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First European settlement.
This was established by English shipwrecked sailors. -
The Growth of the Colony
Over the next 150 years, more English settlements were established. This period also was marked by piracy, indiscriminate logging, sporadic attacks by natives, and neighboring Spanish settlements. -
The End of the Mayan Empire
Overpopulation and overuse of the land, endemic warfare and drought–may have played a part in the downfall of the Maya in the southern lowlands. In the highlands of the Yucatan, a few Maya cities–such as Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Mayapán–continued to flourish in the Post-Classic Period (A.D. 900-1500). By the time the Spanish invaders arrived, however, most Maya were living in agricultural villages, their great cities buried under a layer of rain forest green. -
First name
It was named the Colony of British Honduras. -
What an honor
It then became a Crown Colony. -
Hurricane
A hurricane hit Belize city and killed 2,500 people. -
Self government.
Full internal self-government under a ministerial system was granted. -
Name change
The official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize. -
Independence Day
After years of diplomatic work Belize finally gained its independence. -
Today
The day I started this.
