Belize

Belize is an ethnic mosaic. Here you'll meet Negroes who were brought from the West Indies to work the plantations, Indian merchants who came to Belize to trade and then settled, sons of English nobles who still speak a beautiful and noble English, Chinese who have found in Belize a breathing space and an advantageous trading centre, and Mayan Indians who hold on to the old culture and traditions. Belize covers an area of only 23,300 square kilometres and has a population of 250,000. The largest population group is the Creoles, who speak a unique English dialect that is a little difficult to understand at first. The Creoles are primarily descendants of African slaves and English pirates who used the country's natural harbours as hiding places and the dangerous reefs along the Caribbean coast as protection against Spanish domination. In the south live the Garinagus people, who speak an Indian dialect. You're also likely to encounter Spanish and other European languages. Belize enjoys the world's second largest coral reef, 290 kilometres long and inhabited by fish of all colours of the rainbow. The rainforest and swamps are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Belize borders Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west. Belize consists primarily of tropical lowlands. The northern part along the Caribbean coast is very swampy. To the west, the Maya mountain range rises. Compared to other Central American countries, Belize has a relatively high standard of living, and both the education system and economy are well developed. Belize was formerly known as British Honduras and still has close ties to the UK through the Commonwealth. The Queen of England is the highest authority in Belize. When Fox-TV was looking for a unique and beautiful place to film the series "Temptation Island" in 2000, they chose Caye Ambergris.