What is Belizean Studies?

Big Question: How do we study Belize?

Unit Title: Studying Belize

1.1 Identify big questions facing Belize today.

Here are some big questions facing Belize today.

How can Belize prepare for climate change?
What will happen when the border dispute with Guatemala goes to the International Court of Justice?
How can Belize get richer?
Is it possible to end gang violence?
Does Belize have good government?
What is the impact of corruption?

What are some other BIG QUESTIONS?

1.2 Identify primary and secondary sources of information that can be used to study past and present human activities.

studying the past

How do we know what happened in the past?
We cannot be certain what happened in the past, even for events that happened very recently. We have to reconstruct the past by using evidence. This evidence could include talking to people who witnessed an event, looking at photographs, watching videos and reading what people wrote in letters, newspapers or books. We can also examine buildings and objects that have survived from the past to try to figure out what they were used for or how they were made.

studying the present

The Census

Every ten years, a population and housing census is conducted in Belize. The main purpose of the census is to count all the people resident in the country. The census also collects information on the structure, distribution and main socio-economic characteristics of the population.

TEACHERS: For data requests or to schedule a classroom presentation from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) please contact SIB’s Data Dissemination Department at email info@mail.sib.org.bz or telephone 822-2207 Ext. 209.

1.3 Explain how evidence can be evaluated in terms of how useful, trustworthy and reliable it is.

Have you ever had the experience of discussing a recent with your friends and finding that you do not agree on exactly what happened? When a crime is committed, a court has to decide what happened. Usually, the accused person pleads not guilty, meaning they are saying they did not commit the crime. It is the prosecutor's job to try to prove that the accused person really is guilty. They do this by providing evidence. This can be testimony from people who saw what happened but it can also be forensic evidence, It is the job of the lawyer for the accused person to challenge this evidence. The judge or jury have to decide of they believe the evidence or not. To do this they should ask if the evidence is useful, trustworthy and reliable.

What happened to Amelia Earheart?

Amelia Earheart was a famous pilot from the U.S.A. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. In 1937, Earheart was trying to fly around the world with her navigator Fred Noonan when their plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. A ship near her flight path picked up distress signals indicating that Earheart got lost near Howard's Island. However, despite a massive search, neither her plane nor her body were ever found.

There are many theories about what happened. Many people believe she was captured by the Japanese, who were fighting the U.S.A. at the time. The Japanese have always denied this. Some people believe she crashed into the sea and drowned. Others believe she survived and returned to the U.S.A. in disguise.

Recently, an old photograph was found that seems to confirm Earheart was found by the Japanese. Watch the video and decide if this evidence is useful, trustworthy and reliable. Does it prove the theory?

1.4 Describe the main cities, towns and selected villages of Belize.

A place can be described in many ways, such as its:

total area in square miles or square kilometres
population
main natural features such as rivers and hills
transportation links including roads, airstrips, ferry and bus services
main streets
notable buildings
main economic activities

1.5 Identify the main inland, coastal and marine features of Belize.

The landscape of Belize is not the same in all places.

There are four main geographical regions: the Maya Mountains, the coastal plain, rolling hills and the cayes. The Maya Mountains are about seventy miles long. On their eastern and northern sides, they have steep slopes which fall from heights of more than three thousand feet almost to sea level. The natural vegetation of the Maya mountains is a combination of tropical pines and hardwoods. The two highest points in Belize are both in the Maya Mountains: Doyle’s Delight (3,688 feet) and Victoria Peak (3,680 feet).

The coastline of Belize is flat and swampy with many lagoons. There are large areas of coastal Belize that are home to very few people because much of this area is difficult to farm. Inland from the coast, the land of the northern districts is not completely flat. Instead, there are rolling hills. These hills are lower than the Maya Mountains. Much of Belize’s agriculture is in this area.

Rivers and streams are an important feature of all areas of the mainland. The rivers of the north tend to be larger and longer than the short, fast flowing rivers of the south. Limestone is the most common rock type of the land surface of Belize. Limestone is made from the skeletal remains of sea creatures that died millions of years ago. Rainwater erodes limestone leading to the creation of features such as caves and sink holes.

The cayes off the coast of mainland Belize are another, distinct, geographical region. Some cayes, such as Ambergris Caye are large enough to support permanent human settlements. Many of the smaller cayes are dominated by mangroves. They are home to many bird species. This area of Belize also includes three atolls: Glover’s Reef Atoll, Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef Atoll. All of the cayes are very low lying, with their highest point only a few feet above sea level. This makes them vulnerable to erosion and climate change.

1.6 Identify the approximate latitude and longtitude of Belize and the exact coordinates of specified places within it.

1.7 Describe the location of Belize relative to other places in the region and the wider world.

what is relative location?

.
Relative location simply means describing the position of one place compared to another. This can be done as follows:

Using Descriptive Words

Belize is a long way from China
Canada is next to the U.S.A.

Using Distances in Miles or Kilometres
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is 9200 km from London, England.

Using Directions
El Salvador is to the south of Belize.

Using Altitude
Guatemala City is higher than Belize City.