Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America on the Caribbean Sea bordered by Mexico to the northwest and Guatemala to the west and south.     Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854.Development of Belize became more organized and multiethnic through a series of cultural changes. The European settlers began to marry freed slaves forming the Creole majority that still is dominant in the population.

By the early 1900's, Belize had grown to nearly 40,000 inhabitants. But a destructive 1931 hurricane destroyed Belize City and by the 1930's, the economy was so poor that the residents began to call for independence. By 1954 voting rights were extended to all adults, and by 1961, England agreed to begin the process of setting Belize free. In 1973, the colony's name was changed from British Honduras to Belize and on September 21, 1981, Belize's Independence was declared. Belize is now a member of the Commonwealth, the United Nations, OAS and the Association of Caribbean States.

Belize has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean.Many coral reefs, cays, and islands to the east are part of Belize's territory, forming the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere stemming approximately 200 miles  and the second longest in the world.

The Galleries below show different views of the life on the small island named Ambergris. I was lucky enough to be there during the carnival. The kids have the tradition of chasing each other in gangs and cover the rival with raw eggs and paint.