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The train lurches forward and just before you know it, you’re speeding on your way, steamer trunk safely tucked away and a cold drink at hand, ready to board the next connection over seas of sand, foam-flecked ocean waves, emerald forests and then you’ve arrived on your initial stop Taking 1 country a week, you arrive in: Belize.

In a little crook of the Caribbean just below Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and nearly surrounded by its standard rival Guatemala, the English-speaking country of Belize, with its capitol of Belmopan and cruise ship destination of a lot larger Belize City, is our initial stop on a country-by-country look at the world A Central American nation, the former British colony only became independent in 1981 As a member of the Commonwealth, the tropical country’s head of state is the British monarch, represented by a largely ceremonial governor-general The lushly forested, tropical mix of Latin and British cultures makes Belize a distinctive destination for tourists, history buffs, and nature lovers.

Belize, formerly recognized as British Honduras, has its challenges as well According to Freedom Home, Belize is an electoral democracy with solid press freedoms, freedom of religion, assembly, and a policy that strongly discourages ethnic discrimination Nevertheless, the country suffers from corruption, drug and human trafficking, and violent crime Southern Belize, residence to the mostly indigent Mayan population, struggles with rampant poverty A continuing border dispute with Guatemala is a lengthy-standing source of tension.

Economy

A well-liked tourist destination, the tiny, Massachusetts-sized country with a population of around 329,000 is considered a biodiversity hot spot and is property to the second longest barrier in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef Apart from eco-tourism, the country is well reputed for its warm waters, kayaking, Mayan ruins, and snorkeling.

Other economic activities are primarily agricultural exports to the US, European Union, and neighboring countries.

Culture

Even though Belize musicians take pleasure in making the much more modern reggae, jazz, and Hip Hop styles of music, a lot more conventional Belizean music consists of mestizo in north and west Belize, Kriol, and Garifuna The Garifuna, a mixture of Carib, Arawak, and African peoples, are a distinctive culture within Belize, and the use of drums is considered an significant aspect of their music 1 form of Garifuna music, punta, has been electrified since the 70’s and is known as punta rock Check out this video of a Garifuna woman’s music group to get a sense of the additional standard sound.

If you’d like to see Belize on display, Harrison Ford movie, The Mosquito Coast features scenes shot in the country, though it was supposedly set in Honduras There I should leave you with a promise to tour an additional country next week, concluding our inaugural edition of 1 Country A Week Until next time.

Sources

CIA, World Factbook: Belize

BelizeTV, Belize Garifuna Woman’s Group Music YouTube

Freedom Home, Belize (2010) .

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