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A Short History of Belize

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The history of this South American country dates back to the early Mayan Civilization which extended their culture and territory to the area of what is now known as Belize. Mayan Civilization dictated the culture, economy and politics of this area from 1500 BC to around 800 AD.

By the 16th Century, Europeans by then have penetrated and claimed much of South American territories but it seems the Spanish Conquistadors wasn’t able to carry out a full scale conquest of inland Belize as they were staved off by the Mayans, who know the terrain very well. During around 1638, Belize became a hideout for British and Scottish pirates who were more popularly known as Baymen, who preyed down on Spanish ships. The Baymen settled on Belizean coasts and, aside from piracy, turned to cutting trees. To end the piracy, the Spanish made a deal with the Baymen who granted them rights to the area as long as the raiding will cease. The Baymen also discovered the perfect dye agent as a result of their logwood cutting, and on that time, was vital for the European wool industry. In other words, the timber and the dye extract gave the early settlers of Belize a flourishing economy. In fact, because of burgeoning demand for these products, the Baymen imported slaves from Africa to meet those demands.  During this time, the settlers were not officially part of the British Empire for fear of provoking Spanish ire but were indirectly under being forced to follow British laws. One of these laws is the observance of the slave abolition law.

In 1798, a Spanish fleet tried to overrun Belize but the Baymen and the black slaves banded together and decisively defeated the Spanish Armada. This battle is called the Battle of St. George Caye, a battle still commemorated and celebrated by Belizeans up to this day.

When South America was freed from Spanish rule in the 1800s, the British Empire controlled Belize by proclaiming it as British Honduras. This attracted many British investors.

In 1964, British Honduras was granted self governance. In 1973, Belize replaced British Honduras as its official name. Then in 1981, Belize finally got full independence but was challenged by Guatemala who claims that Belize was part of their territory.  In 1992, Guatemala finally recognized Belize as a sovereign nation but the claim still stands as of today.