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

edit

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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

The Great Blue Hole

The Great Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, 318 m (1,043 ft) across and 124 m (407 ft) deep. It has a surface area of 70,650 square metres (760,500 sq ft). It was formed during several phases of the Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. Analysis of stalactites found in the Great Blue Hole shows that formation took place 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again, the cave was flooded. The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected image - show another

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

General images - load new batch

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

Image 1Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 2Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 31790 map of territory conceded by Spain to British settlers for cutting timber. (from History of Belize)
Image 4St. John's Cathedral (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 5Beachront of Ramon's Village, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 6The Great Blue Hole is one of the most recognisable natural features in Belize. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 7The 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 8High Temple at Altun Ha (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 91831 map of Belize by Daniel Lizars (from History of Belize)
Image 10Almond Beach, Hopkins (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 11Sapodilla Cayes (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 12The flag of British Honduras. (from History of Belize)
Image 13Rio Frio Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 14Sarteneja (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 15St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 16Thousand Foot Falls actually stand at about 1,600 feet high. It is the highest waterfall in Central America. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 17Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 18Wilderness scene in the Bladen Nature Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 19Maya fisherwomen in British Honduras, beginning of the 20th century. (from History of Belize)
Image 20Biodiversity is an asset for ecotourism. A red-lored amazon (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 21The flag of Belize, originally adopted in 1922. (from History of Belize)
Image 22Zip-lining in the jungles of Belize (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 23Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 24Maya Beach, Placencia (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 25Map of Belize's exclusive economic zone (from Geography of Belize)
Image 26Köppen climate classification zones of Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 27Riot police and protesters during the unrest in 2005. (from History of Belize)
Image 28Men working in the mahogany industry, around 1930. (from History of Belize)
Image 29Barton Creek Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 30The "Split" at Caye Caulker, Caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 31Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 32The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize. (from Geography of Belize)
Image 33Coral patch in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 34Sarstoon Kekchi Mayan village (from History of Belize)
Image 35Half Moon Caye (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 36High Temple at Lamanai (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 37Overlooking the Caracol ruins, the most extensive archaeological site in the country. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 38Che Chem Ha Cave (from Tourism in Belize)
Image 39Little Guana Caye plays host to the largest colony of reddish egrets in the Caribbean. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 40Belize electricity supply by source (from Economy of Belize)
Image 41St. Herman's Cave in St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. (from List of protected areas of Belize)
Image 42San Antonio Falls (from Tourism in Belize)