Corozal District

Corozal District
District

Location of the district in Belize
Country  Belize
Capital Corozal Town
Area
  Total 1,860 km2 (720 sq mi)
Population (2010 census)
  Total 48,324
  Density 26/km2 (67/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code BZ-CZL
Website www.corozal.com

Corozal District is the northernmost district of the nation of Belize. The population was 33,335 in 2000. The district capital is Corozal Town.

Pre-Columbian Maya ruins are found in Corozal at Santa Rita near Corozal Town, and at Cerros.

Villages

Corozal District includes the villages of Buena Vista, Calcutta, Caledonia, Carolina, Chan Chen, Chunox, Concepcion, Consejo, Copper Bank, Cristo Rey, Estrella, Libertad, Little Belize, Louisville, Paraiso, Patchacan, Progresso, Ranchito, San Andres, San Antonio, San Joaquin, San Narciso, San Roman, San Victor, San Pedro, Santa Clara, Sarteneja, Xaibe, and Yo Chen. The island of Ambergris Caye is geographically closer to Corozal District than the district in which it is administrated, Belize District.

Political divisions

There are four political divisions in the Corozal District.

Economy

While Corozal District depended for many years on the sugar industry, at one time having its own sugar factory in Libertad Village, today the economy is more diversified. Sugar production and other agricultural crops such as papaya are still central to the way of life of many rural Corozalenos, but occupations in the tourism industry are slowly becoming more prominent. Now almost 65% of Corozalenos depend on the Commercial Free Zone for employment. The Zone is located on the border of Belize and Mexico.

Contraband is the biggest source of growing income in Corozal since it is adjacent to Mexico, and includes such things as vegetables, fruits, liquors, cigarettes, and gasoline.

Languages

English is the most spoken language in Corozal, followed by Spanish. 80% speak English very well and 60% speak Spanish very well.

Corozal's villages are divided by color and language:

Corozal Town, the main center of the District, is peopled by a mix of Belize's races and cultures, most notably the Mestizos. Spanish and English are the major languages spoken.

Calcutta, Estrella Village, Libertad, Ranchito, and San Antonio are populated by East Indian people and speak English and Spanish very well.

Chan Chen, Chunox, Cristo Rey, Louisville, Patchakan, San Pedro, San Victor Village, Xaibe, and Yo Chen are populated by Maya people and speak Spanish and the Yucatán Mayan language very well, along with some English.

Buena Vista, Caledonia, Conception, San Narciso, San Roman, and Santa Clara are populated by Maya- Mestizo people who speak Spanish and some English. They are not obliged to learn English, because school teachers teach in Spanish but write in English and because at work the primary language is Spanish, so villagers are not exposed to English on a daily basis.

Progresso, San Andres, and Sarteneja Village are populated by Creole and Hispanic people, who share their cultures and languages in English and Spanish.

Little Belize is populated by Mennonites, who speak German.

Education

Corozal Community College and Corozal Junior College are found in the village of San Andres and also near San Antonio in Corozal District.

St. Viator Vocational High School is located just outside Chunox in the Corozal District.

Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico or ESTM is located in the village of San Roman in the Corozal District.

References

    External links

    Coordinates: 18°15′N 88°20′W / 18.250°N 88.333°W / 18.250; -88.333

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