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in Belize:
General: Belize is the
only officially English speaking country in Central
America. Belize was a British colony for more
than a century and was known as British Honduras
until 1973. It became an independent nation within
The Commonwealth in 1981. Belize is a member of
the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Sistema
de Integración Centroamericana (SICA) and
considers itself to be culturally both Caribbean
and Central American. With 8,867 square miles
(22,960 km²) of territory and only 297,651
people (Belize CSO, 2007 mid year est.), the population
density is the lowest in the Central American
region and one of the lowest in the world. However,
the country's growth rate is 3.5% (2006 est.).
Currency: The dollar
(currency code BZD) has been the currency of Belize
since 1885. It is normally abbreviated with the
dollar sign $, or alternatively BZ$ to distinguish
it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It
is divided into 100 cents. The Belize dollar is
pegged to the US dollar at BZ$2 = US$1.
Language: English is
a West Germanic language originating in England,
and the first language for most people in Australia,
Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States
of America (also commonly known as the Anglosphere).
It is used extensively as a second language and
as an official language throughout the world,
especially in Commonwealth countries and in many
international organisations.
Modern English is sometimes
described as the global lingua franca.English
is the dominant international language in communications,
science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio
and diplomacy. The influence of the British Empire
is the primary reason for the initial spread of
the language far beyond the British Isles. Following
World War II, the growing economic and cultural
influence of the United States has significantly
accelerated the spread of the language.
A working knowledge of English
is required in certain fields, professions, and
occupations. As a result over a billion people
speak English at least at a basic level (see English
language learning and teaching). English is one
of six official languages of the United Nations.
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