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Belize is the smallest country on the American mainland, and the only country in Central America where English is the official language. Formerly a British colony known as British Honduras, Belize finally became an independent country in 1981. Though having a population of only 300,000, colonization, slavery and immigration have developed Belize into a country with numerous cultures, languages, and ethnic groups. Although English is the official language, most people speak either an English creole or Spanish as their mother tongue. Mayan languages, German, Chinese and Hindi are also spoken.

As one of the poorest Caribbean countries, Belize lacks development in some areas, but this is changing fast, particularly in the islands or cayes which are most attractive to tourism. Real estate prices are rising fast, but now might be the ideal time to get in. Belize is served by several direct flights from major US cities, and there is much talk of an airline such as Virgin Atlantic opening up a direct route to Europe soon. Belize also has a relatively developed offshore finance sector, with several banks specializing in accounts for foreigners. The old economic citizenship program was closed down in 2002, but it is still relatively easy for a foreigner to obtain residence, benefitting from a number of tax concessions, then obtain a Belize passport by naturalization after a few years. The Belize dollar is fixed to the US dollar, at the rate of US$1 = BZD$2. The Belize dollar is subject to exchange controls.

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Medical and Dental Tourism in Belize

Retirement and Real Estate Tours in Belize

Offshore Banking and Asset Protection Newsletter

Belize Offshore Corporations and IBCs