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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
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
A History Different from the Rest of Central America
21
• 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
mountain cow, the largest land
mammal of the American tropics.
Did You Know?