[13] Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine plants and animals and its diversity of ecosystems, including extensive coral reefs, give it a key place in the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Prior to about 2500 BC, some hunting and foraging bands settled in small farming villages; they domesticated crops such as corn, beans, squash, and chili peppers.

[33] In the early 19th century, the British sought to reform the settlers, threatening to suspend the Public Meeting unless it observed the government's instructions to eliminate slavery outright.

Britain's decision to devalue the British Honduras dollar in 1949 worsened economic conditions and led to the creation of the People's Committee, which demanded independence.

On 15 April 2018, Guatemala's government held a referendum to determine if the country should take its territorial claim on Belize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the long-standing issue.

According to the 50-page voluntary national report Belize created on its progress toward the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, indigenous groups are not factored into the country's indicators whatsoever.

[70] Belize has a rich variety of wildlife because of its position between North and South America and a wide range of climates and habitats for plant and animal life.

[72] The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve in south-central Belize established to protect the forests, fauna, and watersheds of an approximately 400 km2 (150 sq mi) area of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains.

[80] As a part of the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor that stretches from southern Mexico to Panama, Belize's biodiversity – both marine and terrestrial – is rich, with abundant flora and fauna.

A remote sensing study conducted by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) and NASA, in collaboration with the Forest Department and the Land Information Centre (LIC) of the government of Belize's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), and published in August 2010 revealed that Belize's forest cover in early 2010 was approximately 62.7%, down from 75.9% in late 1980.

The Belize Barrier Reef was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996 due to its vulnerability and the fact that it contains important natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biodiversity.

Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, where it is noticeably cooler year round.

[103] Belize has a small, mostly private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance.

[111] A combination of natural factors – climate, the Belize Barrier Reef, over 450 offshore Cays (islands), excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, snorkelling and freediving, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, for hiking, birdwatching, and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya sites – support the thriving tourism and ecotourism industry.

Belize has a dozen or more active cultures and the different ethnic groups have all contributed in the making of the Belizean identity through food, music, loaned words, folklores, fashion and arts.

Some predominant coloured or light skinned creole communities were in the Belize river valley namely Crooked Tree, Isabela Bank, Bermudian Landings and Lemonal among others.

Well known Creole Belizeans were Samuel Haynes, Philip Goldson, Dean Barrow, Dame Minita Gordon, Cleopatra White, Cordel Hyde and Patrick Faber among others.

Central American immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua The Mestizo are people of mixed Spanish and Yucatec Maya descent.

This is a slightly higher proportion than Garifuna people and Creoles, but contrasted sharply with East Indians, of whom roughly half live in rural areas.

Based on the latest US Census, the number of Belizeans in the United States is approximately 160,000 (including 70,000 legal residents and naturalized citizens), consisting mainly of Creoles and Garinagu.

TPS allows individuals from nations that are undergoing armed conflicts, natural disasters, or extraordinary situations to temporarily stay in the United States.

Although English is widely used, Belizean Creole is spoken in several situations, whether informal, formal, social, or interethnic[clarification needed] dialogue, even in meetings of the House of Representatives.

[170] Belizean cuisine is a vibrant blend that reflects the country's multicultural makeup, incorporating elements from Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, Maya, and immigrant influences, including Chinese and Indian traditions.

[172][173] In rural areas, meals often centre around locally grown maize, beans, and squash, particularly in Maya communities, whereas Garifuna cuisine is known for its Afro-Caribbean roots and heavily features seafood and cassava-based dishes like ereba (cassava bread).

In recent years, Latin music, including reggaeton and banda, has experienced a surge in popularity in Belize, alongside the traditional genres of punta and brukdown.

Reggae, dance hall, and soca imported from Trinidad, Jamaica, and the rest of the West Indies, rap, hip-hop, heavy metal, and rock music from the United States, are also popular among the youth of Belize.

The major sports in Belize are football, basketball, volleyball and cycling, with smaller followings of boat racing, athletics, softball, cricket and rugby.

The team won the 1998 CARICOM Men's Basketball Championship, held at the Civic Centre in Belize City, and subsequently participated in the 1999 Centrobasquet Tournament in Havana.

Belize won its opening match in the Centrobasquet Tournament, 2010, defeating Trinidad and Tobago, but lost badly to Mexico in a rematch of the COCABA final.

Simone Biles, the winner of four gold medals in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics is a dual citizen of the United States and of Belize,[175] which she considers her second home.