;)
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BELIZE
Capital | Belmopan
FLAG DESCRIPTION: blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize *note: the flag of Belize is the only national banner that depicts human beings; the flags of Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands, both British overseas territories, also depict humans
Population | 307, 899 (July 2009 est)
Area | 22,966 SQ KM
Official language | Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official)
Holidays | Independence Day, 21 September (1981 from the U.K.)
Currency | Belizean dollars (BZD)
Time Zone | UTC -6
Best time to visit | It rains less in the first half of the year, but you’ll probably be too relaxed to care either way.
Connecting with the Culture | Flying into Belize City, then hightailing it out to the beaches as quickly as possible. Ordering a Belikin beer, then ordering another one. Riding a bus into Belmopan, Belize’s capital city, still wondering if you’ve arrived as you drive out the other side. Snorkelling in the impossibly warm watersof the Caribbean sea. Exploring Belize’s many beautiful ruins...
Read | Belizious Cuisine, a collection of 200 dishes that demonstrate the richness of Belize’s rich multicultural past
Listen | to the Garifuna rhythms, culture and politics of Andy Palacio’s Til Da Mawnin
Watch | The Mosquito Coast, starring Harrison Ford and River Phoenix, which flaunts the lush beauty of Belize’s interior (though the setting is supposed to be Honduras)
Eat | the two main dishes on a Belizean menu: ‘rice and beans’ and ‘beans and rice’- either way, it tastes great with Marie Sharp’s hot sauce
Drink | Belize’s famous Belikin beer
In a word | You better Belize it! (cringeworthy but ubiquitous)
Characteristics | Mayan ruins; diving the Blue Hole; Marie Sharp’s famous hot sauce
Surprises | Listening in on a conversation in a curious language, only to realise the language is English; it is actually possible to fill an entire day doing absolutely nothing.
