About Belize

About Belize

There is no location that that Team Castafly holds dearer or spends more time in than the Nation of Belize, formerly British Honduras. Not only do we love to fish Belize, we also hold the country, the people and the culture in the highest regard both as a vacation spot where enjoying life is a given.  Let Castafly introduce you to the democratic, English speaking nation of Belize.

History

The history of Belize dates back thousands of years. The Maya civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC and AD 200 and flourished until about AD 1200. The Mayan civilization left a number of ruins and pyramids which have given us a record of their civilization. The first recorded European settlement was established by shipwrecked English seamen in 1638. Over the next 150 years, more English settlements were established along with a period when piracy ruled the seas. Great Britain first sent an official representative to the area in the late 18th century, but Belize was not formally termed the "Colony of British Honduras" until 1840. It became a crown colony in 1862. The official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973, and full independence was granted on September 21, 1981.

Geography

Belize is a small Central American nation bordered by Mexico to its north, by Guatemala to its south and west, and by the Caribbean Sea to the east. To the east in the Caribbean Sea, the second-longest barrier reef in the world flanks much of the 240 mi of predominantly marshy coastline With 8,867 square miles of land and a population of only 333,200 people (2010 est.), Belize possesses the lowest population density in Central America yet has one of the areas highest birth rates. Belize is shaped like a rectangle that extends about 174 mi north-south and about  62 mi east-west, with a total land boundary length of 321 mi. The undulating courses of two rivers, the Hondo and the Sarstoon, define much of the course of the country's northern and southern boundaries. The Caribbean coast is lined with a coral reef and some 450 islets and islands known locally as cayes. They total about 266 sq mi, and form the approximately 199 mile long Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the Western Hemisphere and the second longest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. Three of merely four coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere are located off the coast of Belize.

Climate

Belize has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from 75.2 °F in January to 80.6 °F in July. Average rainfall varies considerably, ranging from 53.1 inches in the north and west to over 177.2 inches in the extreme south. Hurricanes have played key,and devastating, roles in Belizean history. In 1931 an unnamed hurricane destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and killed more than 1,000 people. Since that time Belize has been battered a number of times only to rebuild and start over again. The hurricane season is most active from august to November.

Economy

Belize has a small, essentially private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer.  Belize has five commercial banks, of which the largest and oldest is Belize Bank. The other four banks are Heritage Bank, Atlantic Bank, First Caribbean International Bank, and Scotiabank (Belize). All this being said tourism appears to be the engine that turns the economy with a 4% growth per year.
 

Monetary 

The Belize dollar is the official currency in Belize, formerly is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively BZ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents. The official value is pegged at 2 BZ$ = 1 US$ since 1978.

Belize is a parliamentary democracy, a Commonwealth realm, and therefore a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The structure of government is based on the British parliamentary system, and the legal system is modeled on the Common Law of England. The current head of state is Elizabeth II, Queen of Belize. Since the Queen primarily resides in the United Kingdom, she is represented in Belize by the Governor-General. However, the cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of Belize, who is head of government, acting as advisors to the Governor-General, in practice exercise executive authority. Cabinet ministers are members of the majority political party in parliament and usually hold elected seats within it concurrent with their cabinet positions.The bicameral National Assembly of Belize is composed of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The thirty-one members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum five-year term and introduce legislation affecting the development of Belize. The Governor-General appoints the twelve members of the Senate, with a Senate president selected by the members. The Senate is responsible for debating and approving bills passed by the House.Belize is a full participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Central American Integration System (SICA), The United Nations, and the Organization of American States. It is still in the process of acceding to Caricom and SICA treaties, including trade and single market treaties

Cuisine

The primary staples of the Belizean diet are rice and beans, which are often eaten with chicken, pork, veal, fish or vegetables. Coconut milk and fried plantains are added to the dishes to create a truly tropical taste. Exotic ingredients include armadillo meat, venison and fried paca (called Gibnut in Kriol). Conch soup is a traditional dish which has a characteristic taste and thick consistency due to added okra, potatoes, yams, cassava flour and a touch of toasted habanero. Immigration has brought Garifuna dishes based on fish and plantains, and among the best known are Hudut, Darasa, Ereba, Bundiga, etc. Belizean food is almost always accompanied by white rice in coconut milk.