Geography
Belize is situated on the Caribbean Sea, south of Mexico and east and north of Guatemala in Central America. The climate is subtropical. Belize covers an area about the size of New Hampshire. Most of the country is heavily forested with various hardwoods. Mangrove swamps and cays along the coast give way to hills and mountains in the interior. The highest point is Victoria Peak, 3,681 ft.

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Population
Today, Belize's population is estimated to be at approximately 273,700. The country is a melting pot of many races and over the years, the muliti-racial make-up has risen through the influx of many people of Central America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. The average Belizian is young, with over 50% of the population being less than 18 years old.

The population census shows that the main ethnic groups - Mestizo, Creole, Ketchi, Yucatec and Mopan Mayas, Garifuna and East Indian - maintain a large percent of Belize's population. Other ethnic groups - German and Dutch Mennonites, Chinese, Arabs and Africans - account for a small percentage of the population. The ethnic groups, however, are heavily intermixed.

Languages
English is the official language of Belize. However, English Creole is widely spoken and remains a distinctive part of everyday conversations for most Belizians. Spanish is also common and is taught in primary and secondary schools in order to further develop bi-lingualism. Spanish is spoken as a mother tongue by the majority of the people in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts north of Belize and the Cayo District in the west. In the southern Districts - Stann Creek and Toledo - there are people whose first language is Garifuna or Maya.

Economy
Belize's per capita average annual income is about $2,000 per person with a large gap between the few wealthy Belizians and the many mid-to-poverty-level citizens.

The opportunities for education and economic advancement are very limited in the rural areas of Belize. Rural primary schools have much higher rates of absenteeism and attrition than urban schools. The demands of agricultural work and the state-charged school tuition often prevent many children from attending school. Furthermore, all but three secondary schools are located in Belize City or other major district towns.

Although only a small fraction of the land is cultivated, agriculture provides about 75% of Belize's exports, the chief of which are sugar, citrus fruits and fish. Clothing and woods are also important products and export items, and tourism and construction are increasingly significant to the economy.

Government
A parliamentary democracy, Belize has a bicameral legislature with a senate and a national assembly. The government is headed by a prime minister, while the titular head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by a governor-general. The country is divided into six administrative districts.

History
In 1993, archaeologists discovered evidence of a farming community in Belize dating from 2500–1100 B.C. The Mayas first settled in the area some 200 to 300 years later, and a few ancient Maya cities still survive. The region was probably traversed by Cortés on his way to Honduras, but the Spanish made no attempt at colonization. British buccaneers, who used the cays to prey on Spanish shipping, founded Belize (early 17th century). British settlers from Jamaica began the exploitation of timber. Spain contested British possession several times until defeated at the last battle of St. George's Cay (1798). From 1862 to 1884, the colony was administered by the governor of Jamaica.

Guatemala long claimed the territory as part of its inheritance from Spain. As Belize progressed toward independence, the tension between Britain and Guatemala over the issue increased. In 1964, the colony gained complete internal self-government, and in 1981, Belize achieved independence, a development that prompted Guatemala to threaten war. Relations improved, however, and in September, 1991, Guatemala officially recognized Belize's independence and sovereignty. Nonetheless, a British force aimed at guaranteeing independence remained in the country until September, 1994. The poorly defined border, however, remained a source of tension. In 1993, Manuel Esquivel of the United Democratic party became prime minister; he was replaced in 1998 by Said Musa of the People's United party. In 2000, under the sponsorship of the Organization of the American States, Belize and Guatemala began negotiations to end their territorial dispute and in 2002, they reached agreement on a draft settlement, which must be approved by national referendums. Musa's party was returned to power in the March, 2003 parliamentary elections.