Transcript Belize A Tourist Destination

Belize
A Tourist
Destination
Beautiful Belize
Belize, northeastern Central
America, bounded on the north
and northwest by Mexico, on the
east by the Caribbean Sea, and
on the south and west by
Guatemala. Belize hosts
protected areas of coral reef and
tropical rainforests, alive with
hundreds of bird species,
colorful fish, exotic plants and
animals.. Belize, until 1973
known as British Honduras,
became independent in 1981
and is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations.
Belize has six districts. Each one has elected
officials responsible for representing the people of
the area. Each district has a main town which acts
as the center of government for that portion of
Belize. Each town has elected officials responsible
for local services. Even village councils and village
leaders are elected. Every citizen 18 and over can
vote.
English, the official language, is spoken by virtually
all except the most recently arrived refugees.
Belize is a parliamentary democracy on the
Westminster model and is a member of the
Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is head of
state and is represented in the country by
Governor General Dr. Colville N. Young, Sr., a
Belizean and Belize's second governor general. The
primary executive organ of government is the
cabinet, led by a prime minister.
Quick Facts about Belize
Area: 22,966 sq km
Population: 266,440
Capital City: Belmopan
Religion: Catholic (50%), Protestant
(27%)
Government: parliamentary democracy
Head of State: Governor General Sir
Colville Young
Head of Government: Prime Minister
Said Musa
GDP: US$1.28 billion
GDP per capita: US$4,900
Inflation: 1.9%
Major Industries: Sugar, bananas, fish
products, garment production, food
processing, timber, tourism,
construction.
Major Trading Partners: USA, UK,
Mexico, Canada
The small population of Belize is culturally diverse.
This multiplicity of ethnicities, languages, religions,
modes of dress, cuisines, styles of music, and
folklore reflects the cultural mix. There are many
ethnically distinct communities, but people of
different groups also mix in many social contexts: at
work, in schools, and in the political parties that are
not ethnically based.
Belize is truly a melting pot of Central America.
Some of the major cultures represented in Belize
include: Creole, Mayan, Garifuna, East Indian,
Mennonite, Chinese and European/Mestizo. About
44.1% of the population is of mixed Mayan and
European descent (mestizo); 31% are of African and
Afro-European (Creole) ancestry; about 9.2% are
Mayan; and about 6.2% are Afro-Amerindian
(Garifuna). The remainder, about 9.2%, includes
European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and
North American Groups.
Some 59 percent of Belize is covered by forests.
Deciduous trees are found in the north; tropical
hardwood trees predominate in the south. Principal
species include the commercially important
mahogany, cedar, and rosewood, as well as pine,
oak, and palms. Mangrove swamp vegetation is
found along the coast. Wildlife includes jaguar,
deer, tapir, and numerous species of birds and
reptiles.
The mountains rise to heights of about 1,100
meters, with the highest point being Victoria Peak
(1,120 meters) in the Cockscomb Mountains.
Covered with shallow, highly erodible soils of low
fertility, these heavily forested highlands are very
sparsely inhabited.
Belize has never really developed a national
cuisine. Its cooking borrows elements from the UK,
the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean. The traditional
staples are rice and beans. These are often eaten
with chicken, pork, beef, fish or vegetables.
Coconut milk and fried plaintain add a tropical
flavor. Exotic traditional foods include armadillo,
venison and fried gibnut (also called paca), a
controversial brown-spotted rodent (similar to a
guinea pig) that conservationist-gourmets won't
touch with a ten foot cassava.
Tourism In Belize
The tourism industry is currently the single largest
employer and contributor to economic growth,
accounting for BZ$222 million or 18% of the total
GDP. Its actual contribution to the economy is
greater, particularly when its indirect impacts are
taken into account.
– 18% of the country's total GDP
– 23% of GDP with indirect benefits compiled
– 25% of total foreign earnings
– Approximately 1 in 4 jobs
Getting Around
Belize has no rail network, so it depends heavily on
small aeroplanes for transport. There are domestic
airports in Belize City, Caye Caulker, Corozal,
Dangriga, Placencia, Punta Gorda and San Pedro.
Bus is the mode of transportation for most
Belizeans, and they travel fairly regularly on the
country's three major roads (between Corozal and
Belize City, between Benque Viejo Del Carmen and
Belize City, and between Belmopan and Dangriga).
Cars can be rented in Belize City if you're at least
25 years old and have a valid driver's license from
your home country. Bicycles and motorbikes can
be hired on the Cayes. Fast and frequent motor
launches connect Belize City with Caye Chapel,
Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye.
Pieces of Belize
The major tourist attractions of Belize includes:
-The Mayan Ruins
- Xunantunich
- Lamanai
- The Cayes
- San Pedro
- Ambergris Caye
The Mayan Civilization is among the elite of all
archaic civilizations. The ancient Mayan sites of
Belize cover the full spectrum of time and diversity.
Belize boasts the oldest known Mayan site; the
longest occupied site; and the largest carved jade
object in all Mayandom.
Over 600 hundred sites have been discovered to
date in Belize. New artifacts and even major sites
seem to be discovered on a regular basis. And
excavation projects are taking place all over Belize
today. While only a fraction of the known sites are
open to the public, those that are accessible will
provide more than a glimpse of how spectacular
this civilization was and how much a part of
Belize's history it is.
Xunantunich
Xunantunich (Stone Maiden), set on a levelled
hilltop near the Belize River, is the archaeological
pride of Belize. The site flourished as a ceremonial
centre and is thought to have been abandoned
after an earthquake damaged it around 900 AD.
The site's tallest building - El Castillo - rises an
impressive 40m (131ft) above the jungle.
Apart from the beauty that the Mayans has offered
us as apart of our tourism, there are many other
exquisites of the country. The pattern of diversity
and high environmental quality of the land also
applies to the coastal zone and marine waters. The
Belize Barrier Reef is the largest in the western
hemisphere and second largest in the world. It is,
however, only part of a complex and largely intact
coastal ecosystem of exceptional value.
The diversity of the marine zone is unique. Three
large coral atolls lie outside the barrier reef. The
continental shelf off Belize ends abruptly in a drop
off that sinks to over 10,000 feet. The barrier reef
runs the entire length of the country and supports
a tremendous number of patch reefs, shoals and
over 1,000 islands called "cayes". Most of these
cayes, and the entire coastline of the country
outside of settlements are protected by huge
forests of mangrove.
Lamanai
This impressive Mayan site is located in its own
archaeological reserve. Its 60 significant structures
include a grand 34m/112ft-high late Preclassic
building, a small temple and a ball court. Lamanai
('submerged crocodile', the original Mayan name of
the place) was occupied from 1500 BC and became
a major ceremonial centre long before most Mayan
sites.
The Maya lived here right up until the arrival of the
Spanish; two ruined Indian churches nearby testify
to the fact that there were still Maya here to be
converted. The 90-minute boat trip up the New
River from Orange Walk to reach the site is an
adventure in itself. The boat passes the Mennonite
community of Shipyard and offers the opportunity
to see plenty of birdlife and crocodiles.
The Cayes
At 290km (180mi) long, Belize's barrier reef is the
longest in the Western Hemisphere. To the west of
the reef are numerous cayes basking in warm
water. The two most popular with travellers are
Caye Caulker for the low-budget and Ambergris
Caye for the more cashed-up resort-oriented.
Caulker's reef is smaller but arguably nicer. Just a
short boat ride from the eastern shore, it offers
some of the world's most exciting diving,
snorkelling and fishing. Underwater visibility can
be an astonishing 60m (197ft) and the coral and
tropical fish are spectacular.
The Cayes and the Belize Reef are a paradise for
water sports enthusiasts, offering all the
swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing,
windsurfing and fishing anyone could ever wish for.
If that's still not enough, travelers can canoe on
the Macal, Mopan and Belize Rivers around San
Ignacio and tube through caves along the
Chiquibul River.
The best hiking trails are in Mountain Pine Ridge
Forest Reserve and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife
Sanctuary. Bird-watchers should check out the
rivers, swamps and lagoons of the Crooked Tree
Wildlife Sanctuary, midway between Belize City
and Orange Walk, which attract flocks of migrating
birds between November and May.
San Pedro
San Pedro, located near the Barrier Reef, is on the
southern tip of Ambergris Caye, some 35 miles from
Belize City. San Pedro streets cover an area six
blocks long and four blocks wide. The white sandy
streets accommodate barefoot pedestrians as well
as bicycles and golf carts San Pedro has become
within the last twenty years, the nation's major
tourist destination. San Pedro is the perfect place
for swimming, diving and snorkeling which is
probably the reason why most tourists come to
Belize. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Bacalar
Chico Marine Reserve lie close by San Pedro.
Mexico Rocks, a beautiful collection of coral heads
also located near San Pedro, is slated for
protection status soon.
Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye, is Belize's most popular island
destination. The island is a very flat, twenty-five
mile long slice of limestone with mangrove on the
west and narrow beaches on the east. Ambergris
Caye was formed from the accumulation of coral
fragments, which formed a shoal patch, by building
up in long lines parallel to the mainland. This
formation is said to have been formed by
submarine geological strata instead of by the flow
of the sea currents. The structure of the Belize
Barrier Reef is such that in the northern parts of
Belize, the reef actually touches Ambergris Caye,
while in the south the reef lies almost 40 miles
from shore.
Now, for the first time we present 4 guided tours
of Belize rich with information and beautiful
photography. Explore Belize’s rich Mayan history;
wander through a sample of our protected areas marine and terrestrial; visit our 6 districts and
their major towns; or tour the entire site.