Portal:Belize

Belize
Belize
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto: "Sub Umbra Floreo" (Latin); "Under the shade I flourish"
	Anthem: "Land of the Free";
ISO 3166 code	BZ

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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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Colha, Belize is a Maya archaeological site located in northern portion of the country, about 52 km. north of Belize City, near the town of Orange Walk. The site is one of the earliest in the Maya region and remains important to the archaeological record of the Maya culture well into the Postclassic Period. According to Palma Buttles, “Archaeological evidence from Colha allows for the interpretation occupation from the Early Preceramic (3400-1900B.C.) to Middle Postclassic (A.D. 1150-1300) with population peaks occurring in the Late Preclassic (400B.C.- A.D. 100) and again in the Late Classic ( A.D. 600-850)”. These peaks in population are directly related to the presence of stone tool workshops at the site. Colha's proximity to an important source of high quality chert that is found in the Cenozoic limestone of the region and well traveled trade routes was utilized by the inhabitants to develop a niche in the Maya trade market that may have extended to the Greater Antilles. During the Late Preclassic and Late Classic periods, Colha served as a primary supplier of worked stone tools for the region. It has been estimated that the 36 workshops at Colha produced nearly 4 million chert and obsidian tools and eccentrics that were dispersed throughout Mesoamerica during the Maya era. This made it an important player in the trade of essential good throughout the area. (Full article...)

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

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

Image 1Maya Beach, Placencia (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 2Zip-lining in the jungles of Belize (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 3Maya fisherwomen in British Honduras, beginning of the 20th century. (from History of Belize)
Image 4The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 5The "Split" at Caye Caulker, Caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 6The 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 71831 map of Belize by Daniel Lizars (from History of Belize)
Image 8The Great Blue Hole is one of the most recognisable natural features in Belize. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 9San Antonio Falls (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 10Map of Belize's exclusive economic zone (from Geography of Belize)
Image 11Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 12Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 13Sarteneja (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 14St. John's Cathedral (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 15Köppen climate classification zones of Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 16St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 17Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 181790 map of territory conceded by Spain to British settlers for cutting timber. (from History of Belize)
Image 19High Temple at Lamanai (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 20St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 21Thousand Foot Falls actually stand at about 1,600 feet high. It is the highest waterfall in Central America. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 22Riot police and protesters during the unrest in 2005. (from History of Belize)
Image 23Barton Creek Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 24Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 25Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 26Beachront of Ramon's Village, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 27The flag of Belize, originally adopted in 1922. (from History of Belize)
Image 28Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 29The flag of British Honduras. (from History of Belize)
Image 30Rio Frio Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 31Sapodilla Cayes (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 32Sarstoon Kekchi Mayan village (from History of Belize)
Image 33Little Guana Caye plays host to the largest colony of reddish egrets in the Caribbean. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 34Half Moon Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 35Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 36Almond Beach, Hopkins (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 37Biodiversity is an asset for ecotourism. A red-lored amazon (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 38Belize electricity supply by source (from Economy of Belize)
Image 39Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 40Che Chem Ha Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 41High Temple at Altun Ha (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 42Men working in the mahogany industry, around 1930. (from History of Belize)