Belize is a country in Central America. Flag, map

Tourists will find a small Belize in one of the last untouched corners of the Earth, in the pool caribbean. Once upon a time, the civilization of the Mayan Indians existed on the territory of this country, and it should be noted that they chose an excellent place to live. Travelers will meet in Belize the ruins of Mayan temples, dense forests, snow-white beaches, as well as a very long Barrier Reef off the coast. Don't forget to bring your binoculars and camera!

Geography of Belize

Belize is located on the northeast coast of Central America. Belize borders Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south. In the east, the country is washed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Total area - 22,966 sq. km., and the total length of the state border is 516 km.

The north of Belize consists mainly of coastal swampy plains with dense forests. In general, tropical forests cover probably more than 50% of the country's territory. To the south is the Maya mountain range. The largest local peak is Mount Victoria, whose height reaches 1,122 meters.

The longest rivers are Rio Hondo, Belize, Sarstun and Makal.

Capital

Belmopan is the capital of Belize. About 20 thousand people now live in this city. Belmopan was founded in 1962 specifically as an administrative center.

Official language of Belize

One in Belize official language(English) and 8 regional languages ​​(indigenous). More than 50% of the country's population speaks Spanish and Creole.

Religion

40% of the population are Catholics, and more than 31% are Protestants (Adventists, Anglicans, Methodists, etc.).

State structure of Belize

Belize is under the rule of the Queen of Great Britain, who appoints her "manager" there - the Governor-General. Those. in fact, this Central American country is a constitutional monarchy.

However, the country has a Cabinet of Ministers and a Prime Minister with certain functions of executive power.

The bicameral parliament in Belize is called the National Assembly. It consists of the Senate (12 senators) and the House of Representatives (31 deputies).

The main political parties are the centre-left United Democratic Party and the centrist People's United Party.

Administratively, Belize is divided into 6 provinces - Belize, Orange Walk, Cayo, Toledo, Corozal and Stann Creek.

Climate and weather

The climate in Belize is tropical with two distinct seasons - the rainy season and the dry season. Dry season - from February to May (according to some sources - from December). The rainy season is from June to November. During the rainy season, hurricanes are possible, and often they are destructive.

The average annual air temperature in coastal areas ranges from +24C in January to +27C in July.

Sea in Belize

The length of the Caribbean coast in Belize is 386 km. The Barrier Reef stretches along the entire coast at a distance of about 30 km from it. Diving is recommended inside the Barrier Reef. Underwater visibility reaches 50 meters. The average annual sea temperature near the coast is + 21-24C.

Rivers and lakes

The longest rivers are Rio Hondo, Belize, Sarstun and Makal. Rivers link the coast of the country with the hinterland. In spring, local rivers often overflow their banks.

Culture of Belize

In Belize, as in any other Latin American country, a lot of attention is paid to holidays and festivals. The most popular of them are San Pedro Carnival (February 9), Baron's Day (March 9), San Ignacio Fair (March 25-28), Cocoa Festival (May), Lobster Festival (June 25-27), Columbus Day ( October 12), Garifuna Day (November 19). In addition, Belizeans celebrate Christmas and New Year on a large scale.

Kitchen

Belize cuisine is a mixture of Latin American, Caribbean, Spanish and English dishes. The staple foods are rice and beans, which the Creoles have always preferred. They are served with almost all main dishes.

The "calling card" of Belizean cuisine is seafood and fish. For a long time, this country was the world's largest supplier of lobster. True, now the lobster population off the coast of Belize has declined markedly. However, they are still available and inexpensive. But you need to keep in mind that the lobster season lasts from June 15 to February 14.

Traditional dishes of Belizeans, along with "Rice and Beans", are also stewed chicken, stewed beef and stewed fish.

No meal is complete without Marie Sharp hot sauce; many tourists also buy it as a souvenir.

When ordering dishes, tourists should be careful - Belizeans also eat iguanas (their meat tastes like chicken), armadillos and other exotic animals. Sea turtle soup is popular with tourists.

As for desserts, in this country their choice is not very large - homemade coconut pie, chocolate pie, bread pudding.

In Belize, you can try a seaweed cocktail (dried seaweed, milk powder, cinnamon and nutmeg mixed with water and ice).

Traditional alcoholic drinks are rum and liquor.

Sights of Belize

Once upon a time, Maya Indians lived on the territory of modern Belize, who created a unique civilization. Until now, in this country you can see the historical monuments of the Mayan era. The Top 5 most interesting historical monuments of the Mayan era in Belize, in our opinion, include the following:

1. The ruins of the Xunantunich complex near the Mopan River, 8 kilometers from the border with Guatemala. This complex was the main ceremonial religious center of the Mayan Indians in the classical period.
2. Cahal Pech in the Cayo region, is the home of one of the Mayan leaders of the classical period.
3. caracol. Many archaeologists and historians consider this complex to be the most grandiose of all the surviving monuments of the Maya Indians. It is located in the depths of the forest, 7 kilometers from the border with Guatemala.
4. Pyramid of Lamanai near the New River. This monument dates back to around 1500 BC.
5. Altun Ha. These ruins of the Mayan complex are located near Belize City. Tourists can visit the Altun Ha complex for one day, i.e. leave your hotel in Belize City in the morning, and return back in the evening.

Cities and resorts

Most big cities– San Ignacio Cayo, Belize City, Orange Walk, Dangriga and Belmopan.

Along the entire coast of the Caribbean Sea in Belize, there are white sand beaches, to which mangrove forests come close. At a distance of about 30 km from the coast is the Barrier Reef, the second largest in the world. Tourists will find the best beaches on the Placencia peninsula. In this section, many beaches have been cleared of coastal mangrove forests. Of the seaside resorts with the best beaches, Caye Caulker and San Pedro should be singled out.

The amazing Caribbean Sea, corals, exotic fish make Belize an excellent place for diving.

Souvenirs/Shopping

From Belize, tourists bring handicrafts, traditional drums, Belizean dolls, bags, Habanero (pepper sauce), chocolate, tropical fruit jam, coconut oil, coffee, and, of course, rum (we recommend paying attention to coconut rum).

Office Hours

The name of the country comes from the Belize River, which in Maya means "the road from Itza".

Capital of Belize. Belmopan.

Belize Square. 22965 km2.

Population of Belize. 359,000 people

Belize GDP. $1.624 billion

Location of Belize. Belize is a state in the northeast of Central America. It borders with Mexico in the north and northwest, Guatemala in the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea in the east.

Administrative divisions of Belize. The state is divided into 6 districts.

Form of government in Belize. A constitutional monarchy.

Head of State Belize. The Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General.

Supreme Legislature of Belize. Bicameral Parliament - National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives).

Supreme executive body of Belize. Government.

Big cities Belize. Belize.

State language of Belize. English.

Religion in Belize. 57.7% are Catholics, 34.3% are Protestants.

Ethnic composition of Belize. 43% Mestizo, 30% Creole and Mulatto, 11% Maya, 7% Garifupa, 3% East Indian.

Currency of Belize. Belize dollar = 100 cents.

Climate of Belize. The climate on the territory of the state is tropical, trade wind. The average annual temperature is about + 26 °C and the annual rainfall is 2000 mm.

Flora of Belize. 92% of the island is covered with tropical rain forests. In the north there are savannahs.

Fauna of Belize. The fauna of Belize is quite diverse - jaguar, deer, tapir, a large number of different birds and reptiles live here.

Rivers and lakes of Belize. Major rivers- Rio Hondo and Belize.

Sights of Belize. In Belize - St. John's Cathedral (1812) and Government House (1814).

Useful information for tourists

Tourists are attracted here by the rich plant and animal world, offshore reefs. Best time for a trip to Belize - a dry season lasting from November to May. This is the peak tourist season and most hotels raise their prices to the maximum. In summer and autumn, the trip will cost much less, but there is a chance to get into one of the many hurricanes.

Belize map

Belize wikipedia
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general information.

Belize is a country in Central America, in the southeast of the Yucatan Peninsula. In the east, it is washed by the Caribbean Sea, in the extreme southeast - along the Gulf of Honduras. The area is 22.96 thousand km2. The population is 279.5 thousand people (2005). The capital is Belmopan. The official language is English. The monetary unit is the Belize dollar. Administrative-territorial division: 6 districts. Belize is a member of the United Nations (1981), OAS (1990), CARICOM (1974), IMF (1982).

State system.

Belize is the only country that is part of the Commonwealth. The constitution came into force on September 21, 1981. The form of government is a parliamentary monarchy.

The head of state is the British monarch, represented by the Governor General, who must be a citizen of Belize.

The powers of the governor include matters of foreign policy and internal security.

Legislative power belongs to the bicameral National Assembly (Parliament): the Senate, consisting of 8 members (5 appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the recommendation of the leader of the opposition, 1 on the recommendation of the Governor General) and the House of Representatives (29 members elected by universal voting rights for a period of 5 years).

Executive power is vested in the government, which is led by the prime minister, the leader of the party that won the election.

The main political parties are the People's United Party and the United Democratic Party.

nature.

The northern part of Belize is low-lying, flat, sometimes swampy plains in the coastal zone - there are many lakes and lagoons. The barrier reef stretches along the entire coastline (included in the World Heritage List). In the southwest, Belize is in the Mayan Mountains, consisting of one teammate (the highest point in Belize is Victoria Peak, 1122 m), as well as the surrounding hills with limestone shell and caves. The climate is tropical winds.

The average temperature is 22°C on July 27th. Precipitation is 1300 mm per year in the north to 4500 mm in the south. The northern and central part of Belize is characterized by a dry season from January to April. The coastal lowland is characterized by uniform moisture throughout the year. Coastal areas often suffer from devastating hurricanes.

The main rivers are Belize (the river basin is more than 25% of the territory), Sibun and Nova are all waterways.

More than 60% (2000) in Belize is occupied by humid tropical evergreen forests with valuable species (mahagonievoe, firewood, Sapodilla, etc.) Red-yellow ferralite earth.

Mountain forests are characterized by a mixture of leaf species. Northern Belize has deciduous rainforests and savannahs. River valleys with fertile alluvial soils are actively developed under reeds or agricultural plantations. Low lagoons are surrounded by mangroves.

For Belize, typical representatives of South American animals: World Monkeys, Tapir, Capybara, Peaks, Agouts, Trees of trees, Legion. There are over 500 bird species in the forests, including the toucan.

Belize has 36 protected natural areas with a total area of ​​912,000 hectares, including Chiquibul National Park, the world's only reserve Jaguar - Coxcombe Basin.

population. 73.6% of Belize's population are Creole and Hispanic whites. Garifon ("Black Caribbean") who speak Arawakan is 6.1%, Maya (Yukateki, Kekki, etc.) 10.6%.

From other ethnic groups - Indo-Pakistani, Germans, Jews, British, Americans, Chinese. The average annual population increase is 2.2% (birth rate is 27 per 1000 inhabitants, mortality is 5.3 per 1000 inhabitants, infant mortality is 31.1 per 1000 live births).

The average life expectancy is 71.4 years (men - 69.9 years, women - 73 years). The birth rate was 3.2 children per woman (2000-2005). The share of young people (under 15) is very high - 40.9%; older (over 65) only 4.3% (2004). Average age population is 19.4 years. The average population density is 12.2 persons/km2; The most densely populated coastal regions.

About half of the population lives in cities (the largest in Belize, where about 22% of the population is concentrated). The employment sector employs 108,500 people, of which 95,900 people (including Agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 20.4%, industry and construction - 18.2%, 61.4% - in the service sector).

The unemployment rate is 11.6% (2004). More than a third of the population lives below the poverty line, more than 1/10 - in poverty.

religion. The majority of the population of Belize (2000) are Christians, of which more than 50% are Catholics, about 30% are Protestants of various denominations (including Anglicans - 5.3%, Methodists - 3.5%, Mennonites - 4.1% of Pentecost - 7.4%, Seven Day Adventists 5.2%.

Catholic missionaries appeared in Belize in the 16th century, Anglicans in the 18th century.

S. A. Tarkhov.

Historical outline. The oldest cultures in Belize are cities of hunters, fishermen, collectors (9-2 thousand BC).

Settlements with traces of intensive gathering or early agriculture, pottery, light on clay foundation appeared in the II millennium BC (Cuello). The Middle Yaya period (about the 1st half of the 1st millennium BC) represents several settlements whose economy is based on the development of agriculture. This population correlates with the Maya people. The Belize area was part of the central part of the Maya civilization in the classical period, there were several cities.

The coast of the Caribbean Sea, which belongs to the territory of modern Belize, was discovered by the 4th expedition of H.

Belize (state)

Columbus in 1502 after the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Central America, in the northern part of modern Belize was included in the governorship of New Spain (founded in 1535), in the south - the captain-general of Guatemala (arose in 1560).

In the 1630s and 1640s, British pirates established their bases at the mouth of the Belize River, and migrants from the Jamaican area began to arrive. The economy in these countries was based mainly on the use of the work of black slaves imported from Africa.

Repeated attempts by Spanish authorities to take control or evict English colonies from the colony were unsuccessful.

By the middle of the 18th century, the settlers (the richest of them) alone led the colony to the National Assembly, but the Spanish authorities failed to be exposed, and the British government showed no interest in them. The situation began to change in connection with the struggle between Great Britain and France (see the Seven Years' War of 1756-63). As a result, the right to reside in the British colonies and to carry out economic activities confirms the Paris (1763) and Versailles (1783) contracts and expands the Anglo-Spanish Treaty in 1786 (at the same time as the official representative of the British government appeared in the colonies).

The war between Spain and Great Britain in 1796-1802 led to the actual transfer of power into the hands of the British (the status of the column was officially established in 1862). Its leadership was entrusted to the Governor of Jamaica. In 1838, slavery was abolished in the colony. From 1840 it became known as British Honduras. However, Guatemala disputed the rights of Great Britain on the territory of the colony for a century and a half, and sometimes the conflict took on an acute form (1860, 1930, 1975).

During the colonial period, the economy of British Honduras, based on plantations that produce for the export of raw sugar, bananas and citrus fruits, also played important role in the harvesting of precious rocks.

The complete dependence of the colonial economy in the homeland began in the 20th century to cause discontent among the local population, mainly Mestizos and Creoles.

As early as the 1930s, an independence movement began in the colony, which organized forms after World War II. The role of the Colonial Legislative Assembly, in which the People's United Party (ALP) has held key positions since 1954, has increased. Britain agreed to the introduction of internal self-government in 1964. In 1970, the capital moved from Belize to Belmopan. In 1973, British Honduras received a new name - Belize.

In September 1981, Belize became independent. In 1984, how to cede power to the United Democratic Party (UDP), who was at the forefront of dynamic politics, the mayor of Belize City M. Esquivel. The defeat of the CCT in the National Assembly elections in 1989 and the return to power in 1993 meant that Belize would create a stable two-man system, which was confirmed in the elections in 1998 and 2003, with a victory that leaves the PBS (leader Musa, a Palestinian birthday).

The strengthening of democratic institutions in Belize has not been accompanied by convincing solutions to complex economic and social problems.

V. I. Gulyaev (archeology).

objects.

The main branch of the economy until the sixties was the timber industry (logging, including precious species, sawing and processing of wood, furniture production). Due to the intense recession, production volumes decreased by more than 15 times in the 1990s, while timber exports decreased (approximately 35,000 m3 in the early 2000s); afforestation is done for planting eucalyptus, boron. In the 1960s and 1980s, agricultural specialization dominated, while raw sugar and bananas were the main exports (citrus production has been most dynamic since the mid-1980s).

Since the late 1980s, structural reforms have been carried out, including privatization (energy, water, ports, telecommunications), liberalization foreign trade and acceptance of foreign capital. Since the beginning of the 90s, tourism has become one of the most important sectors of the economy, and he began to do business in the sea. The International Companies Act 1990 completely exempts offshore companies registered in Belize from taxes (over 20,000 companies in total); a program for the creation of free economic zones is being implemented (it has been operating in the Corozal region on the border with Mexico since 1995 and at the international airport since 2003).

The volume of GDP amounted to 1778 million US dollars (according to purchasing power parity, per capita - 6.5 thousand dollars); GDP growth 3.5% (2004).

The Human Development Index is 0.737 (99 out of 177 countries, 2002). Approximately 68% of GDP comes from services, about 13% from agriculture and fisheries, about 9% from industry.

Foreign tourism accounts for more than 20% of GDP (about 10% of the working population is employed by tourists); About 200,000 people visit Belize every year, with about 440 hotels.

The largest tourist center is San Pedro. The main tourist attractions are the ruins of the Mayan settlement, the sandy beach of the coast (Plasencia region), the Barrier Reef (diving and diving on the Amber and Kolker ridge).

The main agricultural crops are sugarcane (collection of 1.1 million tons, mainly in the north and northwest of the country, Corozala County and Orange Walk), citrus fruits (oranges, 168,000 tons, about 40 thousand tons of grapefruit per year, mainly in areas of Stann Creek and Cayo export through Dangriga Harbor) and bananas (70 thousand tons, 2004); The production of new export products began - papaya (12 thousand tons), pineapple, mango, cayenne pepper.

For domestic consumption, growth in corn (35 thousand tons in 2004), rice (13 thousand tons, in the Belize Valley), legumes (including beans, exports) and vegetables. Cultivation of cattle, pigs. Fish and seafood are carried out in coastal waters; A shrimp industry has been developed (more than 7,500 tons per year, mainly for export).

Electricity production - 117 million kWh (2002).

There are 6 small power stations; about 1/3 of electricity is produced by hydroelectric power stations on the Makal River. More than 90% of industrial production is produced by the food industry, including sugar production (more than 1/2 of the value, plants in Tower Hill), drinks, citrus concentrates (Dangriga).

There are enterprises in the clothing industry (from imported fabrics, products are mainly produced for export (in 1992, an export production zone was opened in the Belize region).

The length of motorways is 2.9 thousand km, of which 651 km are hard surfaces; 805 km of local highways are used only during the dry season.

The deepest seaports are Belize, Dangriga. There are over 4,000 ships in the fleet (of which 95% are foreigners registered under the Belizean flag); large vessels (moving more than a thousand registered gross tons) - 295. The length of inland waterways (for small vessels) is 825 km.

43 airports, of which 5 are hard surfaces. International airport in Belize.

Approximately 90% of exports are food products, including seafood (26% of the value in 2004, about 80% - shrimp, 14% - lobster), sugar (20%), oranges and grapefruit concentrate (19.3%), bananas (13%), papaya (5.6%), which are mainly exported to the US (55% of costs), UK, CARICOM and EU, Mexico. Imports of petroleum products, machinery and equipment, consumer goods mainly from the United States (39%), Central America, Mexico.

A. Tarkhov.

Healthcare. Sport. Tuberculosis incidence - 105 cases, HIV infection - 46 cases (2002). The main causes of death in the adult population are cardiovascular diseases, injuries, infections (including malaria), neoplasms.

At the beginning of the 21st century, there are ten thousand doctors and eight medical workers. Health care expenditures account for 5.2% of GDP (budget financing - 45.1% of total expenditures, private sector - 54.9%). The public sector regulates primary and inpatient care. Private medical practice is limited.

Issues of physical culture and sports are considered by public organizations.

In 1967, the IOC recognized the Commonwealth Games Association and the Commonwealth Games. Athletes from Belize have been participating in the Olympic Games since 1968. The most popular sports are boxing, cycling, light and weight, shooting.

V. Nechaev (Health).

education:.

Primary education is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 14. Most schools run the church. All cities have secondary schools. Specialized education is carried out by the institutes: technical, pedagogical, agricultural, Youth Development Center, Center vocational training, Continental School for Adults (has 74 branches throughout the country); National University(2000) (all in Belize).

The literacy rate in the country is 80% (2000). National Library (1935).

Architecture and fine arts. The oldest artistic monuments belong to the Mayan cultures.

They include: the architectural complexes of Altyn Kha (350 BC - 950 AD, the remains of temples and the second memory structure, jade head of the sun god Kiniga-Ahav, grave jewelry), Lamanai (from the very high pyramid preserved on the territory of May, around 100 BC No. n.), Karakol and others.

From the 16th century, buildings in the colonial style appeared in Belize (a church not far from ancient city Lamanai, built by Spanish missionaries). 19th and 20th century architecture is represented mainly in Belize and Belmopan.

Catholic Church represented by the Diocese of Belize City, Belmopan, under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Kingston (Jamaica); administered by a bishop and assistant bishop (since December 12, 2001).

episcopium has 13 parishes. At San Salvador Cathedral (1858)

Belize (state)

Belize. Most elementary schools are run by the church (government funded).

Anglican Church has the Diocese of Belize, which is part of the Commonwealth of Anglicans Province of West India. It unites 8 parishes; St. John's Cathedral is in Belize (1812), 28 active churches, 18 primary schools, Theological Institute.

Protestant denominations and sects: World Federation Baptists (48 communities - 1998), Methodists (4%),

. (14 communities - 1990), Mennonites (4% - 1998), Nazarene (31 communities), Pentecost (2%), The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints last days(Mormons, 13 congregations), Seventh-day Adventists (3%), members of the Assembly of God, etc.

The country also has communities of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Baha'is and others.

Sources, Notes

* The value is calculated by linear interpolation, taking into account the two closest values ​​\u200b\u200bto each other (Date-> population) (unofficial).
** Migration growth is included in the calculation of birth rate growth: Birth rate = Population + Mortality.
*** We do not have population figures before 1950.

The figures shown are based on an approximate calculation using the function: population in 1900 = 70% of population in 1950.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Demographic Prospects: A 2015 Revision. These estimates and forecasts were made according to the medium-term birth rate option. Used with permission from the United Nations.

Downloaded: 2015-11-15 (un.org)
City density map created from population.city using data provided to us by 1km.net. Each circle represents a city with a population of over 5000. Link
The population density map was created according to the instructions of daysleeperrr on reddig.

Link1. Data source: Gridded Population of the World (GPW), 3rd online edition in Socioeconomic Data and Applications (SEDAC) at Columbia University. Link2. Additionally used: Data from the database (version 2.0) Globsl Land Cover Char and MOD12Q1 binary data from shadedrelief.com.

Link3 (PNG,0.5Mb).

Belize / Language

The official language is English.

Although the Constitution contains no provisions in an official language, English is the language of business and legal procedures, education, etc.

On the English language home to 3.9% of the population, to some extent it owns about 80% of the population. The most widely spoken language is Spanish (nearly 46% of the population), followed by Creole (a mixture of English, Spanish and May) at 32.9%.

Other languages ​​used include Garifuna, German, Ketch, Mopan, Maya, Chinese and Hindi.

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  • Year of foundation
  • Geographic location, area, borders
  • population
  • Index human development for the period 1980-2005
  • colonial period
  • Independent Belize
  • Constitutional foundations, features of the form of government
  • Separation and mutual participation of the branch of government
  • Characteristics of the Executive
  • Head of state (monarch) 1952-2012
  • Heads of government (prime ministers) in 1981-2012
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  • Territorial-state structure
  • Local self-government and self-government
  • External Influences on the Design and Functioning of Political Institutions
  • Conflicts and cracks
  • Official ideology, ideological differences and conflicts
  • Religion and the state, the role of religion in politics
  • Features of the party system
  • Representation of political parties in the House of Representatives after the 2008 elections
  • The political role of the military / law enforcement agencies
  • Non-Governmental Organizations, Social Components of the Political System, Interest and Influence Groups
  • Position and role of the media
  • Gender equality / inequality
  • National economy in the context of the global economy
  • The main indicators of the economy for the period 1990-2010.
  • Weight in the global economy for the period 1990-2010
  • Sources of influence on the international environment and international processes
  • Military spending in 1990-2008
  • Cooperation with international organizations, major external partners and partners, relations with Russia
  • External and internal threat to the security of the state
  • Belize in the evaluation of the corruption detection index in the period 2003-2008
  • Placement of the territory of the country in the zone of increased risk of natural disasters
  • Economic Threats
  • Threats to human security

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Belize is a small country located in Central America. It borders Mexico and Guatemala. From the east it is washed by the Caribbean Sea.

The country is located in the east of the Yucatan Peninsula and is a coastal strip with a large number of lagoons. The peninsula is surrounded by reef islands. In the north and in the center of the country there is a low swampy plain, as well as low mountains in the south.

Climate

Belize is a country with a tropical trade wind climate. In July, the average temperature is +24-26 °С, in January - +20-24 °С. The average annual precipitation is from 1340 mm in the north to 4520 mm in the south.

The north trade wind weakens the heat on the coast, and away from the coast the temperature often exceeds +38 °C. It should be noted the high humidity, which is especially high in the coastal part. The dry season lasts from February to May, and the maximum amount of precipitation occurs in June-October.

Belize is a country located in the Caribbean tropical cyclone prone region and periodically suffers from devastating hurricanes and storms.

State structure

Belize, the photo of which you see in our article, is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the monarch of Great Britain (governor-general). Executive power is vested in the government, which is headed by the prime minister. Legislative power is represented by a bicameral National Assembly.

Capital Belmopan

Belize is a country whose capital is one of the youngest on the planet. The construction of the city of Belmopan began in 1970. This happened after a terrible hurricane, which was named "Hatti". He practically destroyed the former capital of the country - Belize City. New town began to build south-east of the ruined capital (80 km), almost in the very center of the country. The place was not chosen by chance - this territory is less exposed to the elements.

Belmopan literally grew before our eyes. It took only 12 years to do this. Today the state capital is modern city. It houses government offices, banks, restaurants and gambling establishments. Most of townspeople (7000 people) are civil servants who belong to all ethnic groups living in the country. Many cultural traditions are concentrated here, so the city is often called Belize's Babylon.

Belize City

The second largest city in the country is the city of Belize. The country was able to rebuild the destroyed capital. This city is located in the east of the state on the coast. Its name, as well as the whole country, comes from the Indian word "balix". So the ancient Maya called the muddy waters of the river flowing in this place.

Today Belize City is a commercial, historical and Cultural Center country. Curiously, the city is still considered the unofficial capital of the state. There are many buildings that are architectural monuments.

The main attraction of the former capital is the unique nature that attracts tourists from all over the world. Families with children are happy to relax in the city.

Attractions

Tourists begin to explore the sights of the country from its capital. In Belmopan there is a monumental building of the National Assembly, located on Independence Hill, as well as a whole complex of government and administrative buildings.

The University of Belize, the original bank buildings, the noteworthy monument "Belize - Forward" arouse the interest of tourists. There is also an art gallery of Caroline Carr - a famous artist of Belize, an exhibition of crafts "Art-Box", the Central City Museum, located near the market in the West End.

But the vast parks give a special charm, thanks to which Belmopan is often called the "garden city". Not far away, 3.5 km from the capital, is the Guanacaste National Park, which is famous for its diverse wildlife and lush vegetation, 14 km south - St. karst well about 300 m in diameter and 120 m deep.

Nearby is another protected natural monument - Half Moon Cay. This is one of two places on Earth where a huge colony of extremely rare red-footed boobies has been discovered.

Language

The official language of Belize is English. All official correspondence is conducted on it, it is taught in schools. Along with it, other languages ​​\u200b\u200bare spoken in the country - Garifuna, Spanish, Creole.

Religion

Belize is a country in which there are several faiths. The majority of believers (49.6%) are Catholics. 27% are Protestants and Christians. There are approximately 10% of adherents of local beliefs.

Currency

The country's national currency is the Belize dollar (BZD). Credit cards and US dollars are accepted at hotels, restaurants and shops.

Tourism

Belize is a country, tours to which are now sold by almost all major agencies. Travelers are attracted here by luxurious nature, rich flora and fauna.

It is best to come to this country during the dry season, which lasts from November to May. In autumn and summer, the trip will cost you much less, but there will be a risk of falling into one of the terrible hurricanes.

Rest

Belize, which is a two-hour flight from the United States, impresses with its sights - the Belize Zoo and Butterfly Farm, coral landscapes, the mysteries of the ancient chic views of Belize City and Belmopan ...

A magnificent rest on sandy beaches attracts admirers of various types of water sports and successful fishing, lovers of lying on the white sand and those who are interested in the beauty of the underwater world.

Belize (country): how to get

This small hospitable country can be reached by air. But in this case, you will have to make several transplants. It is most convenient to fly from Moscow through Spain, making a change in Madrid and flying to the city of Cancun. It has regular flights to Belize.

In addition, from Cancun get to Belize by bus. You can fly through the American cities of Houston or Miami, but in this case you will need a US visa (transit).

Hotels

Belize is a country in which it is not necessary to book a hotel room in advance. However, on national holidays, which happen quite often, it is better to take care of the room one or two weeks before the date of travel.

Five-star hotels in the country are located on the Caribbean coast. Some of them have an unusual specialization - they hold romantic and very touching wedding ceremonies.

A more economical (but also more interesting, according to tourists) option is eco-hotels. These are complexes consisting of several dozen small-sized villas built in the colonial style. They are made exclusively from local natural building materials.

In the jungles and reserves of Belize, lodges have been created - houses that stand separately and are built of natural wood. They are air-conditioned and have a balcony and a bathroom. In such hotels, as a rule, excursions are included in the cost of living.

Kitchen

It is quite traditional for Coconut milk and bananas are used everywhere here - from desserts and drinks to second courses and soups.

No less the local population appreciates meat dishes. In addition to chicken, pork and beef, they eat the meat of rodents, armadillos, iguanas and sharks. In addition to our traditional chicken eggs, exotic eggs of iguanas, wild birds and crocodiles are eaten here.

Seafood is well prepared in Belize. Especially popular are lobsters, which are caught from June to February. Garnish for meat dishes will be corn, rice or legumes.

Belize: visa

To travel to this country, citizens Russian Federation a visa is required. The term of its registration and cost are specified when booking the tour.

Visa processing is carried out in You must provide a passport, 2 photographs, a questionnaire, round-trip tickets and documents that confirm the ability to pay expenses at the rate of $ 50 per day.

Souvenirs

As souvenirs, tourists bring from Belize furniture and various handicrafts made of mahogany, musical instruments made of precious wood, ritual masks, Mayan calendars, baskets, ceramics, rum.

Safety

Belize has a fairly high crime rate. Cases of theft, violent crime and fraud have been recorded in the former capital.

The local population is quite calm and weakly expresses their emotions. At the same time, their ability to listen to the interlocutor without objections does not mean agreement.

Belmopan 21:27 31°C
partly cloudy

The population of the country is 314,522 people The territory is 22,966 sq. km Part of the world Central America and the Caribbean Capital Belmopan Money Dollar (BZD) Domain zone.bz Telephone country code +501

Hotels

Belize hotels are represented by a variety of modern buildings, cozy huts and colonial-style villas, which are located right on the beach. Of the inexpensive hotels, it is worth noting Elizabeth Place and The Bakadeer Inn, located in the very center of Belize city. Also, one of the best hotels is Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza 5*. It is made in the Caribbean style, but, unfortunately, is located almost on the edge of Belize itself. This hotel has 75 different rooms, including Standard, Deluxe and Premier. Each room is decorated in a modern design and has a great ambience.

Climate: Tropical. Very hot and humid. Rainy season (May to November). Dry season (February-May).

Attractions

The main attractions of Belize are: the Barrier Reef, the longest in the Western Hemisphere; Ambergris Key is an island rich in history, with the only city of San Pedro on it, which is very popular among tourists from all over the world and, of course, a huge funnel in the sea, which is the subject of controversy of many scientists who have tried to explain its perfectly round shape.

Also, the sights of the country include national reserves and parks, which have the ruins of Mayan cities, unique temples, statues and caves. History lovers will be able to see the jade head of the Mayan Sun God, located in the Altun-Kha archaeological park.

Only in Belize you can understand what a quiet life is, because the favorite word of the locals is tomorrow.

Terrain: Flat, swampy coastal plain. Low mountains in the south.

Leisure

The pristine tropical nature with rich flora and fauna attracts many tourists. The main types of entertainment in Belize can be safely called diving and surfing. Beautiful clean beaches and a coral barrier reef open up real underwater treasures for tourists: more than 70 types of corals, hundreds of species of exotic fish and plants.

Especially popular with divers is the "Blue Hole" - a natural karst cave filled with water.

Excursions to protected areas, national parks and to the tropical butterfly farm - "Green Hills" are very interesting and informative.

Resources: Arable land, timber, fish, hydropower.

Museums

Fans of antiquity and antiquity will find something to see in the museums of Belize. In the capital Belmopan, you can visit the City Museum or the art exhibition Art-Box. More interesting in terms of attractions Belize City. Here is the Maritime Museum, which is dedicated to the development of navigation and the Coastal Zonal Museum, famous for its expositions on reef ecology. The Belize Museum exhibits unique pieces of Maya pottery.

On the territory of Belize there are several large historical centers of the ancient Maya: the Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal ritual cave, the ruins of Shunantunich and Cahal Pech.

In the seventies, the capital of Belize was moved from the coast closer to the center, and all because of the frequent hurricanes and storms. The new capital Belmopan was built in just 12 years.

Money:: The closest neighbors are: Mexico in the north, Guatemala in the west. This country is popular with diving and snorkeling enthusiasts. The national currency is the Belize dollar (BZD). Banknotes in circulation: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars. The exchange rate of the national currency is closely tied to the US dollar. Almost all purchases can be made with this currency.

Resorts

The main center of tourism in Belize are San Pedro and Belize City, located on the Caribbean coast. Picturesque resorts of the country are also located on small islands in the region of the barrier coral reef.

Many beaches with white coral sand on the islands of Ambergiz and Key Kalker attract not only lovers of sunbathing, but also fans of outdoor activities - surfing, drift diving. Tourists have the opportunity to swim in the company of electric stingrays or scuba dive into the Blue Hole, which is home to many sharks.

Transport

The main mode of transportation in Belize is automobile transport, which is largely due to the annual improvement in the quality of the road surface. Four main highways stretch in different directions across the country: North, South, West and Hummingbird. There are many gas stations along the way, so you don't have to worry about gasoline.

Belize City has a relatively small Philip Goldson International Airport and a seaport. There are several other small local airports.

The country's rivers are navigable and are used mainly by small boats.

The country has one of the highest % AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

Standard of living

As in any developing country, poverty and luxury coexist in Belize. Millions of mansions of prosperous entrepreneurs sit side by side with wooden shacks. More than a third of the population lives below the poverty line. The average salary in the state is about 1-1.5 dollars per hour, and the average income of the indigenous population per year is about 4,000 US dollars. More than a third of the population is made up of children under the age of 15, and only a third of the population is classified as able-bodied. Despite the development of some sectors of the economy, the unemployment rate still remains high and amounts to 10-13 percent.

Cities

Belize is a state in the southeast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Tourism has been the country's main source of income for many years. The point of departure of any tourist is considered to be the capital of the state - the city of Belmopan. The population of the city is only about 4 thousand people, so it will be difficult to get lost.

If the saying "how New Year if you meet him, that’s how you spend him” is true, then 2018 I will have to sleep somewhere in a cheap hotel without cold water in some third world country like Guatemala. Not the worst option, how to spend a year, if you look. Such a cheerful meeting of the holiday was due to the fact that on January 1 we bought tickets for such an early as 5 in the morning towards Belize.

Belize is the only country in Central America where Russians need a visa. There is information that you can enter here with a Schengen visa, or get a visa on arrival if a US visa is pasted in your passport, but for every successful entry there is a story about how someone was not allowed. Most often, the reason for the refusal is the lack of forms for visas at the border guards. In short, until the very last moment it was not clear whether they would let us in on an American visa or not.

Once upon a time, after about two years from the date of graduation, I decided to finally pick up my honestly earned diploma. As you probably know, for this you need to collect different signatures on a special bypass sheet in order to prove that you do not owe anything to your native university. I don’t remember exactly in which of the beautiful corners of my alma mother she found a scythe on a stone, in my opinion it happened in the accounting department. In general, I go into the office, where three aunts are sitting and swallowing cookies and tea. I explain that I just need to sign a bypass, and they naturally answer me like this: “come back in three days, we have computers for maintenance.” Here I notice that there are physically three computers in the room, but they are all turned off.

I studied at this university for six years in the specialty “Computers, Systems, Complexes and Networks”, received the title of a fucking master, but over the years of study they forgot to tell me that computers sometimes need to be turned off for several days for prevention ... Why am I? Yes, just something like that office, I imagined the border of Belize in advance: you can be right a hundred times, but if the computers are on prevention, then it’s useless to argue here - you can’t argue with idiocy.

The situation at the Belize checkpoint was a match: from time to time one of the workers threw a firecracker right in the room on the floor, a very loud bang was heard, everyone jumped at first, and then giggled nervously. In short, this is not at all the behavior that you expect in a place where people with real weapons are on the lookout.

In the end, we are still lucky. True, at first they were sent to some room where an experienced woman dealt with the most difficult cases. There they began to torture us, why did their beautiful Belize so rest against us. We honestly answered that we had a flight home from Cancun, the easiest way to get there is through Belize, and I would really like to see their wonderful country. In general, having confused us a little and for some reason scanned our return tickets from Mexico, we were stamped and allowed to set foot on the territory of the former British Honduras. I want to note that we were not given any visa on arrival, as was supposed in our case. This would require pre-prepared photos and money, but this time the hangover mess even played into our hands - we crossed the border for free with only seals.

Belize has a big plus compared to neighboring countries: here the official language is English, which means that in terms of communication, everything is simplified well, just at times. If in Spanish you sometimes have to “dance” to explain what exactly you need, then in Belize everything is outrageously simple. Among themselves, though, many speak Creole - this is such a very distorted version of English, which for me seems even less understandable than Spanish. But everyone knows normal human English anyway.

Belize, compared to Guatemala, seems to be just a stronghold of civilization: neat houses, decently dressed people. Our first stop here was the small town of San Ignacio.

From the very beginning we planned to come here to get to the Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal cave. According to stories, there are the remains of the ancient Maya, and the description of the way to it through the jungle and reservoirs sounds like a tempting adventure.

The only problem is that you can’t get there without a guide, and with a guide this pleasure costs almost a hundred bucks. Well, okay, the place is unique in its own way, and the event takes a whole day, so I was even ready to pay this outrageous price, but on the morning of January 1, we didn’t manage to get on such an excursion. Booking the next day for us meant losing one already paid day on the islands, so we decided that we would live without seeing the skeletons in a dark cave.

Instead, we went looking for more interesting things to find around San Ignacio.

Maya significantly inherited not only in Guatemala and Mexico. Around San Ignacio, and in almost the entire territory of present-day Belize, there are also enough of their cities immersed in greenery.

One of the ruins called Cahal Pech is generally located almost within the city. Unlike neighboring countries, in Belize no one forbids climbing the World Heritage Site.

To be honest, Cajal Pech is somehow not very impressive after the huge Tikal in Guatemala. It's like trying to admire Omsk after Dubai.

But just a dozen kilometers from San Ignacio, there is another ruin with the unpronounceable name of Xunantunich, which is very easy to reach from the city by ordinary public transport, and now they look very worthy.

It is especially interesting to climb the highest pyramid there. The view from there is simply amazing.

Here we saw why a significant part of the economy of Belize is tourism.

The fact is that cruise liners constantly sail to this country, tourists from which are then taken on bus excursions throughout the country.

Shunantunich is one of the popular destinations. Despite the fact that it takes more than two hours to drive from the coast, the place is quite interesting, so the ruins, which are quiet and deserted the rest of the time, are simply flooded with tourists, mostly American retirees.

It's funny that they are always accompanied by a couple of policemen with weapons, so that nothing happens. And then they apparently believe that Belize is an insanely dangerous country, because they have to be protected like that.

In addition to cruise passengers in Shunantunich, you can get acquainted with the local diverse wildlife: here you have monkeys in the crowns of trees, and iguanas, and some unknown species, either dogs or foxes. I am generally silent about the diversity of birds - the nature here is beautiful and many-sided.

The next day we planned to leave San Ignacio, but since we were not in a hurry, I let myself be persuaded to sign up for a tour to Barton Creek Cave, which would have been unrealistic to get into without a car and my own canoe. Unlike the originally planned cave with skeletons, this option was only for the first half of the day, so it was quite suitable for us in terms of time.

The tour was interesting: we arrived in the jungle, sat in a canoe, turned on the lantern and swam into the dark mouth of the cave towards adventure.

On the way, we were told several stories from the world of speleology, and also shared a couple of fascinating theories about how the Mayan priests once swam here to get stoned and contact the spirit world. In support of the theory, a piece of a pot was presented and this incomprehensible something, which is supposedly the skull of a child. All this is quite deep, somewhere in a couple of kilometers from the entrance, or rather "floated" into the cave, so it was difficult to see the evidence properly.

The dungeon was so dark that if you turned off the lantern, it was completely impossible to tell the difference between whether your eyes were open or closed. In general, the cave is cool. I even liked the stories we heard, but, let's be honest, for $75 per person you expect something much more, especially in this poor country. Let it be empty for the moneybags from the giant ships that have so corrupted the tourism sector of Belize.

Even more than the cave, it was interesting to look at the Mennonite village that we passed on our way here. In Belize, by the way, there are a lot of them, something about 3% of the population of the whole country. Mennonites are such funny guys who reject technological progress: they ride horses, plow, sew their own clothes, look out the window, not at the laptop screen and stuff like that. They do not like to be photographed, so, unfortunately, there will be no pictures of people. In general, they look quite organic in their villages, but, at the same time, they look like an eyesore in a big city. The Mennonites were not the goal of the tour, so our acquaintance was limited only to buying delicious pies from them. I'm sure that without GMOs and other gluten.

Since then, the question has been troubling me: how do they draw the line between permissible convenience (cart) and ungodly progress (radio)? After all, it's not always obvious. I've seen that they use plastic barrels. Is this a bug or is it still acceptable? Who decides?

Oh well, let's leave God's people alone. Let's go further, to the capital of the country - Belize City.

The reputation of this city is so-so. They say that the place is quite criminal.

We walked along its streets quite a bit. From such a short walk, of course, it is impossible to draw any conclusions, but I can say that I did not want to shine the camera here.

Some kind of shabby city, but not in such a way that it’s straight horror-horror. People live and walk. But what you can do here for a long time is also not entirely clear.

The best thing to do in Belize City is to take a ferry to the fabulous island of Caye Caulker. Just keep in mind two things if you're going to...

Firstly, there are two ferry companies that can take you to the islands. Nominally, the price of them looks the same, but in one of them it is written in American dollars, and in the other - in Belize. Given that the Belize dollar is half the price of the US dollar, you yourself understand which company is more profitable to sail. The calculation here is most likely for inattentive tourists, whom international buses naturally bring to the terminal of a more expensive company. They have a pier behind the fence, there is a guard inside, so outwardly the premium version looks more solid. In fact, the same eggs, only in profile.

Secondly, what you should know about Key Caulker - this paradise is probably the most popular place in all of Belize, especially during the Christmas holidays, so it's better to book something there in advance, and not like us. And then a couple of days before arrival, only a couple of hostels and a non-budget option with separate housing in a two-story cottage of four apartments remained from adequate options.

By the end of the trip, we wanted some personal space, so we were not at all eager to spend three days in a hostel. I had to fork out for one of the apartments in the cottage. In short, Belize after Guatemala seemed terribly expensive, at least come back to Guatemala.

In general, for beach lovers, Key Caulker is just a dream come true.

This island can be walked from one end to the other in one hour in its longest dimension.

And if you ride a bike, which are handed out here in almost every hostel or hotel, then the bill generally goes for minutes.

Along the perimeter there is only white sand and a turquoise sea, well, or mangroves and the same turquoise sea. Absolute Chunga-Changa.

Mangrove trees somehow manage to live and thrive in salt water, but that's all botany. I remember them for the fact that I almost stepped on a healthy iguana in their thickets.

If a huge lizard has never run out from under your bare feet, you are unlikely to understand why this is so etched in your memory.

In general, I have already written many times that I don’t really understand a quiet beach holiday. It seems like a waste of time to me. Well, judge for yourself, most people just lie on the beach, periodically rinsing their mortal body with sea water and filling the stomach.

I have a lot of questions about this approach: if you want to lie down somewhere, then why in the sand, which then has to be shaken out from everywhere for another week? Why in the sun, if you burn out very quickly on it and then you only suffer for the remaining days? What is the advantage of the sea over the usual pool? The only thing that attracts me to the sea is snorkeling or diving, but most people do not come to such places for the sake of the underwater world.

Having thrown out all my arrogant contempt for a beach holiday, I must admit that during these three days I still rethought my attitude to doing nothing a little.

A very relaxed atmosphere on the island.

Walking, smiling, looking at the sunset. Everything is somehow unhurried, without unnecessary race and fuss of the previous days in Central America.

Do you know what I remember most from Key Caulker, and from all of Belize? The brightest memory was how we swam and dived with stingrays and sharks here.

Next to the islands is the second largest barrier reef after the Australian one, and there, among the corals at a shallow depth, real sharks and rays frolic. As it turned out, not all of them are as scary and aggressive as they are trying to make them look like. These were of some comparatively harmless kind, and scarcely exceeded one meter in length. But when even a half-meter friendly shark crashes into you, something involuntarily yokes inside.

If you ever find yourself in the Caribbean part of Belize and have to choose where to soak up the sun: in Key Caulker or in San Pedro, do not even hesitate, choose the first one.

By and large, there are snow-white beaches and blue seas, but for some reason, San Pedro completely lacks that serene island atmosphere that even I could feel on Key Caulker.

Coastal hotels look somehow too pretentious and artificial here, not fitting into the overall picture of the rest of the country at all.

And the last fly in the ointment. Warm countries are good for everyone, but what a bureaucratic mess reigns here. I already wrote about entering Belize, now a little about leaving.

We took ferry tickets from San Pedro to Chetumal Mexico for 8:30, but since the ferry sails overseas, we were advised to be at the pier at 7:00 to go through the formalities. At seven in the morning our passports were checked and we were let into the pier. An hour later, everyone was kicked out so that we could enter back, but this time by paying the exit tax (that's still nonsense); half an hour later, they suddenly remembered that they needed to stamp everyone's passports - they kicked me out again. In the meantime, the ferry came, and the captain began to change money for those who wished at a completely extortionate rate. But since you have to pay to enter Mexico in pesos, many simply had no choice. Then it turned out that everyone who bought tickets would not fit into one ferry, and they had to wait for the second one (the first one, however, for some reason could not sail either). In short, we set sail only closer to eleven.

Only one border guard worked at the Mexican border, and I had to stand in line for more than two hours. That is, we got up at six, and we were released in Mexico only around three. During this time it was possible to fly back to Vancouver. God bless them all...

In general, although I periodically complained about unreasonably high prices and sloppiness, in general, I liked Belize. I expected to see the same poor country as Guatemala, but instead ended up in a well-groomed state.

Not everywhere is clean here, I won’t lie, but in general the impression of Belize is quite pleasant.

Someday in retirement, I wouldn't mind sailing here on a cruise ship.