First European contact. European contact began in 1502, when Christopher Columbus sailed along the coast of Belize but did not land on shore. In 1511, the first Europeans set foot on what is now Belize: a small crew of shipwrecked Spanish sailors, who landed in what is now northern Belize.

1638

Beginning in the early 19th century, a mixed population of Carib Indians and Africans exiled from British colonies in the eastern Caribbean (formerly called Black Caribs, now referred to as Garifuna) settled on the southern coast of Belize.

Belize, which was known as British Honduras until 1973, was the last British colony on the American mainland. Belize achieved independence on September 21, 1981, but it has retained its historical link with the United Kingdom through membership in the Commonwealth.

Most slaves, even if they were brought through West Indian markets, were born in Africa, probably from around the Bight of Biafra, the Congo, and Angola—the principal sources of British slaves in the late 18th century.

Belizeans are people associated with the country of Belize through citizenship or descent. Belize is a multiethnic country with residents of African, Amerindian, European and Asian descent or any combination of those groups.

​Slave Resistance in Belize Enslaved Africans were owned by their masters and could be beaten for disobedience. However, slaves did not have to entirely accept the situation they were in. There were various actions they could take to improve their conditions and resist their masters.

Belizean Creoles, also known as Kriols, are Creole descendants of Black Africans, who were enslaved and brought to Belize by English and Scottish log cutters, known as the Baymen. The Belize Kriol language, developed initially by interaction among the Africans and Europeans, was historically spoken only by them.

Based on this definition, Belize is not a Hispanic country. Belize has many people from Hispanic countries and many people living in Belize speak Spanish, but only nations that have Spanish as their primary language can be considered Hispanic countries.

English

Belize is considered an upper-middle-income country with a GDP per capita of $4,806.50. Despite this, a 2009 study revealed that 41.3 percent of the population of Belize lives at or below the poverty line. In 2016, 49 percent of the children in Belize lived in poverty.

The minimum salary in Belize s of BZ$3.30 per hour (approximately 1.60 US dollars). That results in a monthly minimum wage of roughly 320 US dollars per month. The minimum salary in Belize hasn’t changed since 2012 as of 2021.

Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 52.9% of the population is of mixed Indigenous (mostly Maya) and European descent (Mestizo), 24.9% are Kriols, about 10.6% are Maya, and about 6.1% are Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna).