978-1-4222-3285-9

21

A History Different from the Rest of Central America

By the early 1900s, Belize had grown to nearly 40,000 inhabitants. However, the economy was poor. In 1931, a hurri- cane destroyed Belize City, and through- out the 1930s, the economy was so poor that the residents began to call for inde- pendence. After World War II, Belize’s

Did You Know?

• Belize’s flag is royal blue with one horizontal red stripe at the top, one at the bottom, and a white circle with the coat of arms in the center; the motto Sub Umbra Florero on the coat of arms means “under the shade (of the mahogany tree) I flourish.” • The national tree of Belize is the mahogany tree. • The national flower of Belize is the black orchid, which grows on trees in damp areas, and flowers nearly all year round. • The national bird is the keel-billed toucan, noted for its great, canoe- shaped bill and brightly colored green, blue, red, and orange feathers. • Belize’s national animal is the tapir, or

economy weakened still further. The Road to Independence

In 1961, Britain declared it was prepared to assist Belize on the road to indepen- dence, although Belize would remain part of the British Commonwealth, like Canada or Australia. Democratic political parties formed, and self-government was

granted in 1964. A new capital at Belmopan was constructed in 1970 because a second hurricane had all but destroyed Belize City in 1961. Guatemalans watched Belize’s progress toward independence angrily. They felt the territory should become part of their country. In 1972, Guatemala threatened war. Despite this, the official name of the region was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973. When Belize finally attained full independence on September 21, 1981, Guatemala refused to mountain cow, the largest land mammal of the American tropics.