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North & Central America and Caribbean

Belize

 Flag of Belize

Last reviewed: 10 August 2009

Country information

HISTORY

300-600 - Belize forms part of the Mayan Empire.
1638 – First record of British settlement in Belize.
1670 – Treaty of Madrid. Spain acknowledges Britain's title to Jamaica and other de facto possessions 'in the West Indies, or any part of America'.
1763 – Treaty of Paris. Spain concedes to Britain the right to cut logwood in the Bay of Honduras but retains claim of sovereignty over Belize.
1786 - Convention of London. Spain extends the area of Britain's logwood concession and Britain gives up her claim to the Mosquito Coast (in what is now Nicaragua).
1798 - Battle of St George's Caye. Decisive naval victory by British settlers against Spain. This was the last time that Spain attempted to gain control of Belize.
1859 – Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty concluded and ratified. Guatemala agrees to existing boundary with British Honduras as Belize was then called.
1862 – The settlement was given colonial status as British Honduras, with a Lieutenant-Governor under the Governor of Jamaica.
1871 – The Crown Colony System of Government was introduced.
1884 - The link with Jamaica was broken and the title of Lieutenant Governor was changed, with a Governor being appointed.
1919 - Beginning of the black independence movement.
1940 – Guatemala declares 1859 Treaty to be invalid.
1954 – George Price elected First Minister of British Honduras.
1964 – Belize became an internally self-governing British colony.
1960s-1970s – numerous attempts were made to resolve the territorial dispute with Guatemala through negotiations.
1973 – British Honduras reverted to the name of Belize.
1975 onwards - successive UN Resolutions endorsed Belize's right to self-determination, independence and territorial integrity.
1981 – On 11 March, Britain, Guatemala and Belize released a Heads of Government Agreement aimed at bringing about a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
1981 - On 21 September, Belize became an independent member of the British Commonwealth recognising HM Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State.
1984 - The centre-right United Democratic Party (UDP), led by Manuel Esquivel, defeated the centre-left People's United Party (PUP) in elections in December.
1991 – Guatemala recognises the right of the Belizean people to self-determination.
1998 – The PUP led by Said Musa achieves a landslide victory at the August general election, taking 26 out of 29 seats in the National Assembly.
2003 – PUP-led Said Musa wins a second term, taking 22 of 29 seats in the National Assembly in the March general election.
2008 - The UDP win 26 of 31 seats in the National Assembly as the PUP are voted out in the February general election. Dean Barrow becomes the first Black Prime Minister of Belize
2008 – Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala sign the Special Ministerial Agreement as a first step to referring the border dispute to the ICJ

Recent History

Belize (formerly British Honduras) is the only Commonwealth country in Central America. As a British Dependent Territory, Belize enjoyed internal self-government, with some responsibility for external affairs from 1964 until full independence in 1981. Over 300 years of history shared with Britain bequeathed her the English language, a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, as well many other state institutions similar to the UK's own.

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Contacts

Belize, Belmopan, British High Commission

Address:

British High Commission
PO Box 91
Belmopan

Telephone:

+ (501) 822 3146 - Consular direct
+ (501) 610 1045 - Duty officer

Fax:

+ (501) 822 2761

Email: brithicom@btl.net

Office hours:

GMT:
Mon-Thurs: 1400-1800/1900-2200
Fri: 1400-2000

Local Time:
Mon-Thurs: 0800-1200/1300-1600
Fri: 0800-1400

Consular section opened 9 am to noon and 1-3 pm Monday through Thursdays and 10 am to 2 pm on Fridays

Website: http://ukinbelize.fco.gov.uk/en