Some things I've learned about Belize so far ...

Some Interesting Factoids about Belize:
~ British colony, formerly British Honduras, granted independence on 9/21 (my bday!) /1981 (year the twins were born [my bro & sis])
~ About the size of New Hampshire with little variation in temparture (high 70s, low 80s) or humdity (~80%)
~ 300,000 people (lowest population density in Central America, one of the lowest in the world, and much less than during the Classic Mayan Period)
~ 70% of population is under the age of 30
~ Highest rate of HIV/AIDs in Central America
~ Spanish becoming more widely spoken as Mestizo population increases
~ Creole fast becoming language common to all (53% Mestizo = European & indigenous ancestry, 25% Creole = descended from slaves, 10% Mayan, 7% Garifuna = carib slaves & indigenous ancestry, 4% others including Chinese, Taiwanese, East Indian, and Mennonite)
~ 93% of land is under forest cover; 42% of land is under some type of legal protected status
~ Only jaguar reserve in the world
http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/parkcockscomb.html
~ Largest coral reef in western hemisphere
~ Increasingly challenged by environmental issues including water pollution, waste disposal, deforestation, and mainstream tourism
~ Peace Corps has been in Belize for 43 years!