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| Flights to Belize |
No flights to Belize available at the moment.
Please contact us to let us know how we can help you. |
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| » Belize Information |
| Snuggled between Mexico and Guatemala along the Caribbean, this tiny Central American country boasts the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Miles of sandy beaches, scores of limestone caves, mountains, waterfalls, jungles, mangrove lagoons, more than 500 species of birds, the world's first and only jaguar preserve and much more awaits the active traveler. |
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| » Belize General Information |
| Capital: Belmopan |
| Currency: Belizean dollar (BZD) |
| Language: English |
| Telephone codes: 1-501 |
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| » Belize Useful Links |
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| » Belize Practical Information |
| › Money |
| The unit of currency is the Belize Dollar (BZD), which is fixed against the US$ as BZ$2 = US$1. Most tourist resorts, hotels, restaurants and tour operators accept US currency and travellers cheques. Credit cards are also accepted, and most banks in Belize City and Belmopan will advance cash against Visa or MasterCard. When using credit cards most establishments will add a 5% service charge to the bill. First Caribbean International Bank has several ATMs in Belize City. |
| › Public Holidays |
| New Year's Day (01Jan); New Year's Holiday (02Jan); Baron Bliss Day (06Mar);
Good Friday (14Apr); Holy Saturday (15Apr); Easter (16Apr); Easter Monday (17Apr); Labor Day (01May); Commonwealth Day (22May); National Day (11Sep); Independence Day (21Sep); Americas' Day (Colombus Day) (09Oct); Garifuna Day (20Nov); Bank Holiday (01Dec); Christmas Day (25Dec); Boxing Day (26Dec). |
| › Visa and Passport |
Visitors to Belize require a valid passport and in some instances a visa may be required. Travelers are welcome to stay in Belize for up to 30 days prior to requesting an extension to their visit.
United States and Canadian citizens, nationals of Caricom countries and of the European Community member nations (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, UK, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden) do not require visas.
Visas are required for nationals of the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Japan, Korea (North and South), Libya, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine and Zaire.
The following category of persons may be granted by the Belize Immigration Department extensions of up to three (3) months at a time. These three months would be after the thirty day period given by the Immigration Officer at the port of entry.
Persons living in remote areas
Potential Investors
Business persons
The above is on the understanding that the applicant presents himself /herself in person and satisfies the requirement that the necessary funds (US $50.00 per person per day) are available for the duration of the extension in Belize.
Applicant(s) must also have a ticket to their onward destination from Belize.
Extensions are granted at a cost of US $50.00 per month.
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| » Belize History |
The Maya civilization spread over Belize between 1500 BC and AD 300 and flourished until about AD 900.
The first Europeans arrived in the area in the early 16th century and settlement began with British privateers and shipwrecked English seamen as early as 1638.
The origin of the name Belize is not clear, but one explanation is that it derives from the Spanish pronunciation of Wallace, the name of the pirate who created the first settlement in Belize in 1638. Another possibility is that the name is from the Maya word belix, meaning "muddy water", applied to the Belize River.
The early "settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras" grew from a few habitations located at Belize Town and St George's Caye into a de-facto colony of the United Kingdom during the late 18th century. In the early 19th century the settlement was called British Honduras, and in 1862 it became a Crown Colony.
Hurricane Hattie inflicted significant damage upon Belize in 1961. The government decided that a coastal capital city lying below sea level was too risky. Over several years, the British colonial government designed a new capital Belmopan at the exact geographic centre of the country, and in 1970 began slowly moving the governing offices there.
British Honduras became a self-governing colony in January 1964 and was renamed Belize in June 1973; it was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland. George Price led the country to full independence on 21 September 1981 after delays caused by territorial disputes with neighbouring Guatemala, which did not formally recognise the country until 1992.
Throughout Belize's history, Guatemala has claimed ownership of all or part of the territory. This claim is occasionally reflected in maps showing Belize as Guatemala's most eastern province. As of 2005, the border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved and quite contentious; at various times the issue has involved mediation assistance from the United Kingdom and the CARICOM heads of Government. Since independence, a British garrison has been retained in Belize at the request of the Belizean Government. Notably, both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence building measures, including the Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project.
Belize was recently the site of unrest directed at the country's ruling party concerning tax increases in the national budget. |
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| Belize News |
National emergency declared in Belize following heavy flooding
June 5, 2008
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has declared a national emergency in Belize following the deaths of five people, including three children, and the destruction in some areas of the island... powered by "Caribbean Net News"
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Tropical storm Arthur forms near Belize
June 2, 2008
The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Arthur, was lashing the coasts of Belize, Guatemala and southeast Mexico, US officials said Sunday.... powered by "Caribbean Net News"
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