Battle of Backbone Mountain

The Belize Portal

Belize (/bɪˈliːz, bɛ-/ ^ⓘ, bih-LEEZ, beh-; Belize Kriol English: Bileez) is a country on the north-eastern 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. It also shares a water boundary with Honduras to the southeast.

The Maya civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC and AD 300 and flourished until about 1200. European contact began in 1502–04 when Christopher Columbus sailed along the Gulf of Honduras. European exploration was begun by English settlers in 1638. Spain and Britain both laid claim to the land until Britain defeated the Spanish in the Battle of St. George's Caye (1798). It became a British colony in 1840, and a Crown colony in 1862. Belize achieved its independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981. It is the only mainland Central American country which is a Commonwealth realm, with King Charles III as its monarch and head of state, represented by a governor-general. (Full article...)

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A Major Event in the Political Campaign for Nationalism

The Nationalist Movement seeking independence for Belize (then called British Honduras) first arose in the 1930s and 1940s. Three groups played important roles in developing the movement. One group consisted of working-class individuals and emphasised labour issues. This group originated with Antonio Soberanis Gómez and the Labourers and Unemployed Association (LUA) between 1934 and 1937 and continued through the General Workers Union (GWU). The second group, a radical black nationalist movement, emerged during World War II. Its leaders came from the LUA and the local branch of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). This group called itself variously the British Honduras Independent Labour Party, the People's Republican Party, and the People's National Committee. The third group consisted of people such as the Christian Social Action Group (CSAG) who engaged in electoral politics within the narrow limits defined by the constitution. From the 1950s onwards the nationalist movement came to be dominated by the People's United Party which led the country to independence in 1981. (Full article...)

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Image 1Caye Caulker is located in the beautiful world heritage Belize Barrier Reef
Image 2San Pedro Beach in Ambergris Caye, Belize, 2007
Image 3A view of New River, Belize
Image 4A view of Orange Walk Town
Image 5Aerial view of Corozal Town
Image 6An aerial view of Belize City
Image 7A view at Laughing Bird Caye
Image 8The New River near its estuary into the Caribbean Sea (Corozal District, Belize)
Image 9An aerial view of Caye Caulker
Image 10A collage of San Pedro, Belize
Image 11A satellite image of Belize, March 2002

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The following are images from various Belize-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Map of Belize's exclusive economic zone (from Geography of Belize)
Image 2The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 3Half Moon Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 41790 map of territory conceded by Spain to British settlers for cutting timber. (from History of Belize)
Image 5Riot police and protesters during the unrest in 2005. (from History of Belize)
Image 6High Temple at Lamanai (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 7High Temple at Altun Ha (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 8The flag of British Honduras. (from History of Belize)
Image 9Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 10Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 11Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 12Little Guana Caye plays host to the largest colony of reddish egrets in the Caribbean. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 13Thousand Foot Falls actually stand at about 1,600 feet high. It is the highest waterfall in Central America. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 14The flag of Belize, originally adopted in 1922. (from History of Belize)
Image 15Almond Beach, Hopkins (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 16Biodiversity is an asset for ecotourism. A red-lored amazon (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 17Barton Creek Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 18Sarstoon Kekchi Mayan village (from History of Belize)
Image 19Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 20The Great Blue Hole is one of the most recognisable natural features in Belize. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 21Belize electricity supply by source (from Economy of Belize)
Image 22Maya fisherwomen in British Honduras, beginning of the 20th century. (from History of Belize)
Image 23Che Chem Ha Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 24Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 25St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 26Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 27Sapodilla Cayes (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 28Men working in the mahogany industry, around 1930. (from History of Belize)
Image 29St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 30The Great Blue Hole is a prime ecotourism destination. A World Heritage Site, ranked among the top 10 nominees for the world's New 7 Wonders of Nature. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 31San Antonio Falls (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 32Köppen climate classification zones of Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 33Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 34Sarteneja (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 35Beachront of Ramon's Village, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 36The "Split" at Caye Caulker, Caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 37Zip-lining in the jungles of Belize (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 38Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 39St. John's Cathedral (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 40Maya Beach, Placencia (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 411831 map of Belize by Daniel Lizars (from History of Belize)
Image 42Rio Frio Cave (from Tourism in Belize)