The Spanish then moved north to Mexico, and British pirates (who had lost their occupation when Britain and Spain made peace in 1670) moved in to cut logwood for export to Europe. In time, the settlers expanded inland to cut mahogany and cedar, and African slaves were brought over from Jamaica. Attempts by the Spanish to dislodge the Baymen (as the woodcutters were called) failed, but the settlers asked England for help.

In 1765 Admiral Sir William Burnaby arrived with a fleet from Jamaica and, without recourse to violence, established a constitution known as Burnaby’s Code and the Public Meeting, a law-making body. Friction continued, however, until 1798, when the Spanish were defeated at the battle of St George’s Caye.

In 1847, Mayans in neighbouring Mexico rebelled against Spanish rule and refugees (Mayans, Mestizos and dissident Spaniards) made their way into Belize, a migration which set up new tensions. In an attempt to resolve the situation, the settlement, at its own request, became a British colony (supervised by the Governor of Jamaica) in 1862 and the country took the name British Honduras. It became a Crown colony in 1870. In 1884, it was detached from Jamaica and given its own governor. Burnaby’s Code and the Public Meeting were abolished in 1840 and 1853 respectively and replaced by a nominated legislative council.

Economic recession followed. Mahogany prices slumped in the 1870s and sugar (introduced by the immigrants from Mexico) slumped in the 1880s. An upturn in the early 20th century was short-lived and poverty continued between the world wars.

In 1935, the principle of voting was reintroduced, with elections for five of the 12 seats on the legislative council, although with a very limited franchise (1,000 out of the population of 50,000). The number of elected members increased under a new constitution in 1954, when the council changed its name to legislative assembly and extended the franchise to universal adult suffrage. By now the movement for independence was under way; it had gained momentum in 1949 when the British Honduras dollar was devalued. This became a rallying point with the cry: ‘Give us back our dollar. Give us independence.’

In 1954 the first general election was won by the People’s United Party (PUP), headed by George Price (the PUP won all subsequent elections until 1984). In 1964, the country became self-governing with a bicameral legislature. In 1971, the seat of government was moved from Belize City to the new inland site of Belmopan. In 1961 Hurricane Hattie left Belize City in ruins. The country’s name was changed from British Honduras to Belize in 1973.

Independence was delayed by the claim to the whole of its territory by neighbouring Guatemala and in 1975 and 1977 British troops and aircraft were used to protect Belize from the threat of invasion. The UN passed several resolutions asserting Belize’s right to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. By the late 1970s, although the claim was unresolved, constitutional talks on independence were successful, and the UK agreed to provide a defence guarantee, notably by patrolling the border with Guatemala.

After 20 years in power, George Price and the PUP lost the 1984 elections to the United Democratic Party (UDP) led by Manuel Esquivel; returned to government in 1989; and were ousted again in 1993 by UDP in coalition with the National Alliance for Belizean Rights, a new party which was formed after five members left the UDP in 1992 following disagreements over the negotiations with Guatemala.

 

Relations with Guatemala

From 1986 relations between the two countries improved and in 1991 Guatemala recognised Belizean sovereignty, Belize joined the Organization of American States (OAS) and diplomatic relations between Belize and Guatemala were established.

In January 1994 responsibility for defence was transferred to the Belize Defence Force and later that year the UK withdrew most of its 1,500-strong garrison. In March 1994, however, Guatemala renounced its earlier agreements and formally reaffirmed its claim to the territory of Belize. A tense period ensued during which Belize continued to receive strong support from the Caribbean Community and the Commonwealth.

It was thus not until February 1997 that an ambassador was sent to Guatemala City, opening the way for a diplomatic resolution of the dispute. The two countries embarked, through the good offices of the OAS, on a peace process leading, in September 2005, to agreement on a framework for negotiations to resolve the dispute and confidence-building measures. Included in this agreement was a mechanism, should the parties fail to reach agreement in negotiations, to allow recourse to an international judicial body.

Belize is a relatively small country with mainly flat terrain. ... The climate of Belize is tropical and is therefore very hot and humid. It has a rainy season that lasts from May to November and a dry season lasting from February to May.

Only a small proportion of Belize’s land is actively used for agriculture, which employs about one-fifth of the population. Most farms are smaller than 100 acres (40 hectares), and many of them are milpas (temporary forest clearings). On most of these farms, traditional shifting cultivation is practiced, largely because of the nutrient-poor soils of the lowlands. The remaining farms or plantations are devoted to the raising of crops for export, such as sugarcane, citrus fruits, and bananas.

Sugarcane is grown around the towns of Corozal and Orange Walk, and sugar is exported to the United States and the European Union (EU). Some sugar is converted into molasses for rum distillation. In the latter part of the 20th century, sugar production increased 10-fold, but it decreased in the 21st century because many sugarcane fields were destroyed in 2000 in a hurricane. At the same time, the production of corn (maize) and kidney beans for export became more profitable. Citrus crops (oranges and grapefruit) and bananas, which are grown mainly in the Stann Creek and Cayo areas, south and west of Belize City, have been affected by world price fluctuations but are still produced for export. Rice is cultivated on large mechanized farms in the Belize River valley, while corn, roots and tubers, red kidney beans, and vegetables are raised throughout the country, mostly on smaller plots. Increased production of nontraditional agricultural products such as papayas and habanero peppers has aided the economy.

Marijuana is widely, though illegally, grown in Belize, and, in the 1980s and ’90s, isolated Belizean airstrips became transshipment or refueling points for cocaine smuggling. At the onset of the 21st century, marijuana was used mainly for local consumption, but money laundering related to drug trafficking was prevalent.

Large-scale chicken farming was introduced by the Mennonite community in Belize. That community gained a national reputation for its strong work ethic, largely by transforming uninhabited land into productive farms and dairies. Beef cattle and pigs are raised in many parts of Belize.

Much of Belize’s forest has been destroyed by logging; however, mahogany, pine, cedar, and rosewood have increased in economic importance, and chicle, used in the manufacture of chewing gum, is obtained from the sapodilla tree. Furniture and timber for utility poles are the major products of the forestry industry, which includes many sawmills. As part of efforts to increase foreign income in the 1990s, the Belizean government granted long-term contracts to foreign logging companies. Thousands of trees were destroyed in traditional Mayan territory, sparking protests among Maya communities, two of which won a case in the Belizean Supreme Court in 2007 that granted them greater autonomy over their communal landholdings. (Earlier, in 2004, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had determined that, in opening this land for logging, the Belizean government had violated the rights of the Maya in the southern part of the country by denying them secure land tenure.)

Fishing for lobster, shrimp, scale fish, conch, and sea turtles is conducted mainly by several cooperatives, some of which have freezing plants. Exports of seafood to the United States are substantial. Aquaculture, especially shrimp farming, is significant.

Although Belize generally lacks natural resources, mineral production includes clays, limestone, marble, sand, and gravel for the construction industry. There is also some placer mining of gold. Belize relies heavily on imports for its mineral fuels, fossil fuels, and electricity but also generates some of its electricity domestically through the use of fuelwood, firewood, and other biomass products. Bagasse, a by-product of sugarcane, has been used for fuel. Belize has adopted renewable-energy technologies and is connected to a power grid in Mexico. In the early 21st century the Chalillo hydroelectric dam, covering about 3 square miles (8 square km), was built on the Macal River in western Belize, despite the safety and environmental concerns of certain groups. The Chalillo Dam’s reservoir has enough water storage capacity to power its own hydroelectric plant and that of nearby Mollejon Dam.

Manufacturing (mainly food products, fertilizers, and textiles) accounts for about one-eighth of the gross national product (GNP). In the latter part of the 20th century, the Belizean government stressed import substitution to promote industrial development. This initiative was not successful, however, because Belizean industry’s overall development strategy remained export-oriented. Fertilizer and animal-feed plants were opened, as well as numerous sawmills, a wire and nail plant, and a roofing-materials plant that serve the construction and furniture-manufacturing industries. Footwear, rum, beer, soft drinks, and cigarettes are also produced. Central to the food-processing industry is the sugar refinery at Tower Hill, the output of which contributes to sugar making up about two-thirds of total exports. Processed citrus, beef, rice, and canned fish are also important. Garment factories utilizing imported fabric produce clothing for the export market.

The Central Bank of Belize oversees the country’s banks and issues the country’s currency, the Belize dollar. Chief trading partners include the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Mexico, Curaƈao, Panama, and certain members of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom), which Belize joined in 1974. The country’s main exports are seafood, sugar, citrus products, bananas, and clothing, and its chief imports include machinery and transport equipment, food, fuels and lubricants, and chemicals. Since the 1990s, Belize has had a substantial trade deficit in goods.

Local GovernmentBelize has two levels of government: a state government and a single-tier local government. Over the last five years, local councils have been formally established and the trend has been towards greater decentralization and autonomy.

A Framework For A Voter EducationThe Objective of “A Framework for Voter Education” is to provide a resource for organizations or individuals who wish to educate Belizeans on the rights and responsibilities of Electors, as well as those desirous of developing curricula in civics. It consists of a collection of salient, topical areas for voter education.

https://www.belize.gov.bz/