Portal:Belize

Belize
Belize
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto: "Sub Umbra Floreo" (Latin); "Under the shade I flourish"
	Anthem: "Land of the Free";
ISO 3166 code	BZ

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The Belize Portal

Belize (/bɪˈliːz, bɛ-/ ^ⓘ, bih-LEEZ, beh-; Belize Kriol English: Bileez) is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and is considered part of the Caribbean region and the historical British West Indies.

The Maya civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC and AD 300 and flourished until about 1200. European contact began in 1502–04 when Christopher Columbus sailed along the Gulf of Honduras. European exploration was begun by English settlers in 1638. Spain and Britain both laid claim to the land until Britain defeated the Spanish in the Battle of St. George's Caye (1798). It became a British colony in 1840, and a Crown colony in 1862. Belize achieved its independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981. It is the only mainland Central American country which is a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as its monarch and head of state, represented by a governor-general. (Full article...)

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A Major Event in the Political Campaign for Nationalism

The Nationalist Movement seeking independence for Belize (then called British Honduras) first arose in the 1930s and 1940s. Three groups played important roles in developing the movement. One group consisted of working-class individuals and emphasised labour issues. This group originated with Antonio Soberanis Gómez and the Labourers and Unemployed Association (LUA) between 1934 and 1937 and continued through the General Workers Union (GWU). The second group, a radical black nationalist movement, emerged during World War II. Its leaders came from the LUA and the local branch of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). This group called itself variously the British Honduras Independent Labour Party, the People's Republican Party, and the People's National Committee. The third group consisted of people such as the Christian Social Action Group (CSAG) who engaged in electoral politics within the narrow limits defined by the constitution. From the 1950s onwards the nationalist movement came to be dominated by the People's United Party which led the country to independence in 1981. (Full article...)

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Image 1A collage of San Pedro, Belize
Image 2An aerial view of Caye Caulker
Image 3A satellite image of Belize, March 2002
Image 4An aerial view of Belize City
Image 5Caye Caulker is located in the beautiful world heritage Belize Barrier Reef
Image 6A view of New River, Belize
Image 7A view of Orange Walk Town
Image 8Aerial view of Corozal Town
Image 9The New River near its estuary into the Caribbean Sea (Corozal District, Belize)
Image 10A view at Laughing Bird Caye
Image 11San Pedro Beach in Ambergris Caye, Belize, 2007

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The following are images from various Belize-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Maya fisherwomen in British Honduras, beginning of the 20th century. (from History of Belize)
Image 2Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 3St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 4Sarteneja (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 5Half Moon Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 6Almond Beach, Hopkins (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 71790 map of territory conceded by Spain to British settlers for cutting timber. (from History of Belize)
Image 8Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 9Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 10Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 11The flag of Belize, originally adopted in 1922. (from History of Belize)
Image 12Map of Belize's exclusive economic zone (from Geography of Belize)
Image 131831 map of Belize by Daniel Lizars (from History of Belize)
Image 14The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 15Zip-lining in the jungles of Belize (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 16High Temple at Lamanai (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 17Biodiversity is an asset for ecotourism. A red-lored amazon (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 18Rio Frio Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 19Köppen climate classification zones of Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 20Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 21The Great Blue Hole is one of the most recognisable natural features in Belize. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 22Maya Beach, Placencia (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 23Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 24High Temple at Altun Ha (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 25Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 26Barton Creek Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 27Che Chem Ha Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 28Riot police and protesters during the unrest in 2005. (from History of Belize)
Image 29Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 30Sarstoon Kekchi Mayan village (from History of Belize)
Image 31The flag of British Honduras. (from History of Belize)
Image 32Belize electricity supply by source (from Economy of Belize)
Image 33Sapodilla Cayes (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 34Beachront of Ramon's Village, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 35Little Guana Caye plays host to the largest colony of reddish egrets in the Caribbean. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 36Thousand Foot Falls actually stand at about 1,600 feet high. It is the highest waterfall in Central America. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 37Men working in the mahogany industry, around 1930. (from History of Belize)
Image 38St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 39The "Split" at Caye Caulker, Caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 40The Great Blue Hole is a prime ecotourism destination. A World Heritage Site, ranked among the top 10 nominees for the world's New 7 Wonders of Nature. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 41St. John's Cathedral (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 42San Antonio Falls (from Tourism in Belize)