ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in Belize. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in Belize. Belize is a member of the Commonwealth, and the British monarchy is represented by a governor-general. Formerly British Honduras, the name was changed to Belize in 1973. Belizeans have suffered from an increase in violent crime, much of it related to drug trafficking and gang conflict. The Belize Human Rights Commission is independent and effective. Human rights concerns include the plight of migrant workers and refugees from neighboring Central American countries, and charges of labor abuses by Belizean employers. There is freedom of religion, and the government actively discourages racial and ethnic discrimination.
