BELIZE

Tess Eubank
11/17/2014
English 6, Period 7

Eubank 2

Belize is the smallest country in Latin America and was home to the Mayans. Its
nickname is The Culture Capital. Belize should be one of the top countries on a global
awareness list. Three reasons to include Belize on this list is sugar, the Big Blue Hole, and
Marion Jones.
The first reason for selecting Belize is the major export, sugar. Belize started exporting
sugar in 1848 from Yucatan.1 Sugar is used for the feedstock and ethanol production. At first,
sugar took up 2,000 acres of land in 1951.2 Now, sugar takes up 40,000 acres of land. 3 It took
about 4,000 farmers to make 8 tons of sugar for Belize Sugar Industries, Ltd. 4 However, sugar is
a great reason to put Belize at the top of a cultural awareness list due to its help to humankind.
Crop forecast for the 2009/10 crop is for 1.17 million tons of sugarcane.5
The second reason for selecting Belize is the wonderful attraction, the Great Blue Hole.
To begin with, the Great Blue Hole is an excellent place where recreational scuba divers dive.
The Great Blue Hole has clear waters and many species of fish. The Great Blue Hole is off the
coast of Belize and near the center of Lighthouse reef. It is 984 feet across, 410 feet deep, and the
largest natural formation of its kind.6 In addition, it is part of reef reserve system and the world
heritage site of the united nation education. Now, the Great Blue Hole has nurse sharks, giant
groupers, several types of reef sharks, and blacktip sharks. The waters surrounding Half Moon
Caye have abundant marine life with the Blue Hole just minutes away.7
The third reason that Belize should be selected is Marion Jones. Marion Jones was born

(Goods 2014)
Ibid
3
Ibid
4
Ibid
5
Ibid
6
(Attractions 2014)
7
Ibid
2

Eubank 3

on October 12, 1975.8 When Marion was older, she went to the University of NC in Chapel Hill.
Today, Marion is 39 years old.9 Marion was the daughter of Marion Toler and George Jones. She
married C.J Hunter, but she divorced and married Obadele Thompson. Later, Marion had one
son named Timothy Montgomery Jr. In addition, Marion won three gold medals for track and
field in the Olympics.10 In 2007, however, she admitted to using banned substances and
subsequently returned her Olympic medals.11
In conclusion, this is why Belize should be on the top of the Global Awareness list.
Belize is a great place to go on vacation during the summer or even winter. The Great Blue Hole
is especially one of the great places to go in Belize. Who knows what could happen to people can
really do in Belize, just like Marion Jones. Even though Belize is very small, it can still change
peoples minds on going there. Usually, people think that Belize is too small to go there, but
think again people because Belize could change everyones life.

(Marion Jones n.d.)

Ibid
10
Ibid
11
Ibid
9

Eubank 4

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attractions. 2014. www.belizeit.com/attraction.html (accessed November 6, 2014).

Goods. 2014. www.belize.org/tiz/goods (accessed November 4, 2014).
Marion Jones. n.d. www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/belize/bzfar (accessed
November 5, 2014).