Books : History : Americas : Central America : Belize

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Books : History : Americas : Central America : Belize

• A Field Guide to Mexican Birds: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador (Peterson Field Guides (R))

  Edward L. Chalif

  
  With more than 700 color paintings arranged by families for quick comparison of similar species, and with detailed information on range, habitat, size, and voice, this field guide describes and illustrates 1,038 species of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador.
  
   

• Belize: Reefs, Rain Forests, and Mayan Ruins

  Dick Lutz

  
  A narrative report of a tour of Belize followed by detailed information on the reefs, rain forests, and Mayan culture. Also included is the history of Belize, its government, and facts about the country today.
  
   

• Travellers' Wildlife Guides Belize & Northern Guatemala (Travellers' Wildlife Guides)

  Les Beletsky

  
  
   

• A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Maya World: The Lowlands of Mexico, Northern Guatemala, and Belize

  Julian C. Lee

  
  The Yucatn Peninsula is today divided among Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Travelers to this region discover both astonishing archaeological sites and a stunning array of wildlife, including crocodiles, turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders. This book--written by the world's leading authority on the herpetology of the lowland Maya area--is the only comprehensive field guide to all the species of amphibians and reptiles found there.

  This field guide allows identification of all native and introduced species of amphibians and reptiles of the region.

  features nearly 180 color photographs and 180 drawings.

  offers valuable techniques for field identification, and a glossary of herpetological terms.

  provides in each species account: description, natural history, similar species, and geographic distribution (complete with maps of each animal's range).

  includes suggested readings for those who want to know more about a particular species.

  illustrates all tadpoles.

  describes the most characteristic vocalizations of the reptiles and amphibians in the volume.

  introduces the physical geography, climate, and vegetation of the region, with emphasis on the habitats of amphibians and reptiles.

  
   

• Jaguar: One Man's Struggle To Establish The World's First Jaguar Preserve

  Alan Rabinowitz

  
  
   

• Time Among the Maya: Travels in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico

  Ronald Wright

  
  The Maya created one of the world's most brilliant civilizations, famous for its art, astronomy, and deep fascination with the mystery of time. Despite collapse in the ninth century, Spanish invasion in the sixteenth, and civil war in the twentieth, eight million people in Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico speak Mayan languages and maintain their resilient culture to this day. Traveling through Central America's jungles and mountains, Ronald Wright explores the ancient roots of the Maya, their recent troubles, and prospects for survival. Embracing history, anthropology, politics, and literature, Time Among the Maya is a riveting journey through past magnificence and the study of an enduring civilization with much to teach the present. "Wright's unpretentious narrative blends anthropology, archaeology, history, and politics with his own entertaining excursions and encounters." -- The New Yorker; "Time Among the Maya shows Wright to be far more than a mere storyteller or descriptive writer. He is an historical philosopher with a profound understanding of other cultures." -- Jan Morris, The Independent (London).
  
   

• Belize: A Concise History

  P. A. B. Thomson

  
  Belize was an important part of the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization. Having fallen between three early Spanish colonial jurisdictions, Belize was then settled in the 17th C by British adventurers, many of them ex-buccaneers. This book traces the outline of this complex history.
  
   

• The Modern Caribbean

  Franklin W. Knight

  
  This collection of thirteen original essays by experts in the field of Caribbean studies clarifies the diverse elements that have shaped the modern Caribbean. Through an interdisciplinary examination of the complexities of race, politics, language, and environment that mark the region, the authors offer readers a thorough understanding of the Caribbean's history and culture. The essays also comment thoughtfully on the problems that confront the Caribbean in today's world.

  The essays focus on the Caribbean island and the mainland enclaves of Belize and the Guianas. Topics examined include the Haitian Revolution of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; labor and society in the nineteenth-century Caribbean; society and culture in the British and French West Indies since 1870; identity, race, and black power in Jamaica; the "February Revolution" of 1970 in Trinidad; contemporary Puerto Rico; politics, economy, and society in twentieth-century Cuba; Spanish Caribbean politics and nationalism in the nineteenth century; Caribbean migrations; economic history of the British Caribbean; international relations; and nationalism, nation, and ideology in the evolution of Caribbean literature.

  The authors trace the historical roots of current Caribbean difficulties and analyze these problems in the light of economic, political, and social developments. Additionally, they explore these conditions in relation to United States interests and project what may lie ahead for the region. The challenges currently facing the Caribbean, note the editors, impose a heavy burden upon political leaders who must struggle "to eliminate the tensions when the people are so poor and their expectations so great."

  The contributors are Herman L. Bennett, Bridget Brereton, David Geggus, Franklin W. Knight, Anthony P. Maingot, Jay R. Mandle, Roberto M‡rquez, Teresita Mart’nez Vergne, Colin A. Palmer, Bonham C. Richardson, Franciso A. Scarano, and Blanca G. Silvestrini.

  
   

• Understanding Belize: A Historical Guide

  Alan Twigg

  
  Tiny, island-dotted Belize, perched on the Caribbean, south of Mexico and east of Guatemala, is a fascinating blend of Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, English, East Indian, Mennonite, Lebanese and Chinese cultures. With its colonial background (English remains the official language) and a history of fending off its Latin neighbours, Belize has emerged as a relatively stable democracy that is as much Caribbean as it is Central American.
  In "Understanding Belize," Alan Twigg tells the story of the country, from its bizarre early days as a haven for pirates, through its colonial period as British Honduras, to its new status as an ecotourism mecca and a hotspot for Mayan archaeology. This lively history includes original photos, a comprehensive timeline and a feature on nation founder George Price, the longest serving democratically elected leader in history.
  "Understanding Belize" is an eye-opening alternative to the glossy tourist brochures. Lobster-and-orchid-rich Belize looks great from a hammock on Ambergris Caye, the place that inspired Madonna's song "La Isla Bonita," but don't go buying that seaside lot until you learn more about this beautiful--but problematic--paradise from the author of "Cuba: A Concise History for Travellers."
  
   

• Decolonizing Development: Colonial Power and the Maya (Antipode Book Series)

  Joel Wainwright

  
  Decolonizing Development investigates the ways colonialism shaped the modern world by analyzing the relationship between colonialism and development as forms of power.
  

  
  
  • Based on novel interpretations of postcolonial and Marxist theory and applied to original research data
    
  • Amply supplemented with maps and illustrations
    
  • An intriguing and invaluable resource for scholars of postcolonialism, development, geography, and the Maya
  
   

• A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas: Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador, Third Edition (The Corrie Herring Hooks Series)

  Ernest Preston Edwards

  

  "This conveniently priced guide will find a niche among both tourists and locals. The illustrations are excellent and provide immediate and easy access to bird identification. For the average birder who wants to identify a good number of species, this book is a useful and convenient way to go."

  —Robin W. Doughty, author of The Return of the Whooping Crane

  More than a thousand species of birds occur in Mexico and in the adjacent countries of Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Of these birds, a unique mixture of temperate-zone and tropical species, less than half are found in the United States, and many cross the border only a short distance into the southwestern states.

  This practical field guide contains detailed annotations for easy identification of all of Mexico's regular species. The descriptions include the English, Spanish, and Latin names; a general range statement for each bird, along with its specific occurrences in the region; its typical habitat(s) and abundance; and its physical characteristics, including size and plumage. Excellent color plates with drawings of over 850 species make this the most fully illustrated guide to the region.

  Published by the author in 1972 and 1989, this convenient take-along guide is now totally revised, updated, and re-designed to provide handy assistance and enjoyment to professional ornithologists and amateur birders alike.

  
   

• Household Ecology: Economic Change and Domestic Life Among the Kekchi Maya in Belize

  Richard R. Wilk

  
  
   

• Maya Atlas: The Struggle to Preserve Maya Land in Southern Belize

  
  The Maya Atlas was made by the forty-two Ke'kchi and Mopan Maya communities of southern Belize. The maps, text, drawings, photographs and interviews were done by Maya village researchers and cartographers elected by the communities. In their own words and with their own maps, the Maya describe their land and life, the threats to their culture and rain forest, and their desire to protect and manage their own Homeland. The Atlas is an important step in developing a Maya Homeland. The Maya researchers and cartographers made the Atlas so that their communities, young people and leaders would have a comprehensive, village-by-village, regional understanding of the state of Maya natural and human resources and their traditions of living in harmony with nature - what is being lost, and what needs to be preserved and developed. The Atlas is a window to both the ancient and modern Maya world. The Atlas will appeal to people interested in indigenous rights, environmental issues, Latin America, arts, ethnography, traditional knowledge, community-based conservation, and the New Cartography, which involves cartographers assisting local communities to map their own lands and land use.
  
   

• Maya Indians Of Southern Yucatan And Northern British Honduras (Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletins)

  Thomas W. F. Gann

  
  
   

• Belize in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture (In Focus Guides)

  Ian Peedle

  
  The small nation of Belize has long been separated from its Central American neighbors by history, language and culture. Formerly a British colony, this English-speaking country has traditionally looked towards the Caribbean islands rather than Central America for its economic and political links. Yet Belize's enclave status is increasingly a thing of the past, as trade, cross-border migration and a booming eco-tourism industry break down old barriers and put pressure on the country's social structures and natural resources. As Belize's agricultural mainstays face an uncertain future, the country has opted for green tourism and service industries as economic alternatives. Beaches, coral reefs and the rainforest are now at the forefront of the Belizean economy, a development with serious implications for the country's environment and indigenous communities. Belize in Focus is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to this spectacular country. It explores the land, history and politics, economy, society and people, culture and environment, and includes tips on where to go and what to see.
  
   

• The Rough Guide to Belize 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

  Peter Eltringham

  
  INTRODUCTION

  Wedged into the northeastern corner of Central America, Belize offers some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery – both above and below water – in the Caribbean. Add to this magnificent inland landscapes, archaeological ruins and wildlife to rival any destination in the region, and it’s easy to see why the number of visitors to this tiny country increases every year. Despite its small size – roughly that of Wales or Massachusetts – Belize has the lowest population density in Central America, a fact that contributes to its easygoing, friendly and, with the exception of bustling Belize City, noticeably uncrowded character.

  Belizean territory comprises marginally more sea than land, and for most visitors it’s the sea that’s the main attraction. Lying just offshore is one of the country’s, and the continent’s, most astonishing natural wonders – the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas. Beneath the surface, a brilliant technicolour world of fish and corals awaits divers and snorkellers; while scattered along the entire reef like emeralds set in sapphire, a chain of islands, known as cayes, protects the mainland from the ocean swell and holds more than a hint of tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize’s natural crown – three of only four coral atolls in the Caribbean. Dawn here is a truly unforgettable experience as the red-gold disk of the sun rises over the foaming white reef crest. These reefs and islands, among the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet, are increasingly under threat; Belize, however, is at the forefront of practical research to develop effective protection for the entire coastal zone, which for visitors means a chance to explore some of the best marine reserves in the world.

  In fact, Belizeans’ recognition of the importance of their natural heritage means that the country now has the greatest proportion of protected land (over 40 percent) in the hemisphere. As a result, the densely forested interior with its plentiful natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world’s only jaguar reserve, remains relatively untouched. The rich tropical forests support a tremendous range of wildlife, including howler and spider monkeys, tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time inland and you’re sure to see the national bird, the unmistakable keel-billed toucan. Although it’s the only Central American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged uplands – the Maya Mountains, situated in the south-central region and rising to over 1100m. The country’s main rivers start here, flowing north or east to the Caribbean, and forming some of the largest cave systems in the Americas along the way. Few of these caves have been fully explored but each year more become accessible to visitors.

  In addition to these natural attractions, Belize boasts a wealth of archaeological remains. Rising mysteriously out of the forests are the ruins of the ancient cities of the Maya, the civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish. Traces of this astonishing culture have been found all over the country; Maya ceremonial artefacts have even been discovered deep in caves. And although only a few sites in Belize have been as extensively restored as the great Maya cities in Mexico’s Yucatán pensinsula, many are at least as large and in their forest settings you’ll see more wildlife and fewer tour buses.

  Culturally, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but with plenty of distinctively Central American features – above all, a blend of races and cultures that includes Maya, Mestizo, African and European. English is the official language – Belize only gained full independence from Britain in 1981 – and Spanish is equally common, but it’s the rich, lilting Creole, based on English but typically Caribbean, that’s spoken and understood by almost every Belizean, whatever their mother tongue.

  
   

• The Colony of British Honduras

  D. Morris

  
  
   

• The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion

  Mary Ellen Miller, Karl A. Taube

  
  
   

• Moon Handbooks: Belize 5 Ed

  Chicki Mallan, Patti Lange

  
  This classic handbook delivers the most information available on the extraordinary Central American nation of Belize. Covering every corner -- from wildlife preserves and Maya ruins to palm-fringed beaches -- Chicki Mallan and Patti Lange offer all the facts you need to enjoy the ultimate Belizean experience.
  
   

• Adventures in Nature Belize

  Richard Mahler

  
  Nestled on the Caribbean coast between Mexico and Guatemala, Belize boasts one of the world's longest barrier reefs and some of the planet's most diverse and untrammeled terrestrial habitats. Now revised and updated, this guide shows ecologically minded travelers how best to appreciate the country's profusion of flowers, fish, birds, butterflies, and other flora and fauna. 8 pages of color photos, 50 b&w photos.