Once only known to a small following of serious divers, fishermen and eco-travelers, this peaceful nation is preparing for a new wave of pioneers in search of the Caribbean’s next coveted luxury escape.
Belize is a rare tropical paradise, her biodiversity rivals that of her Central American and Caribbean neighbors. Her people are some of the warmest and friendliest in the world, and her unspoiled nature has earned comparisons to the Hawaii of the 1950s and the Costa Rica of the 1990s. Once known to a small following of serious divers, fishermen and eco-travelers, this peaceful nation is preparing for a new wave of pioneers in search of the Caribbean’s next coveted luxury escape.
Secluded on the southern part of the country, about 40 minutes from Belize City by air and 2 hours by road, the Placencia Peninsula is considered Belize’s most beautiful location with reason. This 16-mile strip of land, sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea and the expansive Placencia Lagoon, boasts tall coconut palms, “barefoot perfect” beaches and gentle seas. The Maya Mountains rise to the West, creating a spectacular backdrop and magnificent sunsets. To the East, the Caribbean coast offers the most pristine beaches in all of Belize, all manner of water sports and a string of idyllic cayes out to the Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest Barrier Reef in the world. Belize is also home to the Great Blue Hole and 3 of the 4 Atolls in the Western Hemisphere, Glovers Reef, Lighthouse Reef and Turneffe Atoll.
NATIONALITY
Formerly known as British Honduras, Belize gained independence in 1981 as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and CARICOM.
Belizeans are a culturally diverse people made up of Creoles, Mestizos (a mix of Spanish and Indian descent), Garifuna, Mayans, plus communities of German Mennonites, Arab, Lebanese, East Indian and Chinese among many others.
GEOGRAPHY
Wedged between Guatemala, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and the Caribbean Sea, Belize spans 22,965 square kilometers (8,867 square miles)—roughly the size of Massachusetts.
More than 40% of the country has been wisely designated as protected parks and natural reserves with 60% covered by forests.
UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world and the longest in the Western Hemisphere.
One of the world’s richest habitats for flora and fauna, Belize is home to jaguar, deer, tapir, abundant species of birds and reptiles and some 4,000 different species of native flowering plants.
STATISTICS
Belize has one of the lowest population densities on the planet with just over 407,000 people.
Belize is the only Central American nation with English as the official language.
The literacy rate of 93% is among the highest in Latin America.
Belize is a peaceful, stable and democratic country with a low crime rate, no capital gains tax, a low 1.75% income tax and no property purchase restrictions for foreigners.
The Belize Retirement Incentives Program allows Qualified Retired Persons to move personal effects to Belize free of all import duties and taxes. Qualified retirees are exempt from paying taxes and duties on all income or receipts that accrue outside Belize.
American currency is accepted everywhere, with one U.S. dollar equal to two Belize dollars.