About Belize

General

General Belize is an independent country located on the Caribbean Sea in mainland Central America with Mexico to the North and Guatemala to the South and West. It has a population of about 250,000 and covers an area 8,867 square miles. With English as the official language and Spanish widely spoken, the country has often been referred to as the bridge between the Caribbean and Central America and remains a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations with Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain as the titular Head of State. For nearly 4,000 years, it formed the keystone of the empire of the ancient Maya who developed, what was for their time, the most advanced civilization in the New World.

Government

Belize, having received its independence from Britain in 1981, has enjoyed a long history of economic, social and political stability, and is one of the few remaining pristine environments on earth. The political system is operated on the principles of parliamentary democracy, based upon the Westminster model, with Queen Elizabeth II (represented by a Governor-General in Belize) as titular head of state. The cabinet, under the leadership of the Prime Minister directs the policy of the Government, which consists of the Prime Minister and ministers chosen by him from an elected House of Representatives and an appointed Senate. There are two major political parties - the Peoples United Party and the United Democratic Party. Both parties are committed to the economic development of the country and to the expansion of the offshore financial services industry.

Legal System

The legal system is based on English.