For the outdoor enthusiast, Belize (formerly known as British Honduras) presents unlimited opportunities. The country, a constitutional monarchy in which the British monarch is head of state, has a lot more in common with the Caribbean island states (its style of architecture, for example) than its Central American neighbors. 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 incredibly colorful array of marine wildlife finds protection in Belize's barrier reef.
Belize is a country
of various culture, language and ethnic groups. Approximately 200,000 people in Belize consist of Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Spanish, Maya, English, Mennonite, Lebanese, Chinese and East Indian heritage. 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.
GeographyBelize is situated at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America and borders Mexico and Guatemala, with the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country’s area includes numerous small islands (cayes) off the coast. The coastal strip is low and swampy, particularly in the north, with mangroves, many salt and freshwater lagoons and some sandy beaches crossed by a number of rivers. To the south and west rises the heavily forested Maya mountain range, with the Cockscomb range to the east and the Mountain Pine Ridge in the west. More than 65% of the area of the country is forested. The land to the west along the borders with Guatemala is open and relatively scenic compared to much of the interior. The shallow offshore cayes straddle a coral reef second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
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