British Honduras, Former British colony in Central America, between Mexico and Guatemala
British Honduras was a colony and geographic territory in Central America, located between Mexico and Guatemala. The coastline ran along the Caribbean Sea, while the interior held mountains, wetlands, and dense rainforest.
This region became a formal British colony in 1862 after logwood cutters had worked there since the 17th century, fighting off Spanish attacks. It took the name Belize in 1973 and gained full independence eight years later.
The coast still carries Caribbean place names and building styles, while Spanish-speaking communities inland shape rural life. This double character appears in settlements, where wooden houses near the shore stand alongside stone villages farther from the water.
The capital moved inland after a major hurricane in 1970 damaged coastal areas, bringing government offices to higher ground. Many coastal settlements were either rebuilt or abandoned after that storm.
This region remained the final British possession on the American mainland until 1973. At that time, fewer people lived there than in some European market towns.
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