án, Mexico to escape the Caste War), Mopans (indigenous to Belize, but were forced out by the British; they returned from Guatemala to evade slavery), and Kekchi (also fled from slavery in Guatemala).[8] White English and Scottish settlers entered the area in the 1630s to cut logwood for export and began settling. The first African slaves began arriving from Africa elsewhere in the Caribbean and began intermarrying with many of the other ethnic groups in the country; intermingling with whites was not common, however, this mixture created the Belizean Kriol people ethnic grouping. After 1800, Mestizo settlers from Mexico and Guatemala began to settle in the north; the Garifuna, a mix of African, Arawak and Carib ancestry, settled in the south by way of Honduras not long after that. During the 1860s a large influx of Indians and American Civil War veterans from Louisiana and other Southern states established Confederate settlements in British Honduras and introduced commercial sugar cane production to the colony, establishing eleven settlements in the interior. The 1900s saw the arrival of Asian settlers from mainland China, India, Taiwan, Korea, Syria, and Lebanon. Central American immigrants and expatriate Americans and Africans also began to settle in the country. Meanwhile, Kriols and other ethnic groups immigrated to the United States and elsewhere for better opportunities. Estimates have generally placed the number of the Belizean diaspora, consisting mainly of Kriols and Garinagu, at a number roughly equal to the current residents of Belize. Self identified Mestizos comprise 50% of the population, Kriols 25%, indigenous Mayan 11%, and Garinagu 6%. The rest is a mix of Mennonite German farmers, East Indians, Chinese, other Central Americans, whites from the United States, and many other foreign groups brought to assist the country's development. Racial tension is rare because of constant admixture among the various ethnic groups. [edit] Languages English is the official language because Belize was a British colony and retains ties to Britain. However, most Belizeans use the more familiar Belize Kriol, an English-based creole. Spanish is the mother tongue of Mestizo and Central American settlers, and is a second language for much of the country. Less well known are the ancient Maya dialects, Garifuna (which is Arawakan based, with elements of the Carib language, French, and Spanish) and the Plautdietsch dialect of the Mennonites. Literacy currently stands at nearly 80%. In 2001 UNESCO declared the Garifuna language, dance and music a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". Languages in Belize according to 2000 census Language Mother tongue speakers Percentage Current users Percentage Chinese 1,607 (0.8%) 1,529 (0.7%) Creole 67,527 (32.9%) 75,822 (37.0%) English 7,946 (3.9%) 11,551 (5.6%) Garifuna 6,929 (3.4%) 4,071 (2.0%) German 6,783 (3.3%) 6,624 (3.2%) Hindi 280 (0.1%) 193 (0.1%) Maya Ketchi 10,142 (4.9%) 9,314 (4.5%) Maya Mopan 6,909 (3.4%) 6,093 (3.0%) Maya Yucateco 1,176 (0.6%) 613 (0.3%) Spanish 94,422 (46.0%) 88,121 (43.0%) Others / no answer 1,402 (0.7%) 1,192 (0.6%) [edit] Religion Religious freedom is guaranteed in Belize. It is a predominantly Christian society, with 49.6% of Belizeans Roman Catholic, and 27% Protestant. [1] Much of the remaining population is comprised of Taoists, Buddhists and more recently introduced religions such as Jainism, Islam, and Bahá'í[citation needed]. Hinduism is followed by most Indian immigrants, while Islam is common among Middle Eastern immigrants and has gained a following among Kriols and Garifuna. Catholics frequently visit the country for special gospel revivals. There is also Eastern Orthodoxy in Santa Elena [2]. Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced a significant increase in membership in recent years. According to the Witnesses, around 3% of the population attended at least one religious meeting in 2007[3]. [edit] Birth and death rates and life expectancy Caye Caulker Belize's birth rate currently stands at nearly 25/1000. Nearly 6 people die per year out of 1,000 members of the population; this figure includes murders, accidents and death from natural causes. Infant mortality, now at 24 deaths per thousand people, has been improving over the last century. Male babies are more likely to die than females. The life expectancy of a typical male is 66 years, while for a female it is 70. HIV/AIDS, while not a serious threat to national stability, does affect enough of the population to give Belize a high infection rating among Caribbean and Central American nations. Belize has a relatively young and growing population. Its birth rate is among the highest in the world and there are indications that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. [edit] National symbols [edit] Black Orchid A black orchid Further information: Black orchid The national flower of Belize is the black orchid (Prosthechea cochleata, also known as Encyclia cochleata). [9] [edit] See also Belizean diplomatic missions Constituencies of Belize Communications in Belize Foreign relations of Belize Languages of Belize Confederate settlements in British Honduras Maya ruins of Belize Military of Belize Flora and vegetation of Belize Plants and animals of Belize List of endemic species of Belize Ports of Belize The Scout Association of Belize University of Belize States headed by Elizabeth II Culture of Belize Music of Belize Sport in Belize Category:Belizean people Protected areas and conservation in Belize Geography of Belize Great Blue Hole [edit] References ^ Maya Archaeological Sites of Belize, Belize History ^ Nation News 2006 ^ ACP-EU summit 2000 ^ Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project ^ Volz, Joe and Coy, Cissie, "Belize: Central American Jewel," on aarp.org ^ Smith, Vicki (2007), "Belize beckons with unspoiled Caribbean isles, friendly faces, rich marine life," The San Diego Union-Tribune, February 18, 2007, at SignOnSanDiego.com ^ Link, Matthew R. (2002), "Central America's perfect, penny-pinching blend of island beaches, virgin rain forest, and Maya mysteries,", Budget Travel, January/February 2002 issue at budgettravelonline.com ^ Cho, Julian (1998). Maya Homeland. University of California Berkeley Geography Department and the Toledo Maya of Southern Belize. Retrieved 4 January 2007. ^ "National Symbols of Belize" Council on Diplomacy, Washington, DC and Consulate General of Belize. Retrieved 5 February 2008. [edit] Further reading Belize In Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture Ian Peedle Belize: A Concise History P. A. B. Thomson Belize: Land of the Free By The Carib Sea Thor Janson Belize: Reefs, Rain Forests, and Mayan Ruins Dick Lutz Confederate Settlements in British Honduras Donald C.Simmons, Jr. Education and Multi-cultural Cohesion in Belize, 1931-1981 Peter Ronald Hitchen Unpublished PhD Thesis. University of Central Lancashire, England. April 2002. Escaping the Rat Race - Freedom in Paradise: Real-life Stories About Living, Working, Investing, and Retiring in Belize by Dr. Helga Peham, 2007. Fodor's Guide: Belize and Guatemala Formerly British Honduras: A Profile of a New Nation of Belize William David Stetzekorn Insight Guide: Belize Huw Hennessy Lonely Planet World Guide: Belize Carolyn Miller Caelstrom and Debra Miller The Making of Belize Anne Sutherland Moon Handbooks: Belize Chicki Mallan and Joshua Berman Our Man in Belize: A Memoir Richard Timothy Conroy The Guatemalan Claim to Belize: A Handbook on the Negotiations James S. Murphy The Rough Guide: Belize Peter Eltringham Time Among the Maya: Travels in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico Ronald Wright Thirteen Chapters of A History of Belize Assad Shoman Traveller's Wildlife Guide: Belize and Northern Guatemala Les Beletsky Handbook of British Honduras: Henry Edney Conrad Cain and Monrad Sigfried Metzgen Monrad Sigfried Metzgen: Notes on British Honduras. Monrad Sigfried Metzgen: Shoulder to Shoulder or the Battle of St George's Caye, 1798. [edit] External links Find more about Belize on Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions Textbooks Quotations Source texts Images and media News stories Learning resources Government of Belize - Official governmental site Garifuna.org - News, History and Culture of the Garifuna People of Belize Belize National Emergency Management Organization - Official governmental site Belize Tourism Board - Official Tourism site belizesearch.com - A search engine for Belize related materials Encyclopaedia Britannica Belize's Country Page Belize information on globalEDGE Amandala Online Newspaper - Belize Online Newspaper Belize entry at The World Factbook   Geographic locale v • d • e Countries of Central America Belize · Costa Rica · El Salvador · Guatemala · Honduras · Nicaragua · Panama v • d • e Countries of North America Several nations listed here straddle both North and South America or can also be considered Caribbean Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · United States Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Clipperton Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles United Kingdom Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands United States Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands   International membership v • d • e Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Members Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas1 · Barbados · Belize · Dominica · Grenada · Guyana · Haiti1 · Jamaica · Montserrat2 · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago Associate members Anguilla · Bermuda · Cayman Islands · British Virgin Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Observers Aruba · Colombia · Dominican Republic · Mexico · Netherlands Antilles · Puerto Rico · Venezuela 1 Member of the Community but not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).   2 British overseas territory awaiting entrustment to join the CSME. v • d • e Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize" Categories: Belize | CARICOM members | Former British colonies | Members of the Commonwealth of Nations | English-speaking countries and territories | Constitutional monarchies | 1981 establishmentsHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since December 2007 Views Article Discussion Edit this page History Personal tools Log in / create account if (window.isMSIE55) fixalpha(); Navigation Main Page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Interaction About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact Wikipedia Donate to Wikipedia Help Search   Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent linkCite this page Languages ??????? 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