Belize, a Pearl Hidden in Central America

Belize is a lush striking paradise with its Caribbean vibe, amazing white sand beaches, waving palm trees, and a coast besieged with several tropical islands. Known to be an astonishing country, Belize is somewhat smaller than Massachusetts and its population is just over 335,000 as of July 2013. The country is located on north-eastern coast of Central America. Mexico is on the north, Guatemala is on the south-west and the Caribbean Sea is on the east. The size of the mainland of Belize is about 290 km (180 miles) long and 110 km (68 miles) wide. The area of the land is about 22,970 Square Km (8,800 Square miles).

Belize is the only state in the region with the British colonial history, and also as a part of the Western Caribbean Zone. Even though English Kriol and Spanish are more commonly spoken in Belize, English is the official language.

Belize's low density of populace and around 22,970 Km area of undistributed land help to create an ideal home for more than 5000 species of plants and animals. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve, situated in the south-central of Belize. It is said that this wildlife sanctuary was established to protect the forests which is the premier site for jaguar preservation in the world. Interestingly, Belize is the first country in the world to completely ban bottom trawling.

Belize is one of the tropical countries in the climate. Average temperatures in the coastal regions of Belize is ranged from 24 °C (75.2 °F) in January to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in July. However, in the southern highland, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge is noticeably has cooler year round. Average rainfall varies from 1,350 mm in the north and west to over 4,500 mm in the south. In the southern part, dry season is shorter; normally it is only lasting from February to April.

Belize’s beauty is enhanced even more, because of the existence of over 450 offshore Islands, various jungles, excellent fishing, safe boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, rivers for rafting, kayaking, wildlife reserves for hiking and bird watching, and helicopter touring. The beauty of Belize attracts thousands of tourists every year from around the world, and you will certainly enjoy your trip to Belize, in case you are already planning one. Government of Belize considers the tourism industry the send most important industry for its development process, first being the agriculture.

The 300 Km long Belize Barrier Reef is the second in line after the Great Barrier Reef, located in Australia and the New Caledonia Barrier Reef. It has become the top tourist destination in the country and it is famous for scuba diving and snorkeling. The place attracts half of the total tourists visit Belize, and also it is vital for the fishing industry.

When we talk about cuisine, Belizean cuisine is a combination of all ethnicities. It is similar to Mexican/Central American cuisine and Jamaican/Anglo-Caribbean cuisine. You will enjoy Belizean cuisine at many restaurants and fast food outlets selling food fairly. One more thing that you’ll be happy to know is that the rate of violence in Belize is comparatively low as compared to other Latin American countries.