Belize Underdevelopment And Shifting Identity
Belize Underdevelopment And Shifting Identity
Belize is currently an underdeveloped country—underdevelopment due to the negative effects of the British colonial rule over Belize. In order to understand the causes and effects of Belize’s current situation, a definition of development in necessary. The term “sustainable development” was introduced in a 1987 report, Our Common Future, where the World Commission on Environment and Development defined it as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Nagpal 1995). Therefore, it makes sense to define a developed country as a country whose citizens’ needs are met. Belizeans’ needs are unfulfilled as evidenced by deficiencies in Belize’s health and welfare, education, political dependency, economic status, and emigration patterns.
Belize is a country the size of Massachusetts and is located on the Yucatan Peninsula of Central America. It is home to over 240,000 people of Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna and Mayan descent, and is by far the least densely populated country in the Central American realm (Famighetti 1997). The country’s Gross National Product is $2,700, just $155 below the realm’s average but $2000 below world averages (Muller 1999). One other important fact is that 50% of the population is rural—a statistic that has remained steady since 1921 (Woods 1996). These are just one of the many indicators of Belize’s lack of development. The country’s official language is English, an anomaly on the Central American mainland where all other countries are Spanish-speaking. The major economies of Belize are tourism, international banking and agriculture crops of citrus, wood and sugar.
The Belizean government has taken great strides in improving the health and welfare of its citizens since independence in 1981. According to U.S. researcher Tim Merrill, life expectancy rose, and the death rate dropped considerably. Yet, many hurdles remain before healthcare meets the comprehensive needs of the society. Merrill reports of statistics that indicate at least 40 percent of infants suffered from moderate malnutrition, while at least 61 percent of children under three suffered from some form of malnutrition. He suggests than more accurate surveying would reveal even worse malnutrition of the children in Belize. This significant problem indicates Belize’s lack of development—as adequate nutrition is a need of any society. The country also lacks central sewer systems in all areas...