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The major languages spoken in Belize include English, Spanish and Kriol, all three spoken by more than 40% of the population. Mayan languages are also spoken in certain areas, as well as German. [1] English is the official language and the primary language of public education, though spoken natively by a minority of people as a first language.
According to the 2000 census, Belize has 106,795 Hispanic people. In this figure can be added another 21,848 people who can speak Spanish as second language. In total, there are 128,243 people who speak Spanish in Belize. Although English is the official language, Spanish is spoken by the majority of Belize's population. [14]
Belize is the only country in Central America with English as the official language. Also, English is the primary language of public education, government, and most media outlets. Although English is widely used, Belizean Creole is spoken in several situations, whether informal, formal, social, or interethnic [ clarification needed ] dialogue ...
Pronunciation in Belizean English tends towards Caribbean English, except that the former is non-rhotic. [6] [note 2]In 2013, it was noted that spoken Belizean English is heavily influenced by Belizean Creole, as 'both the lexicon and syntactic constructions often follow creole.' [7] The influence has been deemed strong enough to argue 'that spoken [Belizean] English is simply a register of ...
Spanish language came to Belize when the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed in 1494, claiming the entire western New World for Spain, including what is now Belize. Then in the mid-16th century Spanish conquistadors explored this territory, declaring it a Spanish colony [2] incorporated into the Captaincy General of Guatemala on December 27, 1527, when it was founded. [3]
The location of Belize An enlargeable map of Belize. The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Belize: . Belize – country located on the north eastern coast of Central America and the only country in the area where English is the official language, although Kriol and Spanish are more commonly spoken.
While it is difficult to estimate the exact number of Belizean Creole speakers, it is estimated that there are more than 70,000 in Belize who speak the language. The 2010 Belize Census recorded that 25.9% of the people within Belize claimed Creole ethnicity and 44.6% claimed to speak Belizean Creole and put the number of speakers at over ...
Official language A language designated as having a unique legal status in the state: typically, the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, and often, official government business. Regional language A language designated as having official status limited to a specific area, administrative division, or territory of the state.