Factbook
History of Belize — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Belize, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1862The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1862.
1981Independence: 21 September 1981 (from the UK).
1981Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981.
1992Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992, and the two countries are still involved in an ongoing border dispute.
2010Languages: English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.5% (2010 est.) Religions: Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Church of Jesus Christ, Muslim, Rasta Urban population: 46.6% of total population (2023).
2018Major urban areas: 23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018) tourism- and agriculture-driven economy; strong post-pandemic rebound; innovative and ecological bond restructuring that significantly lowered public debt and expanded marine protections; central bank offering USD-denominated treasury notes; high mobility across borders Inflation: 3.3% (2024 est.).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 12% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 52.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 30.752 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil Agriculture: sugarcane, maize, bananas, sorghum, soybeans, chicken, rice, oranges, fruits, plantains (2023) Electricity access: 98.6% (2022 est.).
2024Military spending: 1% of GDP (2024 est.).
