History of Belize in Timeline

Belize is a Central American country bordered by Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and Guatemala. It also shares maritime borders with Honduras. As part of the Caribbean region, Belize is a member of CARICOM and the Commonwealth Caribbean, tracing its history to the British West Indies.

1922: Mennonites migrated to Mexico

Between 1922 and 1925, many Russian Mennonites migrated to Mexico.

1925: Mennonites migrated to Mexico

Between 1922 and 1925, many Russian Mennonites migrated to Mexico.

1931: Hurricane Devastates Belize City

In 1931, an unnamed hurricane destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and killed more than 1,000 people.

1955: Hurricane Janet Levels Corozal

In 1955, Hurricane Janet levelled the northern town of Corozal.

1958: Mennonites migrated to Belize

In the years after 1958, many Russian Mennonites migrated to Belize.

1961: Hurricane Hattie

In 1961, Hurricane Hattie forced major internal relocation within Belize.

1971: Religious Demographics

According to PROLADES, Belize's population was 64.6% Catholic, 27.8% Protestant, and 7.6% of other faiths in 1971.

1978: Hurricane Greta Causes Damage

In 1978, Hurricane Greta caused more than US$25 million in damage along the southern coast of Belize.

1980: Belize forest cover study

A remote sensing study showed that the Belize forest cover in late 1980 was approximately 75.9%.

1980: Ethnic-demographic shift

Since 1980, a substantial ethnic-demographic shift has been occurring in Belize, with Creoles, formerly the majority, becoming outnumbered by the Hispanic/Mestizo community.

1986: Citizenship-by-investment programme began

Belize's citizenship-by-investment programme began in 1986, proving a popular option among Chinese migrants in the 1990s.

1986: University College of Belize founded

The University College of Belize was founded in 1986 and later evolved into the University of Belize.

1990: Forest Cover in Belize

In 1990, Belize's forest cover was 1,600,030 hectares (ha).

1990: Limestone Exploitation in Belize

In 1990, limestone, which is used in road construction, was the only mineral resource exploited for domestic or export use in Belize.

1990: Establishment of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

In 1990, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary was founded as the first wilderness sanctuary for the jaguar.

1991: Catholics formed 57% of the population

In 1991, Catholics formed 57% of Belize's population.

1996: Belize Barrier Reef Declared World Heritage Site

In 1996, the Belize Barrier Reef was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

1997: Price of citizenship rose to US$50,000

In 1997, in response to the demand, the price of Belizean citizenship rose from US$25,000 to US$50,000 as part of the citizenship-by-investment programme.

1998: Said Musa became Prime Minister

In 1998, Said Musa, the son of an immigrant from Palestine, became the Prime Minister of Belize.

1998: Belize won the 1998 CARICOM Men's Basketball Championship

In 1998, the Belize national basketball team won the CARICOM Men's Basketball Championship.

1998: Damage to Belize's Coral Reef

It is claimed by scientists that over 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998.

1999: Belize participated in the 1999 Centrobasquet Tournament

In 1999, the Belize national basketball team participated in the Centrobasquet Tournament in Havana, finishing seventh out of eight teams.

1999: Strengthening of Tourist and Construction Sectors

The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999, leading to an estimate of revived growth at four per cent.

2000: Belize placed fourth at the 2000 CARICOM championship

In 2000, Belize's national basketball team placed fourth at the CARICOM championship in Barbados.

2000: Catholics formed 49% of the population

In 2000, Catholics formed 49% of Belize's population.

2000: Hurricane Keith Hits Belize

In 2000, Hurricane Keith, a Category 4 storm, hit Belize on October 1, causing 19 deaths and at least $280 million in damage.

October 2001: Hurricane Iris Makes Landfall

On October 9, 2001, Hurricane Iris made landfall at Monkey River Town as a Category 4 storm, demolishing most of the homes and destroying the banana crop.

2001: Belize won the Central American Games championship

In 2001, Belize won the Central American Games championship in basketball.

2005: Baháʼís in Belize

In 2005, there were an estimated 7,776 Baháʼís in Belize, or 2.5% of the national population.

2006: Belize finished with a 2–4 record in the 2006 COCABA championship

In 2006, the Belize national basketball team finished with a 2–4 record in the COCABA championship.

2006: Cultivation of Crude Oil

In 2006, the cultivation of newly discovered crude oil in the town of Spanish Lookout presented new prospects and problems for Belize.

2007: Belize's Papaya Export

In 2007 Belize became the world's third largest exporter of papaya.

2007: UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

In 2007, Belize backed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which established legal land rights to indigenous groups.

2007: Hurricane Dean Causes Extensive Damage

In 2007, Hurricane Dean, a Category 5 storm, made landfall north of the Belize-Mexico border, causing extensive damage in northern Belize.

2008: End of Said Musa's Prime Ministership

In 2008, Said Musa's term as the Prime Minister of Belize concluded.

2009: Belize finished second in the 2009 COCABA tournament

In 2009, the Belize national basketball team finished second in the COCABA tournament in Cancun, Mexico.

August 2010: Report on Belize's Forest Cover

In August 2010, a remote sensing study revealed that Belize's forest cover in early 2010 was approximately 62.7%, down from 75.9% in late 1980.

October 2010: Hurricane Richard Affects Belize

In October 2010, Belize was directly affected by Hurricane Richard, which made landfall approximately 32 kilometres south-southeast of Belize City, causing damage to crops and housing.

December 2010: Belize Bans Bottom Trawling

In December 2010, Belize became the first country in the world to completely ban bottom trawling.

2010: Religious Demographics

According to the 2010 census, 40.1% of Belizeans were Catholics, 31.8% Protestants, 1.7% were Jehovah's Witnesses, 10.3% adhered to other religions, and 15.5% professed to be irreligious.

2010: Literacy rate in Belize

As of 2010, the literacy rate in Belize was estimated to be 79.7%.

2010: Muslims numbered 577

In 2010, Belize's Muslim population numbered 577, accounting for 0.16 per cent of the population.

2010: Supreme Court Ruling on Customary Land Titles

In 2010, The Supreme Court of Belize ruled to acknowledge customary land titles as communal land for indigenous peoples.

2010: Belize won its opening match in the Centrobasquet Tournament

In 2010, the Belize national basketball team won its opening match in the Centrobasquet Tournament, defeating Trinidad and Tobago, but failed to qualify.

2010: Indo-Belizeans made up 3.9% of the population

In 2010, the Indo-Belizean community made up 3.9% of the population of Belize.

2011: U.S. Adds Belize to Drug Transit List

In 2011, the United States added Belize to the list of nations considered major drug producers or transit countries for narcotics.

2011: Education Sector Strategy 2011–2016

In 2011, the educational policy followed the "Education Sector Strategy 2011–2016".

2012: Tourist arrivals totalled 917,869

In 2012, tourist arrivals in Belize totalled 917,869, with about 584,683 from the United States, and tourist receipts amounted to over $1.3 billion.

2013: Supreme Court Upholds Ruling on Land Titles

In 2013, the Supreme Court of Belize upheld its 2010 ruling acknowledging customary land titles as communal land for indigenous peoples.

2014: Belize Named Major Money Laundering Country

Since 2014, the United States Department of State has named Belize as one of the world's "major money laundering countries".

December 2015: Belize Bans Offshore Oil Drilling Near Barrier Reef

In December 2015, Belize banned offshore oil drilling within 1 km of the Barrier Reef and all of its seven World Heritage Sites.

2015: CCJ Order on Mayan Land Registry

In 2015, the Caribbean Court of Justice ordered the Belizean government to develop a land registry to classify and exercise traditional governance over Mayan lands.

2016: Request for assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Belize led to a request for assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2016, which led to the 2018 launch of a national migration policy plan.

2016: Biocapacity in Belize

In 2016, Belize had 3.8 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, more than the world average. Belize used 5.4 global hectares of biocapacity per person, leading to a biocapacity deficit.

2016: Simone Biles won four gold medals

In 2016, Simone Biles, a dual citizen of the United States and Belize, won four gold medals in the Rio Summer Olympics.

2016: Education Sector Strategy 2011–2016

In 2016, the educational policy followed the "Education Sector Strategy 2011–2016", which set objectives for improving access, quality, and governance of the education system by providing technical and vocational education and training.

2017: Belize Struggles to Recognize Indigenous Populations

As of 2017, Belize was still struggling to recognize indigenous populations and their respective rights.

2017: Oil Production in Belize

As of 2017, oil production in Belize was 320 m/d (2,000 bbl/d).

2017: Moratorium on Offshore Oil Activities

In 2017, Belize implemented an indefinite moratorium on offshore oil activities everywhere Belize exercises maritime jurisdiction and enacted law requiring a referendum to lift the moratorium.

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2018, Belize had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.15/10, ranking it 85th globally out of 172 countries.

2018: Launch of a national migration policy plan

In 2018, a national migration policy plan was launched following a request for assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2016. As of 2018, migrants made up 15% of Belize's population.

2019: Women's participation in the workforce

As of 2019, 49.9% of women in Belize participate in the workforce, compared to 80.6% of men. Additionally, 11.1% of the seats in Belize's National Assembly are filled by women.

2019: UN's Gender Inequality Index score

In 2019, the UN gave Belize a Gender Inequality Index score of 0.415, ranking it 97th out of 162 countries.

2020: $2.62 billion US dollars were given in aid to Belize

Between 2020 and 2023, $2.62 billion US dollars were given in aid to Belize from the United States to combat trafficking, narcotic smuggling, and gang violence.

2020: Forest Cover in Belize

In 2020, forest cover in Belize was around 56% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,277,050 hectares (ha).

2020: Belizeans in US Census Data

In the 2020 US Census Data, Belizeans ranked among the top 5 of largest "Some Other Race Alone" or "Some Other Race Alone or in Any Combination" group.

2021: World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report

In 2021, the World Economic Forum ranked Belize 90th out of 156 countries in its Global Gender Gap Report.

2022: Belize's population is 397,483

According to the 2022 census, Belize's population is 397,483. Also, the birth rate was 17.8 births/1,000 population (2022), and the death rate was 6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2022).

2022: Renewable Energy Percentage

As of 2022, renewable sources accounted for 53% of total gross electricity generation in Belize.

2022: Government of Belize's National Digital Agenda 2022–2025

In 2022, in alignment with the Government of Belize's National Digital Agenda 2022–2025, BTL has been actively expanding its service offerings to enhance digital infrastructure and connectivity across the country.

2022: Hurricane Lisa Makes Landfall

The most recent hurricane to make landfall in Belize was Hurricane Lisa in 2022.

2023: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

As of 2023, Belize's greenhouse gas emissions are relatively low (7.46 million tonnes), but it ranks as the 13th highest country for per capita emissions.

2023: $2.62 billion US dollars were given in aid to Belize

Between 2020 and 2023, $2.62 billion US dollars were given in aid to Belize from the United States to combat trafficking, narcotic smuggling, and gang violence.

2023: Murders recorded in Belize

In 2023, 87 murders were recorded in Belize, giving the country a homicide rate of 19.7 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

2023: Belize's total fertility rate in 2023 was 2.010 children per woman.

In 2023, Belize's total fertility rate was 2.010 children per woman.

2023: Reported cases of rape, robberies, burglaries, and theft

In 2023, there were 34 reported cases of rape, 170 robberies, 628 burglaries, and 118 cases of theft in Belize.

2023: Government's National Energy Policy

The Government of Belize's National Energy Policy 2023–2040 outlines a commitment to achieving 75% renewable energy in the electricity generation mix by 2030.

2024: Infrastructure Upgrades

In 2024, BEL completed an upgrade of the West Lake Gas Turbine and installed a new gas turbine on Ambergris Caye.

2024: BEL Proposed Investment

In its 2024-2028 Full Tariff Review, BEL proposed a $500 million investment to support the integration of 60 MW of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and 40 MW of battery energy storage systems.

2025: Government of Belize's National Digital Agenda 2022–2025

In 2025, the Government of Belize's National Digital Agenda 2022–2025 aims to enhance digital infrastructure and connectivity across the country.

2028: BEL Proposed Investment

2030: UN Sustainable Development Goals

According to the 50-page voluntary national report Belize created on its progress toward the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, indigenous groups are not factored into the country's indicators.

2030: Renewable Energy Goal

The Government of Belize's National Energy Policy 2023–2040 outlines a commitment to achieving 75% renewable energy in the electricity generation mix by 2030.

2040: Government's National Energy Policy

The Government of Belize's National Energy Policy 2023–2040 outlines a commitment to achieving 75% renewable energy in the electricity generation mix by 2030.