Belize

Belize, south of Mexico, has been shaped by the currents of global religion in the 20th century. In 1958, the Mennonite movement brought missionaries to this small Central American country, which was, at the time, still a British colony. It was not until 1964 that this country, British [Page 129]Honduras, received the right to internal self-government. In 1973, the name of the country was formally changed to Belize, and finally on September 21, 1981, this former British colony became independent. At present, with an area of 22,965 square kilometers and around 300,000 inhabitants, Belize is one of the smallest and least populated countries in Central America. The country has a multiethnic population consisting of Mestizos, Creoles, Garinagu, Maya's, Taiwanese, Chinese, and East Indians, among others. ...