127 Belize Facts That Every Traveler Should Know

Belize is a country that is located in Central America.

The Belize dollar is the national currency of this country. The system of justice is quite justified in this island nation, and the highest appeal court is the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Belize has around 450 islands that are called Cayes. While most of them are uninhabited, these islands together are known as 'Jewel In The Heart Of The Caribbean Basin'.

The national animal of this country is the tapir, which is a horse rhinoceros. A tapir is a hybrid offspring of a horse and a rhinoceros. Famous pop singer Madonna once wrote a song based on this country.

'La Isla Bonita' by Madonna was a song that was based on the city of San Pedro. Belize is the only Central American country that has English as its official language.

Previously, Belize City was the capital of this wonderful country, but in 1973 it was changed to Belmopan. The barrier reef of Belize has been listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Organization for Education and Culture, or UNESCO.

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Fun Facts About Belize

Every country is unique and thus has its own fun and cool facts. The same also applies to Belize. Let us check out some of the finest facts about this Central American country, which is located near the Caribbean coast.

The people of this country in Central America are extremely superstitious. These beliefs have been imbibed into the present generation over the years by the ancient generations. The Belizean Creole and Garifuna societies are avid believers in mysticism and follow numerous beliefs and rituals for leading a peaceful life.

The Belizean people have numerous traditions that have their roots in British customs. The European settlement in Latin America marked the rise of the British colony as a time when travelers from the British empire set out to travel the world.

Over the course of time, numerous British customs and formalities are still followed today, such as locking thumbs, which is depicted as a greeting among the people.

A limestone mountain can be seen in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. This limestone mountain depicts a sleeping giant.

This country, located in the Caribbean basin, is an accumulation of numerous ethnic groups. Each group has its own respective cultures and traditions. Some of these groups, like Garinagu, Mennonites, the Mestizo, and Creole, have settled in Belize after escaping war, prosecution, and captivity.

Ironically, the largest building in this country is not a cloud-kissing skyscraper but rather a centuries-old Mayan pyramid. The pyramid of Canaa is almost 140 ft (42.6 m) in length.

Historical Facts About Belize

A nation that old is bound to have a rich history, and the nation of Belize is no exception to the same. Here we will venture into some of the most enthralling historical facts about Belize.

It is assumed that the Mayan civilization flourished in this country, located by the Caribbean Sea in Central America, for centuries (1500 BC-900 AD). The colonization of Belize started in the early 1500s and continued till the middle of the 1800s with the advent of the Spanish fleet. After the Spanish colonization, the British period began.

In 1970, Belize moved its entire capital. The largest city in Belize is Belize City.

It was the former capital, located near the Belize River, but was destroyed by Hurricane Hattie in 1961, and, as a result, the capital was shifted to Belmopan. Till June of 1973, this country had a different name. Earlier, it was known as British Honduras, and post-1973, British Honduras changed to today's Belize.

The Battle of St. George's Caye took place from September 3, 1798, to September 10, 1798, between the Spanish and the British. The battle marked the end of the Spanish conquest in Belize as they were defeated by the Britishers.

And thus, September 10th is celebrated as the national day of the country. The famous Ambergris Caye Island, which was an ideal place to hide boats and ships that attacked the Spanish armada during the wars of the 17th century, is now known for being a popular tourist spot among the other small islands that make up Belize.

This nation is hugely popular for the sheer number of ruins and caves it contains.

Almost 900 ancient Mayan ruins can be found, along with numerous spooky caves that serve as a delight for travelers. It should be kept in mind that the tallest and the second tallest buildings in Belize are not high-rise buildings, but rather Mayan pyramids and monuments.

Facts About Belize's Tourism

Belize tourism has flourished extremely well in the recent past. It's now playing the second largest role in the nation's economy. Reportedly, Belize has now attracted around one million tourists every year since 2012, and for good reasons.

Belize is a beautiful country situated on the coast of Central America. The coastal country holds such beautiful gems, like the second largest barrier reef in the world.

The United Nations Organization for Education and Culture, or UNESCO, has even declared this beautiful place as a World Heritage for Mankind. One of the most beautiful yet scary wonders of the world is sea sinkholes, and Belize holds the largest among them.

The Great Blue Hole of Belize is located about 43.5 mi (70 km) away from Belize City, at the center of the Lighthouse Reef. The sinkhole is round and around 406.8 ft (124 m) deep.

The country also has 450 cayes. These cayes are small islands that are a part of the country and have government-appointed watchmen on each of these islands. Interestingly, the country has some places with very unusual names, like the False Vampire Bat trek, the Coral Eyed Butterfly waterfall, and the Old Moon Monkey Forest.

The mainland is home to around 500 different bird species, and the Belize Barrier Reef is home to more than 450 species of fish. They have the only Jaguar reserve in the world, and you can also hear screaming monkeys from miles away.

Hence, the country is an absolute delight for animal-loving people. The country is so diverse and full of all kinds of people from all around the world. However, amazingly, the official language of the country is English.

Although the people of the country are so diverse, reportedly, about 90% of the total population of the country can speak and read in either Creole, Spanish, or English. Belize is a coastal country, and 450 islands are part of this place.

Hence, it's a subtropical country, and the mean temperature of this place annually is about 80 °F (26.6 °C). Interestingly, the country actually falls in the Central Standard Time zone, so the people don't require daylight saving time.

Facts About Belize's Food

A new place means a new experience and, thus, new food. New food essentially refers to a new experience for your tastebuds. Let us check out some of the best and finest Belizean cuisines.

There is no specific Belize cuisine that will distinguish them from others. Belizean cuisine is known for being influenced by a mixture of many cultures, like Mexican, American, French, Caribbean, and Spanish.

However, there are some dishes that stand out from the others. The most interesting thing about Belizean food is that gibnut, which is a kind of rodent, is one of the most loved and prized foods of the Belize people.

Belizean people consider and call it the 'royal rat' mainly because when Queen Elizabeth II visited the country in 1985 as a newly independent nation, they served gibnut to the queen. Belize is a Caribbean country situated on the east coast of Central America.

The advantage of being a coastal country means a lot of seafood delights on their menu.

That's why you should try out some especially delicious seafood dishes like grilled lobster, seafood boil ups, conch fritters, ceviche, and grilled fish. Conch fritters are also adapted from Caribbean cuisine, as are dishes like classic rice and beans, chicken escabeche, and many more.

Being close to Mexico, the food is also highly influenced by Mexican cuisine. The Belizean people have adopted some Mexican dishes as their own, and if you visit the country, you should definitely try some of these dishes like chimole, tamales, salbutes, Conchita pibil, and more.

There are many more classic dishes that are found in Belize that have their roots all around the world, but if you try the ones found in the country, you'll never be able to forget them.

Some of them are garnache, stewed chicken made with local spices, fry jacks with a side of Johnny cakes, Belizean rum cake, meat pies, and more. You can gulp down all these foods with classic blackberry, craboo, cashew, and other fruit wines, the special Belizean kind, and for all the beer-loving folks, they also have the Belize-special Belikin beer.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Belize facts, then why not take a look at Cambodia facts, or Colorado facts.