Constituencies of Belize
Belize's 6 districts are politically divided into 31 constituencies. Each constituency sends one representative to Belize's House of Representatives for 5-year terms; this election is known as the General Election. Each person votes for the candidate they would want to represent their constituency in Central Government; each political party nominates Standard Bearer for each constituency. The winner becomes the Area Representative of the constituency, while the loser remains the Standard Bearer of that constituency for his/her political party. Belize's constituencies are divided in such a way that their voting population be as equal as possible to each other ensuring, that resources are shared among the country's citizens, as required by the constitution. After the 2003 General Elections two additional constituencies were created from territory of existing constituencies in order to further ensure the equality of the voting populations among the constituencies. Coming out of January 2008, the most populous constituency had a voting population of 7,085 while the least populous constituency had a voting population of 3,195.
In Belize's 2003 General Elections, 29 constituencies voted in their Area Representatives for Belize's House of Representatives. Since it was noted that the difference in voting populations between the most and least populous constituencies was rather large. In 2004 a Task Force was appointed by Boundaries Commission to study the matter, their Final Report was submitted in October 2004. It is noted that the Elections and Boundaries Department has the right to reassess constituencies after the latest census or population estimate. Among several things that their report suggested, the expansion of the Cayo District's number of constituencies to six had the most impact; the following year the law was passed to create two additional constituencies within the boundaries of Cayo. The newly created constituencies are Belmopan, containing the capital city of that name, Cayo North East, centered on Spanish Lookout; these new constituencies held their first-ever election during the General Election in 2008.
Below are the Districts and their respective constituencies: Belize District Albert Belize Rural Central Belize Rural North Belize Rural South Caribbean Shores Collet Fort George Freetown Lake Independence Mesopotamia Pickstock Port Loyola Queen's Square Cayo District Belmopan Cayo Central Cayo North Cayo North East Cayo South Cayo West Corozal District Corozal Bay Corozal North Corozal South East Corozal South West Orange Walk District Orange Walk Central Orange Walk East Orange Walk North Orange Walk South Stann Creek District Dangriga Stann Creek West Toledo District Toledo East Toledo West Below is a list of the voting population by constituency as of March 2015, sorted out by districts for ease of reference. Note that these populations are for Belizean citizens who are eligible to vote and does not represent actual population; as of March 2015 the voting population of Belize is estimated at 148,026 while the total population is estimated at 301,300. The Voter Age Population, i.e. all persons over the age of eighteen, is 161,677, or 53.66% of the total population.
Of these, more than 91 percent are registered. Males outnumber females in the population, though the gap is noticeable in the larger urban areas such as Belize City, home to 10 constituencies. Below is the chronological order for the creation of Belize's current constituencies. 1954 The following were the nine original constituencies created for the British Honduras Legislative Assembly: Belize District: Belize North, Belize Rural, Belize South, Belize West Cayo District: Cayo Corozal District: Corozal Orange Walk District: Orange Walk Stann Creek District: Stann Creek Toledo District: Toledo 1961 In a major nationwide redistricting, all of the previous constituencies were abolished and replaced with the following, doubling the total number of constituencies to 18: Belize District: Albert, Belize Rural North, Belize Rural South, Fort George, Mesopotamia, Pickstock Cayo District: Cayo North, Cayo South Corozal District: Corozal North, Corozal South Orange Walk District: Orange Walk North, Orange Walk South Stann Creek District: Stann Creek Town, Stann Creek Rural Toledo District: Toledo North, Toledo South 1973 British Honduras renamed Belize.
The British Honduras Legislative Assembly becomes the Belize House of Representatives. 1979 The following were renamed: Stann Creek District: Stann Creek Town renamed Dangriga, Stann Creek Rural renamed Stann Creek West. 1984 The following constituencies were created: Belize District: Caribbean Shores, Lake Independence, Queen's Square, Port Loyola Cayo District: Cayo Central, Cayo West Corozal District: Corozal Bay Orange Walk District: Orange Walk Central, Orange Walk East The following were altered: Corozal District: Corozal South was split into Corozal South East and Corozal South West Toledo District: Toledo North and Toledo South were abolished, replaced by Toledo East and Toledo West 1993 The following constituency was created: Belize District: Belize Rural Central 2008 The following constituencies were created: Cayo District: Belmopan, Cayo North East Politics of Belize Districts of Belize Belize Elections & Boundaries Department's Map of Belize's Constituencies Government of Belize's Official Website Boundary Re-districting
Turneffe Atoll
Turneffe Atoll is located southeast of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, off the coast of Belize in Central America, 20 miles from Belize City, is one of three atolls of the Belize Barrier Reef, besides Glover's Reef and Lighthouse Reef. It is 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, making it the largest coral atoll in Belize and in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System; the atoll was declared a marine reserve on November 22, 2012. In October 2013, the Ministry and the Belize Fisheries Department appointed the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association to co-manage the Reserve's day-to-day operations; the creation of the reserve was championed and supported by a number of NGOs and foundations including the Blue Marine Foundation, the Bertarelli Foundation and the Oak Foundation. Turneffe is home to many marine species; the land and seascape consists of a network of productive flats and lagoons dotted by more than 150 mangrove islands and higher cayes with savanna and littoral forest. Large expanses of intact mangrove and seagrass habitat and shallows provide important nursery functionality for a wide array of fish species, lobster and other invertebrates.
It is home to more than 500 species of fish, 65 species of stony corals, sea turtles, dolphins and other wildlife. In addition, at least three known important fish spawning aggregation sites have been identified. At the northern end of the island group is Mauger Caye, with its eponymous lighthouse, the southern end has a smaller aid to navigation on Caye Bokel; the infamous pirate Blackbeard known as Edward Teach, spent the winter of 1717–1718 harassing ships sailing to and from the port of Vera Cruz and traversing the Bay of Honduras. On April 4 or 5th of 1718, at Turneffe, Blackbeard captured the ten-gun logwood cutting sloop Adventure and forced its captain, David Herriot, to join him. On board was Edward Robinson, the ship’s gunner, who would be involved in the Battle of Cape Fear River. Blackbeard made Israel Hands captain of the Adventure and began sailing for North Carolina. In 2018, Internet personality Matthew Patrick published a theory about the atoll being the real-life counterpart of the fictional island Neverland from Peter Pan on YouTube.
This theory is based on similarities in geographical position and historical characters as compared to Neverland. It speculates that Captain Hook could have been a former boatswain on Blackbeard's ship who ranked up to a position of a captain after a ship robbery in spring of 1718, during which Blackbeard captured a few ships in the gulf of Honduras in Yucatan peninsula, where Turneffe Atoll is situated. After becoming a captain on a Jolly Roger Hook would settle down on the atoll, hence his presence in the Peter Pan stories. There is however a time gap between Captain Hook's supposed existence in 1718 and the story-line of the Darling family in the early 1900s; this time gap in the story could be linked to the idea. Although some might say this was invented just for the purpose of the story, it is believed to have more historical links as Turneffe Atoll is the exact historical region believed to contain the Fountain of Youth, it has been searched for by Juan Ponce de Leon, who looked around for it in Florida, later by Juan Diaz de Solis, searching for it in the gulf of Honduras.
The video has 3.2 million views as of June 5, 2018. Oceanic Society When Blackbeard Scourged the Seas, History.org Out to Sea, Elite Magazine
Flowers Bank
Flowers Bank is a village in Belize in Belize District. It is a famous place in Belizean history due to its defence of the British Honduras by not fleeing in the face of Spanish invasion from Yucatán. Before "The Battle of St. George's Caye" Flowers Bank was the settlement for slaves brought in the 1750s. Adam Flowers the ancestor of the Flowers family from Flowers Bank which lived up the "Belize River", he came from a set of slaves that people knew as "Flowaz Neegro Dehn". An English man by the name of William Flowers, known from Britain was their owner. In the 1750s he brought his slaves to a place, called mosquito shore In 1786 William Flowers died. A lawyer from England took it upon himself and decided to say the slaves were not free and he wanted to sell them; the slaves were not going to tolerate that at all. They began breaking into peoples' houses and stole guns, food and would run away into the bushes. Now there was another man by the name of James Pit Larry, he was the superintendent at the time.
He and the council decided to band the slaves. After that they were set free once again, they came back to Belize with James Larry. At the time Belize was called "The Settlement" It so happened that word was going around that the Spaniards threatened to attack Belize; the magistrate called a meeting at the same location. They wanted the people that had settled in Belize to leave the place; this meeting was on 17 October 1796. All kinds of back and forth and quarreling happened at the meeting. Well, Mr. Adam Flowers from Flowers Bank stated that he would go nowhere, he and his family were making a nice living where they were free. He uttered "if we have to fight fight we will to defend our land!" They had more meetings after that. On 1 June 1797, they decided to vote as to whether they would stay and fight for their land or run away abandoning it. Well, the vote was a stalemate. So they sent word to Mr. Flowers to inform him the vote was a tie and to have him round up men to come vote. Himself and eleven more men paddled down from Flowers Bank to vote.
When they reached there and two white men voted in favor of staying and defending the place. When James Larry heard that the vote to abandon the settlement had been turned over, he said that he should have killed the slaves instead of pardoning them, it wasn’t until the following year, on 10 September 1798 when the actual battle with the Spaniards took place
Rancho Dolores
Rancho Dolores is a village in Belize District, Belize about 45 miles from Belize City. Its precise geographic location is -88.62 longitude. It is the last village on the road leading down the Belize River Valley. Rancho Dolores was founded in the late eighteenth century by a rancher named Dolores, although this is no longer known; the people were Maya, but today are Creole peoples. The important feature of the settlement is the proximity to Spanish Creek wildlife sanctuary, an important fauna and flora reserve; the nearby river has visible crocodiles and there are still jaguars in the nearby forest. Part of the interest of Rancho Dolores is the way Creole life has been preserved, in contrast to the other villages, where is it moribund. Cooking is still done on the traditional firehearth, using the kiskis, a type of tongs made from the cohune palm; every May, there are dances for Holy Week, including the hogshead dance and the plantation dance
Ladyville
Ladyville is the largest village in the country of Belize, eight miles northwest of Belize City in the Belize District. The Philip Goldson Highway connects Ladyville to Belize City. Although a separate settlement, Ladyville has become a suburb of Belize City, with many of its residents commuting to the city on a daily basis. Ladyville recorded a population of 5458 in the 2010 national census; the total number of households are 1,227 with an average size of 3.6 persons. Ladyville is located on the north end of the Belize River and is next to the Caribbean Sea; the terrain is part of the Belize's lowland and part of a natural flood plain. The land consists of broadleaf lowland forests and marshlands with creeks and mangrove forest along the coast; the Phillip Goldson highway cuts through the village. It has several neighbourhoods: Vista Del Mar New/Old Site "Mitchelle Estate" Perez Estate Japan Lake Gardens Bainton's Bank Area "Los Lagos Community" National Government Ladyville is part of the Belize Rural Central Constituency.
The area representative for the Belize Rural Central Constituency, following the general elections on 5 November 2015, is Beverly Diane Castillo with 2560 votes who defeated incumbent representative Dolores Balderamos Garcia who had 2502 votes. 2015 National Election Summary Belize Rural Central 7513 5284 70.33% Beverly Diane Castillo UDP 2560 48.45% Dolores Balderamos Garcia PUP 2502 47.35% Javier Molina BPP 152 2.88% rejected 70 1.32% Local Government The Village Council is headed by Chairlady Dian Wite. 2016–2019 Village Council members List of political parties in Belize The Belize Telemedia Limited - Ladyville Branch is located on the Old Airport Road. The Belize Electricity Limited - Ladyville Branch, is located at 9 3/4mls Northern Highway; the Belize Water Services Ltd - Ladyville branch is located at Lord's Bank road. Butane Gas services are provided by Southern Choice Butane and Belize Western Energy Limited. Our Lady of The Way R. C. School Ladyville Evangelical School Seven Day Adventist Primary School.
Ladyville Technical High School Tubal Trade Institute St. Christopher's Clinic - Chemist/Pharmacy/General Practitioner Batsub/Price Barracks - Army Medics Ladyville Pharmacy - Chemist/Pharmacy Ladyville Seven Day Adventist Community Clinic Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport known as The Belize International Airport, is located in Ladyville and is operated by the Belize Airport Concession Company Ltd; the airport serves Belize City and is the nation of Belize's main airport. It has a runway length of 7100 ft and is served by 9 airlines. Transportation from the airport to the Philip Goldson Highway is only available by the Ladyville Airport Taxi union. Public transportation for Ladyville is serviced by several different bus companies that operate both locally and nationally. Headquarters of the Belize Brewing Company, brewers of Belikin beer and Lighthouse lager. Coca-Cola bottling plant Belize Defense Force along with BATSUB headquarters at Price Barracks. NAVCO National Association of Village Councils The Belize district office is located at the Ladyville Community Center on Poinsettia and Seagull Streets, Ladyville.
Manatee Lookout Belize River Lodge Phillip Goldson Int'l Airport Belize Defence Force National Association of Village Councils
Burrell Boom
Burrell Boom is on the Belize River twenty miles above Belize City, Belize. Tourists pass through this historic village on their way to the Community Baboon Sanctuary, where the population of black howler monkeys has grown to over 2,000. During the 18th century, loggers settled along the Belize River, floating logwood and mahogany logs down to Belize Town. Burrell Boom grew as a gathering and milling point for these logs, with its boom stretched across the river. In 1837 the Methodist ministers Thomas Jefferies and John Greenwood built a chapel in Burrell Boom, Catholic missionary activities ensued along the whole Belize River from the mid-nineteenth century; the village has now both Catholic elementary schools. Each Good Friday Anglican and Catholic communities in town gather for an ecumenical service which rotates among the churches. A number of refugees from neighboring republics have settled near the town and drawn Jehovah's Witnesses on mission to the area. After 2000 the link between the Northern and Western highways was improved, passing near to Burrell Boom and bringing the village greater prominence.
Burrell Boom has a tropical monsoon climate
Belize
Belize is a country located on the eastern coast of Central America. Belize is bordered on the northwest by Mexico, on the east by the Caribbean Sea, on the south and west by Guatemala, it has an area of 22,970 square kilometres and a population of 387,879. Its mainland is 68 mi wide, it has the lowest population density in Central America. The country's population growth rate of 1.87% per year is the second highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The Mayan civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 B. C. and 300 A. D. and flourished until about 1200. European exploration campaigns began in 1502 when Christopher Columbus sailed along the Gulf of Honduras. European settlement was begun by English settlers in 1638; this period was marked by Spain and Britain both laying claim to the land until Britain defeated the Spanish in the Battle of St. George's Caye, it became a British colony in 1840, known as British Honduras, a Crown colony in 1862. Independence was achieved from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981.
Belize has a diverse society, composed of many cultures and languages that reflect its rich history. English is the official language of Belize. Over half the population is multilingual, with Spanish being the second most common spoken language, it is known for its extensive barrier reef coral reefs and punta music. Belize's abundance of terrestrial and marine species and its diversity of ecosystems give it a key place in the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, it is considered a Central American and Caribbean nation with strong ties to both the American and Caribbean regions. It is a member of the Caribbean Community, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Central American Integration System, the only country to hold full membership in all three regional organisations. Belize is a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state; the earliest known record of the name "Belize" appears in the journal of the Dominican priest Fray José Delgado, dating to 1677.
Delgado recorded the names of three major rivers that he crossed while travelling north along the Caribbean coast: Rio Soyte, Rio Xibum and Rio Balis. The names of these waterways, which correspond to the Sittee River, Sibun River and Belize River, were provided to Delgado by his translator, it is that Delgado's "Balis" was the Mayan word belix, meaning "muddy-watered". Some have suggested that the name derives from a Spanish pronunciation of the name of the Scottish buccaneer Peter Wallace, who established a settlement at the mouth of the Belize River in 1638. There is no proof that Wallace settled in this area and some scholars have characterized this claim as a myth. Writers and historians have suggested several other possible etymologies, including postulated French and African origins; the Maya civilization emerged at least three millennia ago in the lowland area of the Yucatán Peninsula and the highlands to the south, in the area of present-day southeastern Mexico, Belize and western Honduras.
Many aspects of this culture persist in the area despite nearly 500 years of European domination. Prior to about 2500 BC, some hunting and foraging bands settled in small farming villages. A profusion of languages and subcultures developed within the Maya core culture. Between about 2500 BC and 250 AD, the basic institutions of Maya civilization emerged; the peak of this civilization occurred during the classic period, which began about 250 AD. The Maya civilization spread across what is now Belize around 1500 BC, flourished there until about AD 900; the recorded history of the middle and southern regions is dominated by Caracol, an urban political centre that may have supported over 140,000 people. North of the Maya Mountains, the most important political centre was Lamanai. In the late Classic Era of Maya civilisation, as many as one million people may have lived in the area, now Belize; when Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century, the area, now Belize included three distinct Maya territories: Chetumal province, which encompassed the area around Corozal Bay.
Spanish conquistadors explored the land and declared it a Spanish colony but chose not to settle and develop because of its lack of resources and the hostile Indian tribes of the Yucatán. English and Scottish settlers and pirates known as the Baymen entered the area from the 17th century, with Baymen first settling on the coast of what is now Belize in 1638, seeking a sheltered region from which they could attack Spanish ships; the settlers established a trade colony and port in what became the Belize District, during the 18th century, established a system using black slaves to cut logwood trees. This yielded a valuable fixing agent for clothing dyes, was one of the first ways to achieve a fast black before the advent of artificial dyes; the Spanish granted the British settlers the right to occupy the area and cut logwood in exchange for their help suppressing piracy. The British first appointed a superintendent over the Belize area in 1786. Before the British government had not recognized the settlement as a colony for fear of provoking a Spanish attack.
The delay in governm
Belize
Media related to Belize District at Wikimedia Commons
