Belize is located in Central America and it is bordered to the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea.
The first people to develop Belize were the Maya around 1500 B.C.E. Christopher Columbus reached the area's coast in 1502. In 1638, the first European settlement was established by England and in 1840, Belize became a "Colony of British Honduras." In the 1970s, the area came to be known as Belize and full independence was granted in September 1981.
Today, Belize is exciting, accessible and affordable. There are Mayan ruins to explore, incredible local cuisine, and some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world. Getting here is easy, with daily flights from many cities across North America. And with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C), Belize has a warm and restorative environment.