19 Interesting Facts about Belize: Food, Culture & Nature

A unique country with a barrier reef, rainforest, beaches, caves, mountains & ruins

Interesting Facts

  1. Belize is home to the worlds first jaguar preserve, Cockscomb Basin.
  2. The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world.
  3. Belize hosts the largest sea hole in the world called the Belize Blue Hole.
  4. The flag is the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element.
  5. It is the only English-speaking country in Central America.

Food & Cuisine

  1. The most popular dish is rice & beans with fried plantains, chicken and salad.
  2. Lots of food including the bread is cooked with coconut milk given its easy access.
  3. Some crops that grow here: sugar cane, papaya, bananas, cacao, oranges, mango.
  4. Belize does not have a single fast food franchise, so no McDonalds here.

Culture & People

  1. Locals also speak a dialect called Creole, a broken English that sounds Jamaican.
  2. Mix of culture including: Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, Mennonites & Chinese.
  3. The Caribbean influence is stronger than the Latin American influence.
  4. Tipping is not required in Belize so do whatever you feel like.
  5. The population is approximately 400,000 people, similar to Iceland.

Flora & Fauna

  1. Over 60% of Belize's land surface is covered by forest.
  2. Roughly 26% of Belizean land and sea is reserved within a total of 95 reserves.
  3. The highest mountain in Belize, Victoria Peak is 1,120m or 3,675ft.
  4. Approximately 600 species of birds have been recorded as of January 2020.
  5. The jaguar, manatee, tapir, scarlet macaw are local to Belize.