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Culturally & geographically Belize is Central American but keeps some ties to the Caribbean Islands.

The population consists of: Latinos, Creole, Maya, Garifuna and thousands of settlers from myriad ethnic backgrounds including European, North American, and Asian.

Belize is a former British colony, that was originally settled by the Mayans.

Belize is the only nation in Central America with a British colonial heritage.

It is the only member of the British Commonwealth of Nations in its region.

Prime Minister|

Cabinet/ \

H.O.R & Senate|

Central Government

Parliamentary democracy with two major political parties, the People's United Party (PUP), and the United Democratic Party (UDP). The UDP currently holds power, led by Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow (took office 7 February 7 2008). the Belize Constitution (this will open a new window where you can download the document in PDF format) includes a Bill of Rights.

The Executive Branch of government consists of the Governor General, the Prime Minister and The Cabinet. The Governor General's role is ceremonial. The executive authority of Belize is vested in the Queen of England as the Head of State, who appoints the Governor General to represent her in Belize. The appointment is made on the "advice" of Belize's Prime Minister.

Explore dozens of inland cities, towns and villages and sample Belize culture, scenery, cuisine and historic sights

Lounge out by the beach, SCUBA dive or just snorkel - the Belize Barrier reef extends the entire coast of Belize making for protected waters and teeming sights unmatched in the Western Hemisphere.

Belize is big on eco tourism and conservation and is home the world's first Jaguar Preserve and has over a dozen conservation parks.

One U.S. dollar equals two Belize dollars.

However, increased borrowing by government has led to growing pressure on this official exchange peg.

After 1986 the Belizean economy improved dramatically, in part because of the adjustment program implemented by the government.

Tourism contributor to the growth of the ecomonics as well as the sugar market.

Sugar makes up nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer.

Growth slipped to 3.8% in 2008 as a result of the global slowdown, natural disasters, and the drop in the price of oil.

Estimated GDP per capita in 2008 was $8,600. Unemployment stood at 8.5% in 2007, down from 9.4% in 2006.

The 2005 Budget set a fiscal deficit target of 3% of GDP, and proposed a series of unpopular revenue raising measures such as increased levies on businesses and professionals in order to help achieve this.

In August 2006, then Prime Minister Said Musa announced that the servicing of the country's debt, which accounts for 90% of its GDP, was "no longer a viable option" on existing terms. Consequently, the government has rearranged its debt, and announced in February 2007 that it had successfully closed the exchange of its commercial external debt for new bonds due in 2029. The new bonds are denominated in US dollars, and provide for step-up coupons that have been set at 4.25% per annum for the first three years after issuance.

Foreign AidForeign Aid Belize had close and cordial relations

with the United States, which was a leading trading partner and principal source of foreign investment and economic assistance. As early as the 1940s, leaders of the anticolonial movement sought close ties with the United States, not only to pressure and embarrass Britain, but also to try to eliminate the colonial government's pro-British trade and economic policies, which were detrimental to many Belizeans.

Since independence, Price and the PUP have charted a foreign policy that proclaimed Belize's nonalignment and affirmed the country's special relationship with the United States.

The PUP's favorable attitude toward the United States probably reflects the country's colonial experience, which cast Britain, rather than the United States, as the main obstacle to national sovereignty.

The PUP and the UDP were in broad agreement on the country's relationship with the United States, so the PUP's defeat in 1984 did not upset ties between the United States and Belize.

On the contrary, the business-oriented UDP was highly favorable to the ideological outlook of the United States in the 1980s, and the Esquivel government was eager to implement free-market policies to attract United States investment.

United States foreign policy objectives in Belize included the promotion of economic development and political stability under democratic institutions, the promotion of United States commercial interests, the suppression of narcotics trafficking, and the continuation of the marijuana eradication program

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, United States foreign assistance to Belize totaled between US$9.3 million and US$10.7 million a year, a sharp decline from 1985, when it totaled US$25.7 million.

Exports!Exports! Belize used to be known as a

great timber exporter (they exported logwood and mahogany).

Today, the biggest export is sugar and accounts for almost half of Belize's exports.

Other major imports include wood, bananas, oranges, and lobster. The largest employer for the country is the banana industry.

However, the banana industry was severely impacted by Hurricane Iris in 2000.

The tourism industry, is Belize's newest and fastest growing industry.

DiscriminationDiscrimination Ethnic discrimination in Belize has

predominantly been a Creole orchestrated affair. The Port Town Creoles, who run the country of Belize, have always looked down on Caribs, East Indians, Chinese, Mestizos and the true Maya who seem to be at the bottom of the heap. The only ones who don't get discriminated against by port town Creoles, are the very few white skinned, relatively pure Spanish and North American immigrants.

The laws of Belize are Creole laws, biased for city dwellers in Belize City. They might work in that city, but often have little relevance to other cultures in other rural villages. There is no provision for other ethnic cultures to veto the making of laws that go counter to their cultures. Not even a smidging of debate! Laws should be national in scope, not for one Creole group deciding for every other cultural ethnic group.

When it comes time to apportion school supplies, the Creole schools get everything, a few others in easy to reach places, like the Mestizos of Orange Walk and Corozal Town also get better school supplies

Take a look at the laws of Belize. The Creoles of the port town and they run Belmopan the capital also, make all kinds of laws to govern the way Creoles live their lives in that city; but you look at any other rural district villages where East Indians live, or Maya, or Mestizos and try to make sense of the Creole laws made for their town of Belize City cultural ethnic customs and cultural way of life and see how mismatched these Creole laws are to the ethnic cultures of other groups in the nation.

BibliographyBibliography

http://www.belize1.com/BzLibrary/trust306.html

http://www.lowtax.net/lowtax/html/jbzcfir.html

http://www.belize.com/currency-converter.html