Belize – from Maya city-states to an independent Caribbean nation
Belize lies in the heartland of the ancient Maya world. Cities such as Caracol, Lamanai and Altun Ha flourished here during the Classic period, supported by sophisticated farming, long-distance trade and monumental architecture. Although many of these cities later declined, Maya communities still lived in the region when Europeans arrived.
Spain claimed the area in the sixteenth century but never firmly settled it. From the seventeenth century British buccaneers and loggers, the so-called Baymen, established themselves along the coast, cutting logwood and later mahogany with the labour of enslaved Africans. In 1798 the settlers repelled a Spanish attack at the Battle of St. George's Caye. In the nineteenth century the settlement became the colony of British Honduras, while Garifuna, refugees from the Caste War in Yucatán and other groups added to the population's diversity.
In the twentieth century a nationalist movement led by George Price pushed for self-government. The country took the name Belize in 1973 and gained independence in 1981, remaining a member of the Commonwealth. A long-standing territorial dispute with Guatemala has shaped its foreign relations and is being addressed through international legal channels.
Today Belize is shaped by its many cultures – Kriol, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, Mennonite and others – and by the barrier reef and rainforests that draw visitors from around the world.
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