British Culture Meets the Caribbean
Like most of the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize was part of the Mayan Kingdom from 300 B.C. to 900 A.D. Close by in Belize's Inland, ruins of the vast Mayan civilization protrude from the depths of the rain forests. Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the 16th Century but were lured away by the immense quantities of gold found in Mexico, making room for the British to move in. Though Belize gained its independence in 1981, English is still the official language and elements of the British culture are still intermingled with those of the Caribbean.