San Ignacio - History

The first inhabitants of Belize were the Maya and Carib Indians. Belize was a part of the great Mayan empire which stretched through Guatemala, southern Mexico and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. Though the history of the Maya can be traced back for over 4000 years, the Classic Period of more advanced Mayan civilization began around the 3rd century AD and reached its height between the 6th and 8th centuries. By the 14th century it was in serious decline. 

An anti-Spanish rebellion broke out in 1638, driving out the Europeans for almost sixty years. The rebels of Tipu continued to hold on to their Maya customs. The Spaniards eventually gained control of Tipu in 1707, forcing the Mayas to Lake Peten. During the time the Mayas were in Tipu they had built only a few masonry buildings of which none remain.

After WWII, Belize's economy weakened, leading to agitation for independence. Democratic political parties and institutions were formed and self-government was granted in 1964. The government decided to build a new capital at Belmopan in 1970, after Hurricane Hattie all but destroyed Belize City in 1961. Full independence became a reality in September 1981 when British Honduras officially became Belize. Guatemala, which had territorial claims on Belize, threatened war in 1972, but British troops were stationed in Belize to make sure the dispute remained purely diplomatic. During the volatile 1980s, Belize remained stable and pro-US, thanks predominantly to large influxes of US aid. In 1992, a new Guatemalan government recognized Belize's territorial integrity. The British garrison was withdrawn in 1994; Belize now has a standing army of only 550 soldiers.

Since the fall of General Noriega in Panama, Belize has become a major transhipment point for cocaine heading into the US from South America. Illegal cultivation and smuggling of marijuana is also prevalent.