Belize is a small country of 8,867 square miles that sits on the northeastern coast of Central America. The friendly neighbor of Mexico and Guatemala, Belize shares an ancient Mayan past and common ethnic backgrounds with Central America. But it is the salty air drifting over from the Caribbean Sea that has infected the country with a colorful Caribbean flamboyance that can be seen through its distinct Colonial/Caribbean-style architecture, coconut-based dishes, white sandy beaches, laid-back ambience and its English and Creole dialects. Belize is in fact the only Central American country with English as a first language.
With approximately 270,000 people living peacefully in a secure political environment, enriched in diverse cultures, Belize is a premier ecotourism destination. Though small, Belize boasts the largest Barrier Reef in the Western Hemisphere, the famous ‘Blue Hole, three of the four pristine atolls in the Atlantic, over 200 sand islands, the only Jaguar Preserve in the world and over 500 species of exotic birds.
If that's not enough, Belize is home to numerous remains of ancient Mayan cities, some still undiscovered under the jungle's lush vegetation, majestic Maya Mountains that soar 3000 feet into the clouds, some of the tallest mangrove trees in the region, complex cave systems, the only pine forest (Mountain Pine Ridge) in all of Central America, and a unique and colorful cultural mix.
