English-speaking country of Belize has a mere population of 301,270, approximately the same as that of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in an area comparable in size to Massachusetts.
The Cultural Attraction
What is most surprising about the smallest of Central America’s countries (in population and area) is the multitude of ethnicities and practiced cultures found within its borders. Native American, African, European, Asian, and East Indian backgrounds are thrown into a cultural “mixing bowl” in Belize. Race is no longer definable and likely has not been in the country since Belize (formerly British Honduras) was granted governmental rights in 1964 by Britain, which attracted migrants worldwide. Although some may say, “You don’t come to Belize for the food,” Belizeans sit down at night to dinners that have borrowed ethnic cooking secrets from the people that now live side by side, but whose ancestors came from many thousands of miles apart from one another. Creole recipes influence most of the country’s cooking, although they may be absent in more remote areas such as Mayan villages. Rice and beans are a staple in restaurants nationwide, served alongside potato salad or coleslaw, often flavored heavily with curry, as the best recipes appear have been encouraged by East Indian ingredients. Although most communities are well blended, there exist some that are ethnically uniform. Gales Point is a black community (where spotting manatees is an everyday occurrence), other remote villages are entirely Mayan, and much of western (and mountainous) Belize is mestizo. Mestizos (mixed American Indian and Spanish) make up nearly half of the country’s population. Although those who have heard about the country may deem Belize quaint and pleasantly rustic, many of its towns are poverty-stricken and crime-ridden.
Status of the Country
“Four Killed in Ladyville Shootout,” or “Sex Maniac Anderson Incarcerated,” are unfortunately characteristic of Belizean newspaper headlines, as there is no shortage of small town crime. The national Prison in Hattieville has a gift shop to lure tourists, though it appears to be easily accessible to inmates who are separated from it and the highway by a chain linked fence lacking razor wire. Law enforcement is lackadaisically enforced in Belize, and courtroom cases may be reminiscent of theatrical performances, as the judges and jury don white wigs similar to those sported by George Washington and his contemporaries. Running water and electricity are lavish luxuries, often regarded by smaller communities as unattainable.
Places of Interest
Belize City is home to the country’s largest collection of people, a congregation some 70,000 strong. The capital city of Belmopan has a population short of 17,000, many of whom are seasonal and only there for the higher education offered by the National University. The country has a general low standard of living. Farming (much of which is for bananas and oranges) is a typical job for middle class Belizeans. Although there are designated tourist destinations in Belize (such as Ambergris Caye), to truly experience the country, you must travel beyond the common scope of tourism, where unaltered jungles and beaches provide home to some of the friendliest people in the world, who were collected from all over it.
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