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Belize Geography and People & Travel Overview
Though only 120 km across and 288 km long, Belize is both geographically and ethnically diverse. The Caye Islands and the Belize's Barrier Reef, second in length only to Australia's, run along the entire coast. Northern Belize is a plain, which was once a sea bed that is covered partially by scrub brush and partially by thick tropical hardwood forests. The landscape begins to rise and wrinkle in Central Belize and the region contains a number of rivers and fertile valleys that were farmed by the Mayans for centuries before the Europeans arrived. As you head into southwestern Belize the land rises even more, forming the plateaus and peaks of the Mayan Mountains, where the headwaters of a number of rivers are born and rush down through caverns and caves and over cliffs until they empty their burden into the sea. Lush tropical rainforest covers southern Belize.
Belize Demographics
There are just over 200,000 Belizeans but as a result of the sharp geographical contrasts and a lack of roads and communications, this tiny population has maintained the distinct identities of its ethnic groups for several hundred years. According to a recent census, 48% of Belizeans are of African heritage (40% Creole and 8% Garifuna, also known as Black Caribs), 33% are Mestizos, 10% are Mayan Indians, and 4% are White. The remaining Belizeans are from other ethnic groups that do not make up at least 1% of the population.
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