Blog #3 : Economy

Up until the mid 20^th century, the main export of Belize was a dye extracted from logwood.  As dies became more man made, the main export shifted to mahogany; a type of wood that dominates the market in top end cabinetry and furniture.  Although mahogany is still an export today, its importance has decreased dramatically due to the fact it is a very slow growing wood.  Today, the main exports of Belize, similar to many Central American countries, are sugar cane and fruits.  A majority of Belize is uninhabited by humans, so these exports primarily help the rural living individuals.  For those who don’t work on a fruit or sugar cane farm, tourism plays a large role in the overall income of the citizens.  In the year 2000, it was estimated that $133.3 million dollars were counted as total income from the tourism contributions.  The main reason Belize is an amazing tourist attraction deals with the Belize Barrier Reef.  This reef allows for the development of beautiful aquatic nature in crystal clear water.  I’ve been lucky enough to snorkel in this region, and it has by far had some of the most beautiful reefs I have ever seen.  Along with the beautiful snorkeling, there are also beautiful Maya ruins to visit as well as deep sea fishing and boating in general.  Most of the people that live in Belizean coastal cities are dependent on the tourism trade.  Above is a figure that represents Belize's dependance on foreign investments.  This trade is by far the most important economic relationship between Belize and other nations.  Below is a picture of the Belizean reef, the longest in the western hemisphere. 

sepmstrata.org

Sources.

http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/belize/

http://www.heritage.org/index/country/belize

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Belize-ECONOMY.html#b
http://www.eclacpos.org/profile/profileByCountry.asp?country_id=6&country_name=BELIZE

Blog #2 : Government

Dean Barrow

As Belize was once an imperialized colony of Great Britain, they have adapted a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster model of government.  Although technically the Queen of England is the head of their government, the most powerful representative is the head of the cabinet, the Prime Minister.  Similar to our government, they also have a National Assembly composed of House of Representatives and a Senate.  As of this day, the members of the senate were delegated but due to a recent vote, the new senators will now be elected by the people in the upcoming elections.  This will put a lot more power into the hands of the Belizean people.  The current day prime minister of this parliamentary democracy is Dean Barrow, seen to the right.  Barrow is a Creole, of African and Native Central American decent, and represents The United Democratic Party.  Dean Barrow’s main political goal is to increase development within Belize by increasing wealth and interest in the countries abundant resources.  He plans to do this by promoting incentives for investors to increase the overall investment rate into the country.  

The main influence Barrow has over the African Diaspora deals with his ethnicity.  Due to being Creole, there has been an increasing friction between people with Creole background and those who are Garifuna.  Many people feel as if the Royal Creoles are much more powerful than the Garifuna people leading to a division in class.  Here is an article from the Belize Times that explains the ethnic friction built up between Barrow and the Garifuna people.  Although friction is not a first-class aspect to promote anything under, I truly believe this conflict can greatly aid in the spreading of these African based culture.  I say this because, as partly discussed in the article, the offensive disrespectful actions of Barrow caused the Garifuna people to unite and stand up.  This would lead to a huge promotion of the suppressed culture, eventually solidifying their cultural identity.  It will be interesting to see where this situation ends up in the near future.
Below is a video that shows some of the political friction building up in Belize.

Sources:
http://www.state.gov/
http://belizean.com/
http://www.belizetimes.bz/2011/11/25/disrespecting-the-garifuna-vote/

 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1955.htm

Blog #1: History

             Belize is a phenomenal tropical country located in Central America, to the East of Guatemala.  To the right is a map of the country of Belize.  Belize has formed in part by the African Diaspora though its culture, religion, and most evidently its music.  A majority of the Belizean people identify themselves as Garifuna, a community with roots linked primarily to escaped African slaves and Caribbean Natives.  They have a strong sense of community and culture and are known for their music and dancing abilities.

               The Belizean natives in America generally tend to identify themselves with both their Belizean heritage and their Garifuna ethnicity rather than having to choose between "black" or "Hispanic".  This in its own right is a progressive movement for the Garifuna people.  

Belize 2009

                The reason I choose Belize is because I have been lucky enough to travel there two times in my life and I will visit for a third time this spring break.  While visiting I fell in love with what culture I came into contact with,  I saw some of the must beautiful scenery and snorkeled in the clearest water ever, and met one of the nicest people I have met to this day, our Garifuna tour guide, Jr.  To the left is a picture of Jr. helping me to jump off a cliff in Belize (into water).  Although I enjoyed every piece of Belize I encountered, I now realize what I saw was the tourist side of the country.  I am interested in researching Belize more now because I would like to get a full picture of what the overall country is truly like.  



Below is a video showing the culture of the Garifuna people, from their perspective, in the country of Belize.

Sources:
http://www.africandiasporatourism.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=617:caribbean-artist-aurelio-martinez-to-take-garifuna-music-to-world&catid=93:culture-3&Itemid=134

http://www.africandna.com/ScienPapers%5CThe_African_diaspora_Mitochondrial_DNA_and_the_Atlantic_slave_trade.pdf

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/afburns/afrotrop/Garifuna.htm