"Sub Umbra Floreo"
"Under The Shade I Flourish"

Table Of Contents
Young Belizean women outside wearing traditional Belizean clothes. All posing and smiling for photo.

The People of Belize

A kitchen counter with a small Belizean flag on the wall. On the counter there is are Belizean garnaches in the center, a bowl of refried beans and tortillas on the right, and chopped cabbage on the left.

Belizean Food

A group of about twelve young Belizean children wearing colorful traditional clothing

Belizean Fashion

Cartoon mouth with extended tongue with Belizean flag displayed on tongue.

Language of Belize

The People & Ethnic Groups of Belize

Group of 6 ancient mayan men with traditional tribal paint
Young Belizean women outside wearing traditional Belizean clothes. All posing and smiling for photo.
Mayan young women in colorful traditional Mayan clothing
Belize is a country primarily made up of multi-racial people. A little over half of the country's people are of both Mayan and European decent. About 25% of people are Kriols (a Creole ethnic group native to Belize), 10% are Mayan, 6% are Afro-Amerindian, and the rest of Belize's people fall across a variety of backgrounds and ethnic groups. Most people with a European background are descendants of British colonists.

Belizean Food

Triangle-shaped pieces of fried dough on a plate at the dining table
Fry jacks are considered the "National Dish of Belize". These are typically eaten at breakfast alongside bacon, eggs & sausage. Since Fry Jacks are simply fried dough with a bit of salt, some people add sugar, jam or cheese to bring them a bit more to life.
A kitchen counter with a small Belizean flag on the wall. On the counter there is are Belizean garnaches in the center, a bowl of refried beans and tortillas on the right, and chopped cabbage on the left.
Belizean Garnaches are a classic & traditional dish. With a fried corn tortilla as the base, the Garnaches are topped off with refried beans, chopped cabbage and tomato mix & grated cheese.
Unwrapped 3 Dukunu deserts on a black plate, surrounded by three dukunu deserts wrapped in corn husks
These sweet deserts are composed of blended corn kernels & coconut milk. Known as Dukunu (or Duckanoo), this desert dish is known as the Belizean version of Mexican tamales; which have corn meal as the base instead of a roasted corn kernel base.

Belizean Fashion

White shirt with colorful floral collar trimmed with lace hanging up on a hanger against yellow wall
A group of about twelve young Belizean children wearing colorful traditional clothing
Two young girls with middle-aged woman wearing traditional colorful clothing
Because the original people of Belize were Mayan, the clothing & fashion in Belize stems off of traditional Mayan culture. The shirt with the square shape of the collar seen in the image above is a piece of clothing called a huipil. The floral designs are said to represent cosmos and gods. Another type of traditional clothing that Belizeans wear stems from Kekchi Mayans; colorful blouses and skirts with geometric designs.

Languages of Belize

A graph breaking down percentages of the languages spoken in Belize
Common sayings translated from English to Kriol
Common phrases translated from Kriol to English
Although English is the official language of Belize, the other two prominent languages are Spanish & Kriol. Most are familiar with what English & Spanish are. Kriol is a specific-to-Belize version of Creole. The Creole language that most people know of is the one that is spoken mainly in the Caribbean Islands. French-Creole or Portuguese-Creole are more widely known, but Belizean Creole is English-based Creole.