Belize District

Belize is one of the districts in the country of Belize. The capital of this district is Belize City. It is an important part of the nation, helping to shape the culture and history of the area. For more information about other uses of the name "Belize," you can see this page.

Geography

Most of the Belize District is found in the east central part of Belize. It also includes many beautiful offshore islands, such as Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, St. George's Caye, Caye Chapel, English Caye, Goff's Caye, and Turneffe Atoll. Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are two of the country's main places for visitors to enjoy.

The longest river in Belize, the Belize River, flows through this district and reaches the Caribbean Sea along its coast. Other rivers in the Belize District include the Northern River, Sibun River, and Manatee River.

Settlements

San Pedro Town is located on the island of Ambergris Caye and is part of the Belize District. Other island villages in this district include Caye Caulker and St. George's Caye. Many mainland villages are also found in the Belize District, such as Maskall, Bomba, Corozalito, Santana, Lucky Strike, Rockstone Pond, Boston, Crooked Tree, Biscayne, May Pen, Gardenia, Grace Bank, Sand Hill, Lord's Bank, Ladyville, Burrel Boom, Buttercup, Scotland Halfmoon, Flowers Bank, Bermudian Landing, Isabella Bank, Double Head Cabbage, Willows Bank, Saint Paul's Bank, Big Falls, Rancho Dolores, Hattieville, Freetown Sibun, Gracie Rock, La Democracia, and Gales Point. The Crooked Tree and Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuaries, the Belize Zoo (30 miles west of Belize City), and the ancient Maya ruins of Altun Ha are all located in this district.

History

The Belize District was the first area where Europeans settled. They built farms along the rivers and creeks, using these waterways to travel. Many farms were named after the owner's "bank," meaning the side of a river. For example, Mr. Lord's farm on the Belize River was called Lord's Bank, and Mr. Flowers' home became Flowers Bank. Some of these old farms grew into villages, while others, such as Baker, Bob Eiley, and Lime Walk, stayed as farm names. Places like Davis Bank and Tropical Park are now part of bigger communities.

Demographics

The Belize District had an estimated population of 87,000 in 2005. Most people lived in two main towns. Belize City was the largest, with about 60,800 people, and San Pedro Town had around 8,900 people. The rest of the district’s population lived in smaller villages and communities.

In 2010, the census counted 89,247 people in the Belize District. There were 43,980 males and 45,267 females. The district had 27,161 households, with an average of 3.3 people per household.

Political divisions

Belize District has 13 areas called constituencies, which are used for voting. Ten of these constituencies are inside Belize City, and the other three are in the rural parts of the district.

The ten constituencies in Belize City include Albert, Caribbean Shores, Collet, Fort George, Freetown, Lake Independence, Mesopotamia, Pickstock, Port Loyola, and Queen's Square. Important leaders, such as Shyne Barrow and Francis Fonseca, represent some of these areas.

The rural parts of Belize District are split into three groups. Belize Rural North covers the northern half and includes places like Maskall and Lucky Strike. Belize Rural Central covers the southern half and includes villages such as Ladyville and Western Paradise. Belize Rural South includes the islands off the coast, like Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, with San Pedro being its main town.