Belize

Belize has one of the most diverse populations in Central America, with a mix of Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, and expatriate communities. The country was known as British Honduras until independence in 1981 and retains strong institutional links to the United Kingdom. Its capital was relocated from the coastal Belize City — devastated by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 — to the inland town of Belmopan, one of the few purpose-built capitals in the Americas.

The Belizean economy depends heavily on tourism and agriculture, particularly sugar, citrus, and marine products. The country is a prime ecotourism destination, drawing visitors to its ancient Maya ruins at Caracol, Xunantunich, and Lamanai, as well as the Blue Hole — a UNESCO-listed underwater sinkhole that is one of the world's premier diving sites. Belize has a long-standing territorial dispute with neighbouring Guatemala, which for most of its history claimed the entire territory of Belize.