Belize's Long Road To Independence

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, has been an independent country since 21 September 1981. It was the last British colony on the American mainland and is now a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as its monarch and head of state.

Belize's independence from the UK

Belize, previously known as British Honduras, became independent from the United Kingdom on the 21st of September 1981.

The road to independence was a long and arduous one, marked by a unique international campaign against the irredentist claims of neighbouring Guatemala. Belize's prolonged path to independence began in the 1960s, when the United States attempted and ultimately failed to mediate a dispute between Belize and Guatemala over contested Belizean territory. This dispute dated back to an 1859 treaty between Imperial Spain and Great Britain.

In 1963, Guatemala broke off talks and ended diplomatic relations with Britain. Talks between the two countries started and stopped abruptly during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1973, the colony's name was changed from British Honduras to Belize in anticipation of independence. In 1975, the Belizean and British governments, frustrated by dealing with the military-dominated regimes in Guatemala, agreed on a new strategy to take the case for self-determination to various international forums.

In 1981, Belizean leaders stated their case for self-determination at a meeting of the heads of Commonwealth of Nations governments, the conference of ministers of the Nonaligned Movement, and at meetings of the United Nations (UN). In November 1980, with Guatemala completely isolated, the UN passed a resolution demanding the independence of Belize.

A last-ditch attempt was made to reach an agreement with Guatemala before Belize's independence. The Belizean representatives to the talks made no concessions, and a proposal called the Heads of Agreement was initialled on the 11th of March 1981. However, when ultraright political forces in Guatemala labelled the proponents as sellouts, the Guatemalan government refused to ratify the agreement and withdrew from the negotiations.

Belize became an independent state on the 21st of September 1981, without reaching an agreement with Guatemala. The independence ceremony was boycotted by the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), which had ironically resisted the call for independence. The UDP later became the government of Belize—a position it could not have achieved without independence.

Belize's independence was recognised by the United States on the 29th of October 1981, when the Consulate General Belize was raised to Embassy status. After several months of negotiations with Great Britain and Guatemala, Belize achieved full independence from the United Kingdom.

Guatemala's territorial claim

Guatemala has claimed sovereignty over Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, for over 150 years. The dispute between the two Central American neighbours arises from several treaties signed between Britain and Spain in the late 1600s and throughout the 1700s. Both nations agreed that modern-day Belize was under Spanish sovereignty, but British settlers could use the land for specific purposes. The treaties also set boundaries that the British settlers continually expanded beyond.

In 1821, the Spanish Empire was losing its grip on Central America, and newly independent countries in the region claimed they had inherited Spain's sovereign rights in the area. Guatemala's claim was twofold: they either claimed all of the Bay of Honduras (as it was called then) or shared claims with Mexico, splitting the land along the Sibun River.

In 1859, Britain and Guatemala signed the Wyke-Aycinena Treaty, which recognised British sovereignty over the area and formed the modern-day boundary lines of Belize. However, Guatemala later renewed its claims on the area, arguing that Britain had broken its promise to build a mutually beneficial road.

In 1981, Belize gained independence from Britain, but Guatemala refused to recognise the new nation because of its longstanding territorial dispute. Guatemala's claim involves approximately 53% of Belize's mainland, which includes significant portions of four districts: Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo.

In 2008, Belize and Guatemala agreed to hold simultaneous referendums to determine whether to submit the issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The referendums passed in both countries by May 2019. As of June 2022, both countries are settling the dispute at the ICJ, with each submitting their initial briefs to the organisation. The court is not expected to rule until 2025 at the earliest.

Belize's name change from British Honduras

Belize, a country on the northeastern coast of Central America, was known as British Honduras from 1862 until June 1973.

The origin of the name "Belize" is still a mystery, but there are several theories. One theory suggests that the name is derived from the Mayan language. The Maya referred to the rivers in Belize as "Balix", meaning "muddy waters", which some historians believe evolved into the word "Belize". Another theory involves a European buccaneer named Peter Wallace, who discovered the mouth of the Belize River in 1638 and started his own settlement. It is believed that Wallace named his settlement after himself, but the Spaniards struggled to pronounce the letter "w" and so his name was altered to "Belix", and eventually, "Belize".

In 1862, the Settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras was declared a British colony called British Honduras, and the Crown's representative was elevated to a lieutenant governor, subordinate to the governor of Jamaica. This marked the beginning of British Honduras as a formal colony.

In June 1973, British Honduras was officially renamed Belize, in anticipation of independence. The name change was part of the process of decolonization and the movement towards self-governance. Belize achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on September 21, 1981, becoming the last British colony on the American mainland.

The name change from British Honduras to Belize reflected the country's evolving identity and its movement towards independence. The new name, "Belize", honored the country's history and brought a sense of pride and joy to its people.

The country's Mayan history

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, is a country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. The Maya civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC and AD 300 and flourished until about 1200.

The Maya civilization was one of the most dominant Indigenous societies of Mesoamerica. The Maya were centred in one geographical block covering all of the Yucatan Peninsula and modern-day Guatemala, Belize, and parts of the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas, and the western part of Honduras and El Salvador. This concentration showed that the Maya remained relatively secure from invasion by other Mesoamerican peoples.

The Maya lived in three separate sub-areas with distinct environmental and cultural differences: the northern Maya lowlands on the Yucatan Peninsula; the southern lowlands in the Peten district of northern Guatemala and adjacent portions of Mexico, Belize and western Honduras; and the southern Maya highlands, in the mountainous region of southern Guatemala.

The Maya were keen observers of the sun, stars, and planets. They built a variety of structures, including temples, palaces, ballcourts, pyramids, and observatories. They also developed a highly sophisticated writing system, mathematics, and astronomy.

The Maya had a diverse and sophisticated method of food production. They practiced agriculture, growing crops such as corn, beans, squash, and cassava. They also used advanced techniques of irrigation and terracing.

The Maya religion was polytheistic, with important gods including Itzamná, the supreme deity and original creator god; the Feathered Serpent, known as Kukulkan; and Bolon Tzacab, the god of royal descent.

The Maya civilization declined precipitously around 900 CE, and the great cities and ceremonial centres were abandoned and overgrown with jungle vegetation. Scholars have suggested that armed conflicts, the exhaustion of agricultural land, deforestation, and drought may have been responsible for the sudden decline.

Belize's economy and trade

Belize has a small, developing, free-market economy that is based primarily on tourism, agriculture, and services. Belize gained its independence from the UK on 21 September 1981, and has been working to expand its economy since the 1990s.

Agriculture and Fishing

Belize has about 8,090 km2 of arable land, but only a small fraction of this is under cultivation. Most farms are smaller than 100 acres (40 hectares), and many of them are milpas (temporary forest clearings). The remaining farms or plantations are devoted to the raising of crops for export, such as sugarcane, citrus fruits, bananas, maize, rice, kidney beans, papayas, and habanero peppers.

Belize's forest has been largely destroyed by logging, but 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.

Fishing cooperatives in Belize export substantial amounts of seafood to the US, and aquaculture, especially shrimp farming, is significant.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing (mainly food products, fertilisers, and textiles) accounts for about one-eighth of the gross national product (GNP). In the late 20th century, the Belizean government stressed import substitution to promote industrial development, but this was not successful. However, some manufacturing plants were opened, including a sugar refinery, a wire and nail plant, and a roofing-materials plant.

Trade

Belize has a growing trade deficit, largely due to low export prices for sugar and bananas. 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.

The US is Belize's largest trading partner, followed by the UK, China, Mexico, Curaçao, Panama, and certain members of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom).

Economic Challenges

Belize's economy faces challenges such as high labour and energy costs, a small domestic market, and a scarcity of infrastructure investments. The country is also susceptible to external market changes, including fluctuations in world commodity prices and preferential trading agreements.

Belize has been severely affected by global inflationary trends, with inflation rising from 0.1% in 2020 to 6.3% in 2022. The national debt-to-GDP ratio fell by 10% in 2022 due to international debt-relief programs and tighter control of public funds.

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