Belize Culture - Belizean history is packed with stories of wars, pirates, slavery, and attempts to wipe out civilizations. But that is why Belize is the melting pot of culture and ethnicities it is today. The culture of Belize has its roots in locations from all over the globe.

The Mayans were the natives here and they occupied the regions of current-day Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Archeologists have a belief that this region was inhabited by 1 to 2 million Mayans. The Mayans were very proficient in science and math. In Belize the Mayan groups living here are the Kekchi, Mopan, and Yucatec Mayas. The Mopan Mayas originally inhabited what is now Guatemala. The Mayan's economy is traditionally a mixture of crops sold for cash and crops grown for self consumption.

You will find that the predominant modern-day culture here in Belize is that of Creole. Just about every Belizean speaks Creole even though the official language is English. Creole is derived from European and African ancestry. The Europeans came here to settle Belize and do logging for export to the old country and they brought along with them African slaves.

Another part of the Belize heritage is the Garifuna Culture. This culture is a mixture of the Africans who were once slaves here, the islanders of the Caribbean, and a little European. These people came to the region of Belize from Honduras. The Garifuna had been through all sorts of oppression, discrimination, and hostilities and finally settled down in the region of the Dangriga. Their culture is based upon a fishing and farming lifestyle and these people are known to be very educated.

Many other cultures make their home in Belize too. You will find communities here of Chinese, East Indian, Middle Eastern, and German Mennonites. It is a melting pot just like the United States and this gives Belize culture its special charm.