Belize: Spanish Influence, Caribbean Charm

Belize is a country in Central America, with a rich history and diverse culture. While it is not a Spanish country, Spanish influence is evident in its past and present.

In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors explored and claimed Belize for Spain, incorporating it into the Spanish Empire. However, they faced resistance from the indigenous Maya people and decided not to settle permanently due to a lack of resources. The Spanish attempted to evangelise the Maya and establish settlements, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain and Spain disputed control over Belize, with the Spanish expelling the English from the Belize River delta area in 1717. The struggle continued until the Battle of St. George's Caye in 1798, where the British defeated the Spanish and retained access to the area.

Belize became a British colony in 1862 and gained independence in 1981. Today, English is the official language, but Belize is home to a diverse range of languages, including Spanish, Kriol, and Mayan dialects. The country's population consists of various ethnic groups, including Mestizos, Creoles, Maya, Garifuna, and more, reflecting its multicultural heritage.

While Belize is not a Spanish country in terms of official language or colonial heritage, Spanish influence has left a mark on its history, culture, and demographics.

Belize's Spanish and British rule

Belize's history dates back thousands of years, with the Maya civilisation flourishing in the region from 1500 BC to 1200 AD. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors and missionaries began exploring the area, claiming it as part of the Spanish Empire. However, due to the lack of resources and resistance from the Maya people, the Spanish did not successfully settle the territory. Instead, they established a few colonial outposts and frequently fought against the Maya.

In the 17th century, English pirates and settlers began to arrive in Belize, attracted by the abundance of logwood. This led to a colonial rivalry between Spain and Britain, with Spain attempting to maintain its monopoly over trade and colonisation in the New World. The Spanish repeatedly tried to expel the British from the region, but a series of treaties in 1763 and 1786 allowed the British to remain and continue harvesting timber.

The British established a permanent settlement in the late 1710s and gradually expanded their presence in Belize. In 1798, the Battle of St. George's Caye marked a turning point, with the British defeating the Spanish and securing their dominance in the area. However, the territory remained officially Spanish until the early 19th century.

In the 1820s, the British declared Belize a colony, and it officially became a British colony in 1840. The colony, known as British Honduras, was a valuable source of timber, particularly mahogany, and attracted British investors. The British abolished slavery in the colony in 1833, but the working conditions for formerly enslaved Africans remained harsh and restrictive.

During the 19th century, Belize continued to be a site of colonial rivalry, with the British and Spanish competing for influence. The situation changed when Mexico and the Federal Republic of Central America gained independence from Spain, and Britain officially recognised Mexico in 1825. This marked the end of Spanish influence in the region, and Belize became firmly established as a British colony.

In the late 19th century, the colony of British Honduras faced economic challenges due to the decline of the mahogany trade and failed attempts to develop plantation agriculture. The situation improved briefly in the early 20th century with new demands for forest products from the United States. However, the Great Depression in the 1930s once again led to economic depression and widespread unemployment in Belize.

Belize remained a British colony until it gained independence in 1981, becoming the only mainland Central American country within the Commonwealth. Today, Belize has a diverse society with a variety of cultural and linguistic influences, including Spanish, Maya, Creole, Garifuna, and English.

The Belize-Guatemala border dispute

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, and Guatemala share a border in Central America. The Belize-Guatemala border dispute is one of the oldest territorial feuds in the Americas. It stems from colonial documents, first between the United Kingdom and Spain, and later between the United Kingdom, on behalf of British Honduras (Belize), and independent Guatemala.

During the late 1600s and throughout the 1700s, Britain and Spain signed several treaties regarding territories in the Americas. Both nations agreed that the territory of modern-day Belize was under Spanish sovereignty, although British settlers could use the land in specific areas and for specific purposes. The area was never fully under British or Spanish rule at this time, and British settlers continually expanded beyond the boundaries set by the treaties.

When the Spanish Empire fell, Guatemala claimed it inherited Spain's sovereign rights over the territory. Since its independence in the 19th century, Guatemala has claimed, in whole or in part, the territory of Belize.

Guatemala and Britain negotiated the Wyke-Aycinena Treaty in 1859 regarding the disputed area. The treaty stated that Guatemala would recognise British sovereignty over the region and formed the modern-day boundary lines of Belize. The treaty also included an article about building a mutually beneficial road, although this never came to fruition.

Throughout the 20th century, tensions flared up intermittently between Guatemala and British Honduras. In 1931, a series of notes were exchanged between Guatemala and the UK, confirming concrete markers implementing part of the 1859 border lines, showing that the treaty was being upheld by both parties at this point. Less than 10 years later, Guatemala renewed its claims on the area, using the broken promise of the road as justification for the 1859 treaty to be void.

In the decades that followed, many negotiations took place to attempt to resolve the dispute. In 1981, Belize gained independence, although Guatemala did not recognise this until the early 1990s. In 1999, Guatemala shifted its stance back to inheriting claims from the Spanish Empire and the Federal Republic of Central America.

In 2008, Guatemala and Belize made a pact to have simultaneous referendums for their voters to send 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 now settling the dispute at the ICJ, with both countries having submitted their initial briefs to the organisation. The court is not expected to rule until 2025 at the earliest.

Belize's diverse population

Belize is a diverse country with various cultures and languages. It is the only Central American country where English is the official language, but Belizean Creole is the most widely spoken dialect. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, followed by Mayan languages, German dialects, and Garifuna. Over half the population is multilingual due to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the population.

Belize's population is made up of a dozen or more active cultures, including Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Arab, and Chinese. The Maya are thought to have been in Belize since the second millennium BCE. Three Maya groups inhabit the country: the Yucatec, the Mopan, and the Q'eqchi'. The Belizean Creole population, which makes up about 30% of Belize's population, are primarily mixed-race descendants of West and Central Africans, as well as the English and Scottish log cutters known as the Baymen. Over the years, they have also intermarried with Miskito from Nicaragua, Jamaicans and other Caribbean people, Mestizos, Europeans, Garifunas, and Maya. The Garifuna, who make up around 4.5% of the population, are a mix of West/Central African, Arawak, and Island Carib ancestry. The Mestizo population, which makes up about 37% of Belize's population, are people of mixed Spanish and Yucatec Maya descent. They were the first to bring Catholicism and the Spanish language to Belize. The remaining population includes European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and North American groups.

Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America, with a population of 397,483 as of 2022. It has the lowest population density in Central America, with 35 people per square mile or 14 people per square kilometer. Belize's population growth rate of 1.87% per year is the second-highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. A substantial ethnic-demographic shift has been occurring since the 1980s, with many Creoles moving to the US and a rising Mestizo birth rate and migration from Latin America.

The Belize Barrier Reef

Belize is not a Spanish country. It is a Commonwealth realm with King Charles III as its monarch and head of state. While Spanish is the second-most-commonly spoken language in Belize, Belizean Creole is the most widely spoken dialect.

• 70 hard coral species
• 36 soft coral species
• Hundreds of invertebrate species

The reef also boasts three distinct Caribbean atolls: Turneffe Atoll, Glover's Reef, and Lighthouse Reef. Lighthouse Reef is home to the Great Blue Hole, made famous by Jacques Cousteau in 1970.

Despite protective measures, the reef remains under threat from oceanic pollution, uncontrolled tourism, shipping, and fishing. Other threats include hurricanes, global warming, and the resulting increase in ocean temperatures, which causes coral bleaching.

Belize's official languages

Belize is the only Central American country with English as its official language. However, Belize is home to a diverse society composed of many cultures and languages. Belizean Creole is the most widely spoken dialect, with Spanish being the second-most-commonly-spoken language, followed by Mayan languages, German dialects, and Garifuna. Over half the population is multilingual due to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the people.

The first European contact with Belize occurred in 1502 when Christopher Columbus reached the area's coast. In 1638, the first European settlement was established by England, and for 150 years, many more English settlements were set up. Belize became a British colony in 1840 and a Crown colony in 1862. Belize achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981.

The Spanish conquistadors originally explored Belize and claimed it for Spain, but they decided not to settle due to a lack of resources. The Spanish did, however, settle in Belize in 1544, in Lamanai, where the first church was built in 1570. The Spanish colonists often fought against the Maya, who were affected by slavery and diseases carried by the Spanish.

In the 1840s, thousands of Maya people and mestizos fled to Belize from the Caste War. About 7,000 Mexican mestizos immigrated during this time. In the late 1800s, the Mopan returned to Belize, fleeing enslavement and taxation in Petén.

According to a 2022 survey, 52.1% of the Belizean population is Hispanic: 37% Mestizo and 15% Latin American. Belizeans of full or partial Hispanic and Latin American descent currently account for around 52.9% of Belize's population.

Belize's diverse linguistic landscape is reflected in its many ways of saying "good morning":

• "Gud Mawnin" (Kriol)
• "Buiti Binafi" (Garifuna)
• "Buenos dias" (Spanish)

Frequently asked questions