The country of Belize belies its geographical location in Central America. It is a sparsely populated, English-speaking enclave perched between Spanish-speaking Mexico and Guatemala. Belize's colonization pattern was very unusual and its diplomatic status remained ambiguous for more than two centuries, until it became an official British crown colony in 1862, and, finally, an independent nation in 1981. This book examines the historical path of the country. (Series: Latin American / Lateinamerikanistik - Vol. 13)