News: Five facts about Belize

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Five facts about Belize

BELMOPAN, Belize (Reuters): Following are five facts about Belize which voted in a general election on Thursday.

A former pirate haunt and British colony in Central America which won independence in 1981, Belize is best known for its laid-back vibe, lush jungles, palm-fringed cayes and its coral reef -- the world's second-longest after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The some 300,000-strong population is a mix of indigenous Maya, Spanish-speaking Mestizos, Creoles, African-descended Garifuna, German-speaking Mennonites and Chinese and Arab immigrants whose languages mingle with Belize's Caribbean-tinged English.

The Garifuna, descended from shipwrecked African slaves who mixed with Caribbean Indians, are famous for pounding out rhythmic drum beats and their bottom-waggling "punta" dance. Belize's top Garifuna musician, Andy Palacio, died in January.

Belize is home to a spectacular underwater sinkhole in the Caribbean called "The Blue Hole". Its shark-infested depths were declared one of the world's top scuba diving sites by famed undersea pioneer Jacques Cousteau.

Belize's economy is driven by tourism, remittances, fishing, citrus fruits, cane sugar and bananas. At $1 billion, Belize's public debt is 85 percent of GDP but the country regained stable ratings after a debt restructuring in late 2006.

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