Belize was originally occupied by the ancient Mayans, dating back to 2000 BC. The Mayan culture flourished until around 900 AD, at which time the population living in what is now Belize, was believed to be about 1,000,000. They were part of a civilization that encompassed the Yucatan, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

The Spanish first laid claim to the areas of Central America, now occupied by Belize, during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Baymen lived around the Bay of Honduras and were the first Europeans to settle in the area.

They depended on slave labor for the arduous task of removing heavy logs, like , from the Belizean Jungle. Today there still remain villages dating from this period.

Treaties signed between Spain and England allowing the Baymen to cut logwood for their dye operations, but a showdown by the British, in 1798 at St. George's Caye, off the Belize, drove away the invading Spanish away, thus giving rise to the area's former name, British Honduras.

British Honduras remained a British colony until 1981, at which time it was granted it's independence. The name was changed to Belize in 1973, in anticipation of it's impending independence."