Formerly a British colony known as British Honduras, this little nation on the Central American coast has been independent for twenty-five years now, and boasts one of the most diverse cultures in the world. Read on to learn more about this beautiful country still forming its own dynamic identity.
位於中美洲海岸的蕞薾小國貝里斯，前身為英國殖民地的英屬宏都拉斯，至今已獨立二十五年，可說是世上最多元樣貌的國家之一。往下讀，深入了解這個美麗國度如何形塑自我的動態認同。
A closer look 說古論今
PHOTO: EPA
Originally inhabited by the Mayan people, Belize saw its first European settlers around 1638. The area, first named the British Honduras, was colonized by the British, which explains why it is the only English-speaking country in Central America.
The UK’s last colony on the American mainland, Belize was led to independence by a man named George Price in September of 1981. Yet despite proclaiming freedom from the Brits, the country still has to deal with neighbor Guatemala ‘s claims that it owns part of Belize. Disputes over the two nations’ borders continue to go on today.
Belize is a good chunk of land to fight over, however — it is home to three rivers, a heavily-forested northern coast, the Maya Mountains (whose Victoria peak is Belize’s highest point at 1,120km) and the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere. Their economy is based primarily on agriculture and merchandising, although the tropical climate and small islands off the coast attract many tourists as well.
Belizeans consider themselves to culturally be both Caribbean and Central American. Despite having English as an official language, most Belizeans speak Belize Creole, a colorful English-based language. The population, forty percent of which is under the age of 15, is mostly made up of Mestizos from Mexico and Guatemala, and Creoles.
貝里斯原住民為馬雅人，首批歐洲移民在一六三八年前後遷移於此。貝里斯原名英屬宏都拉斯，是英國殖民地，也是中美洲唯一英語系國家。
貝里斯是英國在美洲大陸最後一塊殖民地，一九八一年九月在喬治．普萊斯的領導下邁向獨立，不過雖然從英國人手中奪回自由，貝里斯仍得與鄰國瓜地馬拉交涉，瓜地馬拉聲稱擁有貝里斯部分國土，至今兩國仍不斷有邊界紛爭。
貝里斯不愧是各方逐鹿的沃土，境內有三條河流、森林密佈的北海岸、馬雅山脈（其海拔一千一百二十公尺的維多利亞峰是全境最高點）和西半球最長的堡礁。農作和商業是兩大經濟支柱，不過熱帶氣候和離岸小島亦吸引許多觀光客。
貝里斯人認為他們兼具加勒比海和中美洲文化。儘管官方語言為英語，多數貝里斯人也說一種較花俏的英語—貝里斯克里奧歐語。人口多半由來自墨西哥、瓜地馬拉和克里歐人的混血麥斯蒂索人組成，十五歲以下人口占總人口的40%。
（翻譯：鄭湘儀）
A: Wow, singer Bruno Mars will be visiting Kaohsiung for the first time. B: Really? Where will he be performing? A: He’s going to hold a concert at the National Stadium on Sunday. B: Why do the Taiwanese like to call him the “Martian” in Chinese? A: Because his last name “Mars” is the same word as the planet Mars. A: 哇！火星人布魯諾將首度唱進高雄。 B: 真的嗎？在哪裡？ A: 他將於本週日，在國家體育場開唱唷。 B: 但是為什麼台灣人喜歡叫他火星人呢？ A: 因為他的姓氏「Mars」這個字剛好是「火星」的意思啊。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: Bruno Mars is definitely one of today’s most popular singers. B: He has even won 14 Grammy Awards. A: I love all his megahits, like “Just the Way You Are.” B: And his new song with Lady Gaga “Die with a Smile” has a caused worldwide sensation. A: I wonder if we’ll hear the new song at his Kaohsiung concert? A: 火星人布魯諾是近年來最受歡迎的流行歌手。 B: 對啊他還曾榮獲14座葛萊美獎。 A: 他所有的金曲我都愛，像《Just the Way You Are》。 B: 最近他和女神卡卡合唱《Die with a Smile》更造成大轟動！ A: 不知道在高雄有沒有機會聽他演唱這首新歌呢？ (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Foxes are known for being cunning and resourceful, but a study suggests another surprising talent. Research from the Czech Republic indicates these creatures may use the Earth’s magnetic field when hunting. The study, led by Jaroslav ?erveny, tracked wild red foxes for over two years, recording nearly 600 hunting leaps by 84 foxes. Researchers found the animals predominantly jumped in a northeasterly direction, regardless of the time of day, season, or weather conditions. This preferred leaping direction resulted in a much higher kill rate, with foxes finding success on 73 percent of their northeasterly pounces on their prey. The results prompted
A few new policies take effect this month, with the following most likely to affect our daily life. Nationwide ban on disposable plastic cups in beverage shops According to the Ministry of Environment’s “Parties Subject to and Means for Single-use Takeaway Beverage Cups Restrictions” implemented on July 1, 2022, beverage shops are required to offer a NT$5 discount for customers who bring their own cups, and all local governments will be required to devise schedules to phase out single-use beverage cups. With the nationwide ban taking effect from this month, it is expected that the number of disposable plastic cups will be
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