Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, 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. It is the smallest (in terms of population) non-island sovereign state in the Americas. The only English-speaking country in Central America, Belize was a British colony for more than a century before becoming an independent nation in 1981.

Dabbling its toes in the Caribbean Sea, Belize has more in common with its island neighbours than with the fiery volatility of Central America. English-speaking, Creole-dominated and with a thoroughly coup-free history, this tiny country has an atmosphere so laid-back it's almost comatose.