Belize
 

1787 - 1870	1870 - 12 Dec 1919	12 Dec 1919 - 21 Sep 1981
2 Feb 1950 - 21 Sep 1981 (unofficial)	Adopted 21 Sep 1981

Map of Belize Hear National Anthem "Land of the Free" Text of National Anthem Adopted 21 Sep 1981 Constitution (21 Sep 1981) Capital: Belmopan (Belize City 1798-3 Aug 1970; St. George's Caye to 1798) Currency: Belizean Dollar (BZD); British Honduras Dollar (BZH) 1894-1974 National Holiday: 21 Sept (1981) Independence Day Population: 415,789 (2024) GDP: $5.12 billion (2023) Exports: $1.53 billion (2023) Imports: $1.57 billion (2023) Ethnic groups: mestizo 52.9%, Creole 25.9%, Maya 11.3%,  Garifuna 6.1%, East Indian 3.9%, Mennonite 3.6%, white 1.2%, Asian 1%, other 1.2%, unknown 0.3% (2010) note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin. Total Active Armed Forces: 1,650 (2020) British Forces: 1,500 (2021) Merchant marine: 774 ships (2023) Religions: Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes  Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%),  Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, Rastafarian), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010) International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, ACS, AOSIS, APM, BCIE, BTWC, C, Caricom, CCM, CD, CDB, CELAC, CTBT, CWC, ESCR, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, SICA, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, UNWTO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Belize Chronology 14-17 Jun 1502             Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain, explores                              the lands bordering the Bay of Honduras, in the                              area of St. Georges Cay (named Punta Caxinas) off                              modern Belize. Dec 1506 - Mar 1507        Spanish navigators Vicente Yáñez Pinzón and Juan                              Díaz de Solís thread their way through the Cays                              off modern Belize while sailing to Cozumel. 31 Aug 1521                Declared part of Spanish New Spain (see Mexico). 1524 - 1525                Hernán Cortés (b. 1485 - d. 1547) likely marches                              through modern Belize on his way from Vera                              Cruz (Mexico) to Truxillo (Trujillo, Honduras). 1582                       Spanish Franciscans erect a church at Lamanai                              (an important Maya site in northern Belize). c.1638                     Earliest recorded English settlers to Belize are                              buccaneers, later known as the Baymen. Belize is                              spelled Bullys and later Beleze, Bellese, Bellise,                              Ballis, Wallis, Balis, Baliz, Belice, and Balize                              (or by the Spanish as Río Vális (Wallis, Waliz,                              or Walix) (no permanent settlement). 18 Jul 1670                By Treaty of Madrid, Spain agrees to allow English                              logwood cutters in the area (Bay Settlement). 29 Aug 1682                Governor of Jamaica Thomas Lynch forbids "our                              cutting logwood in the Bays of Campeche and                              Honduras, your lordships [Lords of Trade] having                              justly declared that the country being the                              Spaniards..." In Oct 1682 Lynch sent the buccaneer                              John Coxon to the Bay Settlement 'to fetch away                              the logwood cutters' and the Baymen resist. 13 Jul 1713                Treaty of Utrecht between Spain and U.K. does not                              authorize logwood-cutting or British settlements                              in Belize, but the Spanish agree not to deprive                              British subjects in Spanish America of any                              privileges which they had enjoyed before the war                              of 1702-1713. 1718                       Spanish raid from Petén as far as the head of the                              Belize River. late 1722                  Spanish corsair Esteban de la Barca from Yucatan                              ravages the logwood camps in Belize. c.Oct 1730                 Spanish attack the British logwood cutters and                              destroy their New and Belize River camps. Baymen                              flee to the Black River settlement (in Honduras). 21 Feb 1733                Spanish attack British logwood cutters in Belize. 1733 - 1735                Belize settlements abandoned. summer 1737                Spanish Governor Salcedo of Yucatan sacks Belize. 1745                       Spanish attack and destroy camps along New River. Aug 1747                   Spanish again sack Belize, settlers again flee to                              the Black River settlement. 1747 - 1749                Belize settlements abandoned.   5 Oct 1749 - 10 Mar 1787  Black River Settlements on north coast of modern                              Honduras, with Belize formally placed under it. spring 1751                Spanish corsair José Antonio de Palma leads a                              Yucatecan expedition against the English logwood                              establishments at Belize.  5 Apr 1754                Spanish attack at Labouring Creek, but they fail                              to expel the English from the Belize area. The                              settlers flee to Black River. Spanish privateers                              return 8 Sep 1754 under José Antonio de Palma. 1754 - 1755                Belize settlements abandoned. 1755                       Spanish sack and destroy Belize city. 1756                       British re-occupy and fortify Belize. 10 Feb 1763                By Treaty of Paris, British settlers are permitted                              to cut, load and carry away logwood and mahogany                              unmolested and to occupy their homes, provided                              that all fortifications on the Bay of Honduras be                              demolished and reserved Spanish sovereignty. 1764                       Spanish again raid Belize.  9 Apr 1765                "Burnaby's Code" or Laws ("Laws and Regulations for                              the better Government of his Majesty's Subjects in                              the Bay of Honduras") signed at St. George's Caye                              drafted by Admiral Sir William Burnaby (b. c.1710                              - d. 1776), Jamaica Station commander-in-chief. 1767                       More Spanish raids on Belize. 12 Sep 1777                American privateers seize three vessels off Belize. 15 Sep 1779                Spanish occupy St. George's Caye. Settlers flee to                              Roatan and Bonacca (Guanaja) Islands. 1779 - 1784                Belize settlements abandoned.  3 Sep 1783                By Treaty of Versailles, Spain recognizes British                              woodcutters rights to return and cut wood in the                              area between the Hondo River and the Sibun River                              (British Settlement in the Bay of Honduras,                              British Settlement of Honduras, British                              Establishments in Honduras, Settlement of Belize). 14 Jul 1786                By Convention of London the British undertook to                              evacuate all British subjects from the northern                              coast of Central America (Black River, Mosquito),                              they were not allowed to build forts, to govern                              themselves, to engage in agriculture, or to do any                              work other than woodcutting. Reserving to the                              Crown of Spain its sovereign rights, in exchange                              for British evacuation of the Mosquito Shore. 10 Mar 1787                A separate Superintendents of the Settlement in the                              Bay of Honduras (subordinated to governor of                              Jamaica) is appointed by U.K. as British settlers                              from the former Black River settlements arrive.  1 Jun 1797                Inhabitants of the Belize Settlements vote to reject                              evacuation of St. George's Cay. 3-10 Sep 1798              Last Spanish attack on St. George's Caye repulsed. 26 Dec 1826                Anglo-Mexican treaty adopted the limits of Belize as                              indicated in 1786 Treaty between U.K. and Spain                              (ratified 3 Apr 1827).  2 Nov 1840                Colony of British Honduras. 28 Nov 1859                Anglo-Guatemala border convention (ratified 22 Apr                              1861)(renounced by Guatemala on 13 Apr 1940;                              Guatemalan constitution of 15 Mar 1945 declared                              that Belize formed part of Guatemala). 12 May 1862                British Honduras Colony (subordinate to Jamaica)(by                              letters patent of 12 Feb 1862). 1864 - Aug 1872            Mayan uprising in British Honduras led by Chief                              Marcos Canul (d. 1872). 10 Apr 1871                Crown colony of British Honduras. 31 Oct 1884                Separated from Jamaica (by letters patent of                              2 Oct 1884).  3 Aug 1897                Mexico-British Honduras border defined. 10 Sep 1931                Belize city destroyed by hurricane and tidal-wave,                              killing over 2,000. 25 Mar 1954                Granted semi-responsible government.  1 Jan 1964                Self-government achieved.  1 Jun 1973                Renamed Belize. 21 Sep 1981                Independence from U.K. (Belize). 24 Nov 1992                Guatemala formally recognizes the independence                               of Belize.

Superintendents of the Settlement in the Bay of Honduras (subordinated to governor of Jamaica)
 5 Oct 1749 - 10 Mar 1787  the Superintendents of the Shore
                           for Black River Settlements
10 Mar 1787 - Jun 1790     Edward Marcus Despard             (b. 1751 - d. 1803)
Jun 1790 - Mar 1791        Peter Hunter                      (b. 1746 - d. 1805)
Mar 1791 - Jan 1797        Government by magistrates (acting)
                           - Thomas Potts (chief magistrate) (b. 1740 - d. 1806)
                           - .... (magistrates)
 1 Jan 1797 - Aug 1800     Thomas Barrow (1st time)          (b. c.1754 - d. 1820)
Aug 1800 - Oct 1802        Richard Bassett                   (b. 1751 - d. 1806)
30 Oct 1802 - 20 Dec 1802  Benjamin H. Luson (acting)
20 Dec 1802 - Jan 1803     Chichester McDonell (acting)      (b. 1782 - d. 1811)  
23 Jan 1803 - 14 Feb 1805  Thomas Barrow (2nd time)          (s.a.)
14 Sep 1805 - 26 Apr 1806  Gabriel Gordon                    (b. 1763 - d. 1855)
28 Apr 1806 - 14 Sep 1809  Alexander Mark Kerr Hamilton      (b. 1767 - d. 1842)
15 Sep 1809 - 20 Jul 1814  John Nugent Smyth                 (b. 1773 - d. 1838)
20 Jul 1814 - Apr 1822     George Arthur                     (b. 1784 - d. 1854)
 4 Apr 1822 - 15 Jan 1823  Alleyne Hampden Pye (acting)      (b. c.1770 - d. 1833)
15 Jan 1823 - Apr 1829     Edward Codd                       (b. 1771 - d. 1829)
22 Apr 1829 - 25 Jun 1829  Commissioners 
                           - Marshall Bennett                (b. bf.1775 - d. 1839)
                           - William Gentle
                           - George Gibson
                           - John Waldron Wright             (b. 1786? - d. 1850)
                           - Charles Evans
                           (acting)
25 Jun 1829 - Jan 1830     Archibald Alexander MacDonald     (b. 1786 - d. 1856) 
                             (1st time) (acting)
Jan 1830 - Mar 1836        Francis Cockburn                  (b. 1780 - d. 1868)
 2 Mar 1836 - Jan 1837     John Grant Anderson (acting)      (b. 1793 - d. 1858)
Jan 1837 - Jun 1843        Archibald Alexander MacDonald     (s.a.) 
                             (2nd time)
10 Jun 1843 - 1851         Charles St. John Fancourt         (b. 1804 - d. 1875)
                             (1st time)
20 May 1846 - 18 Sep 1846  George Berkeley (1st time)(acting)(b. 1819 - d. 1905)
18 Sep 1846 - 1851         Charles St. John Fancourt         (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
21 Apr 1851 - 1853         Philip Edmund Wodehouse           (b. 1811 - d. 1887)
18 Nov 1853 -  9 Mar 1854  George Berkeley (2nd time)(acting)(s.a.)
 9 Mar 1854 - 1857         William Stevenson                 (b. 1805 - d. 1863)   
 5 Mar 1857 - 12 May 1862  Frederick Seymour (1st time)      (b. 1820 - d. 1869)
18 Feb 1860 - Nov 1861     Thomas Price (acting)             (b. 1817 - d. 1865)
11 Nov 1861 - 12 May 1862  Frederick Seymour (2nd time)      (s.a.)
Governors
12 May 1862 - 31 Oct 1884  the governors of Jamaica
Lieutenant governors (subordinated to the governor of Jamaica)
12 May 1862 - 1863         Frederick Seymour                 (s.a.)
 7 Oct 1863 - 1864         George Berkeley (acting)          (s.a.)
12 Mar 1864 - 1867         John Gardiner Austin              (b. 1812 - d. 1900)
31 Oct 1867 - 1870         James Robert Longden              (b. 1827 - d. 1891)
14 May 1870 -  3 Jun 1870  Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell      (b. 1836 - d. 1899)
                             (1st time)
 3 Jun 1870 - 1874         William Wellington Cairns         (b. 1828 - d. 1888)
                             (1st time)
22 Jun 1871 - 10 Jun 1872  Robert William Harley (1st time)  (b. 1829 - d. 1892)
                             (acting)
10 Jun 1872 - 1874         William Wellington Cairns         (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
17 Mar 1874 - 15 May 1874  Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell      (s.a.)
                             (2nd time) (acting)
15 May 1874 - 1876         Robert Miller Mundy               (b. 1813 - d. 1892)
18 Mar 1876 - 12 Mar 1877  Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell      (s.a.)
                             (3rd time) (acting)
12 Mar 1877 - 1882         Frederick Palgrave Barlee         (b. 1827 - d. 1884)
                             (acting to 11 Jun 1877)
 3 Aug 1882 - 1883         Robert William Harley (2nd time)  (s.a.)
                             (from 24 May 1883, Sir Robert William Harley)
                             (acting to 4 May 1883)
10 May 1883 - Jul 1883     Robert Straker Turton (acting)    (b. 1869 - d. 1953)
17 Jul 1883 - 17 Jul 1884  Henry William John Fowler (acting)(b. 1842 - d. 1893)
17 Jul 1884 - 31 Oct 1884  Roger Tuckfield Goldsworthy       (b. 1839 - d. 1900)
Governors and Commanders-in-chief
31 Oct 1884 -  4 Oct 1890  Roger Tuckfield Goldsworthy       (s.a.)
                             (from 2 Jan 1889, Sir Roger Tuckfield Goldsworthy) 
 4 Oct 1890 - 17 Aug 1891  George Melville (acting)          (b. 1842 - d. 1924)
17 Aug 1891 - 1897         Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney      (b. 1848 - d. 1913)
1897                       Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott       (b. 1857 - d. 1941)
                             (1st time)(acting)
27 Jan 1897 - 1898         David Wilson (1st time)           (b. 1838 - d. 1924)
1898                       Francis James Newton (acting)     (b. 1857 - d. 1948)
1898 - May 1903            David Wilson (2nd time)           (s.a.)
                             (from 3 Jun 1899, Sir David Wilson) 
May 1903 - 31 Oct 1904     Philip Clark Cork (1st time)      (b. 1854 - d. 1936)
                             (acting)
31 Oct 1904 - 22 Jul 1905  Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott   (s.a.)
                             (from 9 Nov 1904, Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott)
                             (2nd time)
22 Jul 1905 -  7 Aug 1905  Henry Eugene Walter Grant (acting)(b. 1855 - d. 1835)
 7 Aug 1905 - 18 Oct 1905  Philip Clark Cork (2nd time)      (s.a.)
                             (acting)
18 Oct 1905 - 1913         Eric John Eagles Swayne           (b. 1863 - d. 1929)
                             (from 24 Jun 1910, Sir Eric John Eagles Swayne)
                             (acting to 13 Aug 1906)
19 May 1913 - Mar 1917     Wilfred Collet                    (b. 1856 - d. 1927)
                             (from 1 Jan 1915, Sir Wilfred Collet)
Mar 1917 - 29 Jan 1918     Robert Walter (1st time)(acting)  (b. 1873 - d. 1959)
29 Jan 1918 -  4 Sep 1918  William Hart Bennett              (b. 1861 - d. 1918)
 4 Sep 1918 - 22 Mar 1919  Robert Walter (2nd time)(acting)  (s.a.)
22 Mar 1919 - 1925         Eyre Hutson                       (b. 1864 - d. 1936)
                             (from 2 Jan 1922, Sir Eyre Hutson) 
16 Apr 1925 - 1932         John Alder Burdon                 (b. 1866 - d. 1933)
                             (from 3 Jun 1927, Sir John Alder Burdon) 
 9 Mar 1932 - 1934         Sir Harold Baxter Kittermaster    (b. 1879 - d. 1939)
 2 Nov 1934 - Nov 1939     Alan Cuthbert Maxwell Burns       (b. 1887 - d. 1980)
                             (from 1 Jan 1936, Sir Alan Cuthbert Maxwell Burns)
Nov 1939 - 24 Feb 1940     William Johnston (acting)         (b. 1890 - d. 19..)
24 Feb 1940 -  1 Jul 1946  John Adams Hunter                 (b. 1890 - d. 1962)
                             (from 11 Jun 1942, Sir John Adams Hunter)
 1 Jul 1946 - 14 Jan 1947  Arthur Norman Wolffsohn (acting)  (b. 1888 - d. 1967)
14 Jan 1947 - 28 Jul 1948  Edward Gerald Hawkesworth         (b. 1897 - d. 1949)
                             (from 1 Jan 1948, Sir Edward Gerald Hawkesworth) 
28 Jul 1948 - 28 Feb 1949  Evelyn Dennison Hone (1st time)   (b. 1911-  d. 1979)
                             (acting)
28 Feb 1949 - Mar 1952     Ronald Herbert Garvey             (b. 1903 - d. 1991)
                             (from 8 Jun 1950, Sir Ronald Herbert Garvey)
Mar 1952 - 21 Oct 1952     Evelyn Dennison Hone (2nd time)   (s.a.)
                             (acting)
21 Oct 1952 - Aug 1955     Patrick Muir Renison              (b. 1911 - d. 1965)
                             (from 1 Jan 1955, Sir Patrick Muir Renison)
Aug 1955 - 17 Jan 1956     Thomas Douglas Vickers (acting)   (b. 1916 - d. 1999)
17 Jan 1956 - 1961         Colin Hardwick Thornley           (b. 1907 - d. 1983)
                             (from 13 Jun 1957, Sir Colin Hardwick Thornley 
 9 Dec 1961 - 1966         Sir Peter Hyla Gawne Stallard     (b. 1915 - d. 1995)
11 Jul 1966 - Jan 1972     Sir John Warburton Paul           (b. 1916 - d. 2004)
26 Jan 1972 - 1976         Sir Richard Neil Posnett          (b. 1919 - d. 2009)
 1 Jun 1976 - 1980         Sir Peter Donovan McEntee         (b. 1920 - d. 2002)
 2 Mar 1980 - 21 Sep 1981  Sir James Patrick Ivan Hennessy   (b. 1923 - d. 2024)
King/Queen¹
21 Sep 1981 -              the King/Queen of the United Kingdom
Governors-general of Belize (representing the British monarch as head of state)
21 Sep 1981 - 17 Nov 1993  Elmira Minita Gordon (f)          (b. 1930 - d. 2021)
                             (from 14 Feb 1984, Dame Elmira Minita Gordon) 
17 Nov 1993 - 30 Apr 2021  Colville Norbert Young            (b. 1932)
                             (from 22 Feb 1994, Sir Colville Norbert Young)
30 Apr 2021 - 27 May 2021  Stuart Leslie (acting)            (b. 1964) 
27 May 2021 -              Froyla Tzalam (f)                 (b. 1971)
                             (from 10 Jun 2022, Dame Froyla Tzalam)
  

Leaders of Government Business
Apr 1954 - 26 Sep 1956     Leigh Richardson                  (b. 1924 - d. 2008)  PUP
26 Sep 1956 -  7 Apr 1961  George Cadle Price                (b. 1919 - d. 2011)  PUP
First minister
 7 Apr 1961 -  1 Jan 1964  George Cadle Price                (s.a.)               PUP
Premier
 1 Jan 1964 - 21 Sep 1981  George Cadle Price                (s.a.)               PUP
Prime ministers
21 Sep 1981 - 17 Dec 1984  George Cadle Price (1st time)     (s.a.)               PUP
17 Dec 1984 -  7 Nov 1989  Manuel Amadeo Esquivel (1st time) (b. 1940 - d. 2022)  UDP
 7 Nov 1989 -  3 Jul 1993  George Cadle Price (2nd time)     (s.a.)               PUP
 3 Jul 1993 - 28 Aug 1998  Manuel Amadeo Esquivel (2nd time) (s.a.)               UDP
28 Aug 1998 -  8 Feb 2008  Said Wilbert Musa                 (b. 1944)            PUP
 8 Feb 2008 - 12 Nov 2020  Dean Oliver Barrow                (b. 1951)            UDP
12 Nov 2020 -              Juan "Johnny" Antonio Briceño     (b. 1960)            PUP

 ¹Full style:
(a) 21 Sep 1981 - 1981: "By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith";
(b) 1981 - 8 Sep 2022: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Belize and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth";
(c) from 8 Sep 2022: "By the Grace of God, King of Belize and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

Territorial Disputes: Demarcated but insecure boundary due to Guatemala's claims to more than half of Belizean territory. Line of Adjacency operates in lieu of an international boundary to control influx of Guatemalan squatters onto Belizean territory. Smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation and debt bondage are all problems. Belize lacks resources to detect and extradite impoverished Guatemalan peasants squatting in Belizean rain forests in the remote border areas. At present, Belize and Honduras 12-nm territorial sea claims close off Guatemalan access to Caribbean in the Bahia de Amatique. Maritime boundary remains unresolved pending further negotiation; Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum; Belize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty. Transshipment of illegal narcotics, smuggling, human trafficking, illegal immigration, and the growing of marijuana in very low population areas are all issues in the region today.

Party abbreviations: PUP = People's United Party (social-democratic, christian democratic, nationalist, 1946-50 named People's Committee, est.Sep 1950); UDP = United Democratic Party (conservative, center-right, merger of Liberal Party, National Independence Party and People's Development Movement, est.27 Sep 1973)

© Ben Cahoon