Key facts
Date of Membership in CARICOM: 1 May 1974
Also Known as:Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret
Status of Independence:Independent 1981/09/21
Area: 22,966 km2; 8,867 miles
Capital City: Belmopan
Population: 344,700 (2010)
Currency: Belizean Dollar (Bz$)
Highest National Award: The Queen’s Award
Economy
GDP: EC$4,031Mn (2011)
GDP Growth: 2.3% p.a. 2009–13
GNI: US$1.6bn
GNI PC: US$4,660
GDP per Capita: EC$9.894 (2004)
Key dates in history
1638 First recorded European settlement established
1798 Following victory over Spain in battle of St. George’s Cay, British rule confirmed
1862 Country officially became British colony known as British Honduras
1871 Crown colony system introduced. Ruled by Governor of Jamaica until 1884
1954 Universal Adult Suffrage
1973 Name changed to Belize after Mayan word ‘Beliz’, meaning muddy waters
1981Independence achieved. George Price, first Prime Ministe
