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The People of Belize
Belize is a country of various culture, language and ethnic groups. Approximately 200,000 people in Belize consist of Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Spanish, Maya, English, Mennonite, Lebanese, Chinese, and East Indian. Due to racial harmony and religious tolerance, all of these different elements have mixed and blended successfully, and Belize has gained a widespread reputation for its friendly peoples.
One of the most prominent ethnic group is the Creoles, which formed 30% of the population in 2001. Creoles are descendants of the intermingling of the early British settlers with African slaves.
More than 40% of the population are Mestizos. They are descendants of mixed blood Mexicans and Yucatec Mayans who fled from Yucatan in the mid 1800's.
Another 6.6% of Belize's population are the Garifuna. The Garifuna have their own language and culture.
The Yucatec, Mopan and Kekchi are three Amerindians groups which also make up Belize's population.
The Chinese, with a population of 6,000 has made distinct communities, as well as the East Indians and the Mennonites.
English remains the most common language spoken followed closely by Creole, but Spanish is becoming more widely spoken. The Garifuna, Mayas and Mennonites speak their own language. |
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