» View our adventures to Belize
The roots of Belize culture began with the development of the Mayan civilization on the Yucantan Peninsula—including the lands today known as Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, and Belize—more than 3,000 years ago. Prior to this, small groups hunted and farmed the area, domesticating crops including corn and beans. The Mayan culture thrived, however, creating a vibrant civilization skilled in agriculture, arts, science, and architecture.
The city of Lamanai (now in Belize) was occupied for more than 3,000 years and had one of the longest occupation spans of the Mayan world. It is set in tropical rainforest and offers spectacular views of the surrounding jungle from its temples. Lamanai is Mayan for “submerged crocodile” (the true Mayan word is Lama´an´ain, but the shortened version is often preferred). Archaeologists have mapped over 700 structures in Lamanai; only five are partly excavated.
At its peak around AD 250, the Mayan city-states equaled or surpassed its European counterparts. The area of Belize was the location of many of these achievements, and was home to an estimated 400,000 people at that time. In the tenth century, the culture broke down due to a number of complex internal issues.
When the Europeans arrived in Belize in the 16th century, they encountered several Mayan groups that still remained. When the Spanish began the conquest of the Yucatan in 1527, the Mayans offered resistance, but eventually succumbed—in part because they were weakened by disease. After a period of conflict between European powers—particularly Spain and Britain—over ownership of trade in the area, the British drove off the Spanish. In 1852, the area was declared a British colony known as British Honduras.
Despite threats from the Mayans and economic stress in the early 1900s, British rule continued. Cruel treatment of workers in mahogany camps, however, led to a series of demonstrations that are credited with starting a political movement in Belize that lead to the labor reforms of 1941 and 1943. When the governor devalued the dollar in 1949, several independent groups were united against the colonial rulers, beginning the Belize independence movement.
It wasn’t until 1961 that the British were willing to grant independence. However, a long-standing Guatemalan claim on the land delayed this from happening until the 1970s. Between 1975 and 1981, the Belizean government took their issue before the international community. In November of 1980, the UN passed a resolution demanding independence to Belize. It came a year later with the passing of the Belize Act of 1981.