Interesting Facts
- Belize is home to the worlds first jaguar preserve, Cockscomb Basin.
- The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world.
- Belize hosts the largest sea hole in the world called the Belize Blue Hole.
- The flag is the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element.
- It is the only English-speaking country in Central America.
Food & Cuisine
- The most popular dish is rice & beans with fried plantains, chicken and salad.
- Lots of food including the bread is cooked with coconut milk given its easy access.
- Some crops that grow here: sugar cane, papaya, bananas, cacao, oranges, mango.
- Belize does not have a single fast food franchise, so no McDonalds here.
Culture & People
- Locals also speak a dialect called Creole, a broken English that sounds Jamaican.
- Mix of culture including: Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, Mennonites & Chinese.
- The Caribbean influence is stronger than the Latin American influence.
- Tipping is not required in Belize so do whatever you feel like.
- The population is approximately 400,000 people, similar to Iceland.
Flora & Fauna
- Over 60% of Belize's land surface is covered by forest.
- Roughly 26% of Belizean land and sea is reserved within a total of 95 reserves.
- The highest mountain in Belize, Victoria Peak is 1,120m or 3,675ft.
- Approximately 600 species of birds have been recorded as of January 2020.
- The jaguar, manatee, tapir, scarlet macaw are local to Belize.