978-1-4222-3285-9

(Opposite) Dawn breaks over Belize City, the largest city in the country. Around 17 percent of the nation’s population—roughly 57,000 people— lives in this city, which at one time was the capital of Belize. (Right) A man rakes a clear path through the jungle near Chan Chich. 4

A Mosaic of Backgrounds and Languages

BELIZE IS THE MOST sparsely populated nation in Central America. Slightly more than half of the people live in rural areas. The greatest con- centration of the population is in Belize City, the principal port, commercial center, and former capital. Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. Many Belizeans, more than one-third, are black or of partly black ancestry. Six languages are commonly spoken in the various towns and villages. A Small Population of Mixed Peoples Around 340,000 people live in Belize. The overall density of 34 persons per square mile (13 persons per sq. km) is the lowest in Central America. This is because, first, the total number of people living in Belize is small, and sec-

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