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Demographics of Belize
Demographics of Belize
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Belize, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. districts, which border on Mexico. In the 1870s-1880s, the Kekchi ran from Verapaz, Guatemala, where their lands were being stolen for coffee plantations, which then enslaved them. They settled villages in the Toledo district. Living near rivers and streams, their lifestyle is self-reliant. The Mopans originated in Belize, but most were driven out to Guatemala after the British assumed control from the Spanish in the late 1700s. They returned to Belize in 1886, running from enslavement and taxation in Petén. The Cayo district and San Antonio in the Toledo district are their homes now. Some of the Kekchi and Mopan have mixed together. About 80% of the population is Christian.
Demographics of Belize, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America. It is larger than El Salvador. Slightly more than half of the people live in rural areas. About one-fourth live in Belize City, the principal port, commercial centre, and former capital. Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 34% of the population is of mixed Maya and European descent (Mestizo), 25% are Kriols, 15% are Spanish, about 10.6% are Mayan, and about 6.1% are Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna).[1] The remaining population includes European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and North American groups. In the case of Europeans, most are descendants of Spanish and British colonial settlers, whether pure-blooded or mixed with each other. Most Spanish left the nation just after it was taken by the British colonists who, in the same way, left after independence. Dutch and German Mennonites settled Belize, most in the isolated areas. Because Belize’s original Maya peoples were decimated by disease and wars, many of the country’s Maya today are descended from other groups. The current Maya population consists of several different tribes. The Yucatecs fled to Belize in the late 1840s to escape the Caste War in Yucatán, Mexico. They live in the Orange Walk and Corozal
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
Population pyramid The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Population
301,270 (July 2008 est.)[2]
Belize’s Largest Cities & Towns by Population
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Belize City, BZ - 70,800 Orange Walk Town, OW - 18,000 San Ignacio, CY - 17,000 Belmopan, CY - 16,400 Dangriga, SC - 12,000 Corozal Town, CZ - 9,000 San Pedro, BZ - 8,500 Benque Viejo del Carmen, CY - 7,200
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
9. Punta Gorda, TO - 6,400 10. Trial Farm, OW - 4,500 11. Ladyville, BZ - 4,400 - Based on 2005 estimate.
Demographics of Belize
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality
• Noun: Belizean(s) • Adjective: Belizean
Age structure
• 0-14 years: 38.4% (male 58,978/female 56,647) • 15-64 years: 58.1% (male 88,521/female 86,450) • 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,095/ female 5,543) (2008 est.)
Ethnic groups
• Mestizo 34%, Kriol 25%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 6%, Spanish 15%, Mennonite 3.6%, Indian 3%, other 3%[1] Birth Rate by Ethnic Groups (2000 Census)[3]
Median age
• total: 20.1 years • male: 20.0 years • female: 20.3 years (2008 est.)
Religions
• Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 29% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Baptist 3.5%), other 11.4%, none 10% (2000).[4]
Population growth rate
• 2.207% (2008 est.)
Birth rate
• 27.84 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Languages
English is the only official language of Belize due to being a former British colony. It is the main language used in government and education.[5] Although only 5.6% of the population speaks it as the main language at home, 54% can speak it very well, and another 26% can speak some English. 37% of Belizeans consider their primary language to be Kriol, an English-based creole of words and syntax from various African languages (namely Akan, Igbo, and Twi)[6], and other languages (Miskito, Caliche). It is also a second or third language for another 40% of the multilingual country. To speak Kriol is synonymous with being Belizean. Kriol shares similarities with many Caribbean English Creoles as far as phonology and pronunciations are concerned. Also, many of its words and structures are both lexically and phonologically similar to English, its superstrate language. Due to the fact that it is English-based, all Kriol speakers can understand English. A number of linguists classify Belizean Kriol as a separate language, while others consider it to be a dialect of English. Spanish is the mother tongue of Mestizo and Central American refugees and is commonly spoken at home by 43% of the population. Maya dialects such as Kekchi, Mopan and Yucatec are spoken. Garifuna (which is Arawakan/Maipurean based, with elements of the Carib language, French, and Spanish) and the Plautdietsch dialect of the
Death rate
• 5.77 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio
• • • • • at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.0025 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate
• total: 23.65 deaths/1,000 live births • male: 26.35 deaths/1,000 live births • female: 20.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
• total population: 68.19 years • male: 66.39 years • female: 70.08 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
• 3.44 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS
• Adult prevalence rate: 2.4% (2003 est.) People living with HIV/AIDS: 3,600 (2003 est.)
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ethnic Group African British Chinese Creole East Indian Garifuna Keq’chi Mopan Yucatec Mennonite Meztizo Spanish Other Not Available Total Population (2000) 582 1,758 1,716 57,859 6,868 14,061 12,366 8,980 3,155 8,276 78,537 34,508 2,610 835 232,111
Demographics of Belize
Birth Rate (1999) 17.18 9.10 19.23 28.88 27.66 27.17 44.88 35.30 19.33 42.53 29.73 32.22 21.84 45.51 30.71
English & Spanish Language Proficiency[7] Language English Spanish Speaks Very Well 54% 52% Speaks Some 26% 11% Total 80% 63%
Languages in Belize according to 2000 census[7] Language Mother tongue speakers 1,607 67,527 7,946 6,929 6,783 280 10,142 6,909 1,176 94,422 1,402 Percentage First language speakers Percentage
Chinese Creole English Garifuna German Hindi Maya Ketchi Maya Mopan Maya Yucateco Spanish Others / no answer
0.8% 32.9% 3.9% 3.4% 3.3% 0.1% 4.9% 3.4% 0.6% 46.0% 0.7%
1,529 75,822 11,551 4,071 6,624 193 9,314 6,093 613 88,121 1,192
0.7% 37.0% 5.6% 2.0% 3.2% 0.1% 4.5% 3.0% 0.3% 43.0% 0.6%
Mennonites are spoke as well. Literacy currently stands at nearly 80%. In 2001, UNESCO declared the Garifuna language, dance, and music a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". English is the primary language of public education, with Spanish taught in primary and
secondary school as well. Bilingualism is highly encouraged, and therefore, very common.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Demographics of Belize
Literacy
• definition: age 15 and over can read and write • total population: 76.9% • male: 76.7% • female: 77.1% (2000 census)
References
[1] ^ "Belize 2000 Housing and Population Census". Belize Central Statistical Office. 2000. http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/ RpWebEngine.exe/ PortalAction?&MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000&MAIN=WebServerMain.inl. • Kriols Retrieved on 2008-09-09. • Garifuna [2] "Belize: People". The World Factbook. • Maya peoples Central Intelligence Agency. • Indians https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/ • Languages of Belize the-world-factbook/geos/bh.html#People. • Roman Catholicism in Belize Retrieved on 2008-09-09. • Ethnic groups in Central America [3] http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/ RpWebEngine.exe/ PortalAction?&MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000&MAIN=WebServerMain.inl [4] International Religious Freedom Report • Kekchi and Mopan history - Maya history 2008: Belize by Native Planet [5] "Belize: Language and Religion". MSN Encarta Encyclopedia. Microsoft
Corporation. http://encarta.msn.com/ encyclopedia_761562789_2/ Belize.html#s3. Retrieved on 2008-09-09. [6] http://www.kriol.org.bz/ [7] ^ "Belize 2000 Housing and Population Census". Belize Central Statistical Office. 2000. http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/ RpWebEngine.exe/ PortalAction?&MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000& Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
See also
External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Belize" Categories: Belizean society, Demographics by country This page was last modified on 7 March 2009, at 15:26 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
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