Belize (Differently)

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Belize Timeline: Differently
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  Sub umbra floreo (Latin) "Under the shade I flourish"
Anthem:  "Land of the Free"
Location of Belize (green)
Capital (and largest city)		Belmopan
Official languages		English • Belizean Creole
Religion		Protestantism (26.8%) Roman Catholicism (35.1%) No religion (25.6%)
Demonym(s)		Belizean
Government		Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
-	Monarch	Richard V
-	Governor-General	Dean Barrow
-	Prime Minister	Patrick Faber
Legislature		Parliament
-	Upper house	Senate
-	Lower house	House of Representatives
Independence from the United Kingdom
-	Granted	27 February 1961
Area
-	Total	22,966 km2  8,867 sq mi
Population
-	Estimate	398,050 (140th)
Currency		Belize dollar (BZD)
Drives on the		left

Belize (Belizean Creole: Bileez) is a country in continental North America bordering Mexico to the north and Central America to the west and south, and bounded by the Caribbean Sea on the east. Its capital and largest city is Belmopan and it is one of the seven Commonwealth realms. With 22,966 square kilometers, it is the smallest country in the continental Americas and the fourth-smallest in North America, raking only 129th by area among the world's 152 countries. Its population of just over 398,000 people makes it the second-least populous country in North America (and also the least populous in the continental Americas), ranking only 140th by population globally.

History

Early years (1961-1969)

In the final years of British Honduras's existence, a sovereignty movement emerged as Belizean nationalists advocated for an independent Belizean state. The British government was reluctant to grant the colony independence due to fears of the new country being invaded and occupied by Central America, who officially claimed the territory as the constituent republic of Belize - however, the San José Agreement was signed in 1960, in which Central America promised to recognise and respect Belizean sovereignty and territorial integrity. As a result, Belize was granted full independence on 27 February 1961.

The first few years of Belize's existence as an independent state were filled with economic growth - its economy was mainly based on tourism, which skyrocketed after independence. Soon, Belize became one of the richest countries in the Americas. The first prime minister, George Cadle Price (then-leader of the People's United Party), also issued policies that helped solve the issue of unemployment by sending financial aid to families in need, which made him very popular amongst the people and resulted in him winning the premiership again in the 1965 general election,

George Cadle Price (1919-2011), who served as the first prime minister of Belize from 1961 to 1969

Price openly supported closer ties with the United States but also retaining close relations with the United Kingdom. In the first half of the 1960s, Belize mainly sided with the capitalist bloc during the Cold War - however, in a 1966 statement, Price stated that he also intended to establish closer ties between Belize and the Soviet Union, the Confederation of American Socialist States and their respective allies. This stance was controversial due to the ongoing American War, which had placed the United States and the CASS against each other, and the United States government lead by Nelson Rockefeller accused Price of "having a relationship with tyrants".

In 1968, following the failure of the People's United Party to secure a majority in the general election, a coalition government was formed between the PUP and the Socialist Party of Belize. This worried the U.S. government, who feared that the coalition government would eventually abandon all ties with the United States and move towards the Soviet Union. In order to prevent this, the United States decided to sponser hardline anti-communist officers within the Belizean military to launch a military takeover. On 11 March 1969, the military lead by Selvin Seay launched a coup d'état, overthrowing Price's government and established the National Salvation Government, a military junta that would rule the nation for twelve years.

Politics

Richard V, King of Belize

The politics of Belize take place within a framework of a unitary, parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy, in which the head of State is the monarch who appoints the Governor-General as vice-regal representative. The current monarch, Richard V, reigns under the official title of King of Belize, having served in that position since he ascended the throne in 2014.

Executive power is exercised by the government while legislative power is vested in both the government and the two Chambers of Parliament. The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.