60% of believers are adherents of the Catholic Church, about a quarter are Protestants, there are also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and adherents of local beliefs.
Transport in Belize
Tourists get to Belize mainly by planes with transfers in the USA, Costa Rica or Cuba.
A network of local airlines has been established within the country. All coastal cities and some islands have airports, so traveling around Belize by plane is convenient and fast. There are four highways in the country – the Northern Highway connects the Mexican border with the city of Belize, the Western Highway stretches from Belize City to the Guatemalan border, the Hummingbird Highway runs from Belmopane to Dangriga, the Southern Highway (it is paved only in places) connects Dangriga and Punta Gorda. In the southern part of the country, roads are mostly unpaved and periodically washed out during rains.
You can travel between the cities of Belize on old buses, they are mostly not equipped with air conditioning and are often crowded. More comfortable small buses run along the Northern and Western highways, a trip on them will cost you a little more than on ordinary buses. In the cities of Belize, you can hire a taxi that will take you anywhere in the city or to the nearest villages and cities. Official taxis have a green sign on the roof. The price of the trip should be negotiated in advance, as there are no meters in the cars. In Belize, a water taxi is successfully operating. It runs between coastal cities and islands.
To rent a car, you must provide an international driver’s license and a credit card and be over 25 years old. Some companies rent cars to people over the age of 21.
Plant and Animal World in Belize
About 65% of the country’s territory is occupied by tropical rainforests with valuable tree species such as mahogany, cedar and rosewood (dalbergia). In the central part of the country there are savannahs.
The fauna of Belize is quite diverse. There are jaguars, tapirs, peccaries, howler monkeys, anteaters, crocodiles, about 60 species of snakes and more than 500 species of birds.
Minerals in Belize
Dolomite and bauxite are mined in Belize.
Banks in Belize
Banks are open from Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 13:00, on Fridays – from 08:00 to 16:30.
Money in Belize
The official currency of the country is the Belize dollar. 1 Belize dollar is equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5, 2 and 1 Belize dollars, as well as coins of 1 Belize dollar, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cent. The local currency is pegged to the US dollar, for one US dollar they give 2 Belize dollars.
Foreign currency can be exchanged at most banks, hotels, travel agencies and bank branches at airports in the country. The US dollar is freely circulating in Belize and is legal tender. International credit cards are not always accepted by ATMs. Most often, cash on them can be obtained through ATMs of Barclays Bank, of which there are only two in the country – in the cities of Belize and Dangriga. Credit cards and traveler’s checks are accepted for payment in major hotels, shops and restaurants. Traveler’s checks are best purchased in US dollars and pounds sterling.
Rate: 10 Belize Dollar (BZD) = 4.51 USD (28.05.2022)
Political State in Belize
According to politicsezine, Belize is a parliamentary republic that is part of the Commonwealth of Nations. The head of state is nominally the reigning monarch of Great Britain, who is represented in the country by the Governor General. His duties are highly symbolic. Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Executive power in the country is exercised by the government headed by the prime minister.
Population in Belize
About 44% of the local population are mestizos (descendants of Spaniards and Indians), 30% are Creoles (descendants of African slaves and English settlers), 11% are Maya Indians, which are divided into three groups – Yucatecan, Mopan and Kekchi, 9% are Garifuna people (descendants of Africans and Carib Indians), 6% – immigrants from the countries of the Middle East, China, India, Korea and Europe.
Language:
The official language of Belize is English, however, most of the population speaks English with a hard to understand accent or Creole. Also spoken are Spanish (in the north and central part of the country), Maya and Garifuna (both in the southern part of the country).
Cuisine in Belize
We can say that Belize cuisine is international, because it mixes American, Mexican and English culinary traditions, as well as the traditions of neighboring Caribbean countries. The menu of any restaurant is full of meat dishes – this is pork fried in coconut oil with rice, beans and “recardo” sauce, grilled poultry meat, burritos (corn tortillas with chicken or beef, cheese or beans and cabbage), panada (stuffed pies from meat, beans and cabbage), empanadas, all kinds of steaks and exotic dishes from guan chicken, tinamou, peccary wild pig, armadillo, agouti or iguana. As a side dish, meat dishes are served with rice, beans, corn, potatoes and fried bananas.
Seafood is very popular in Belize. The most diverse fish is baked on coals, stewed in coconut milk or fried in foil. Be sure to try out-of-the-ordinary dishes such as “kaahuk” (clams cooked according to a special recipe), raw fish marinated in lime juice with onions, peppers and spices, and “seri” clam fritters.
From drinks, locals drink coffee, tea, milkshakes with the addition of malt – “milo” and “ovaltin”, and a drink made from milk, seaweed, cinnamon, sugar and cream – “sivid”.
Alcoholic products are represented by local beer brands “Belikin”, “Guinness”, “Lighthouse”, “Premium” and “Supreme” and high-quality rum.
