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For a certain kind of person there is a certain kind of place; and for certain people that place is Belize. Belize - the laid back Caribbean country of Central America! It's a favorite of those seeking a calmer lifestyle in close proximity to the wonders of nature.  Like a un-planed 2x4 full of splinters, Belize is sturdy, rugged and full of sandfleas, but it also has it's share of beautiful islands, adventuresome spirits and rum soaked nights. It's the place we dreamed about as children.  A place where we could do what we wanted without being called in to wash up for dinner. It's a place where you need to know how to repair your own car and replace parts of your plumbing with bailing wire and tape. It's also a place where big brother isn't looking over your shoulder and you can set your own building codes or own a flock of chickens. It's a place where you can spend the day fishing without trying to keep up with the Jones's. It's also become one of the hottest expatriate destinations in Latin America. ...it's not for everyone, but it may be for you. If so, there's a new eBook that will take you to Belize and help you stay there.

Huxley would be surprised by today’s world.  If he were suddenly transported here tomorrow, he might be on his way to Belize the day after.  Perhaps for the very reasons he stated but with a different value placed on them. Belize is terrific! Belize is like no where else in the entire world and there is nothing with which to compare it.  It is as Huxley called it, exactly and to the letter.  Ah, but what he said yesterday sounds so great today.

Belize is everything Costa Rica is purported to be.  For people looking for a young unspoiled nation, Belize has to be one of the choicest expatriate destinations imaginable.  The language is English.  The people are friendly.  The government is an absolute anomaly for Central America.  It is a true democracy, operating under the parliamentary system it adopted from Great Britain (which until 1981 upheld Belize in colonial status.) There is absolute freedom of the press.  Little, if any serious corruption.  An intelligent attitude towards business and an absolutely astounding respect for ecology.  It is in our opinion a world leader in its efforts to create a balance between tourism and sound principals of ecology.  There are few countries towards whom we feel a greater degree of respect.  Its tiny population is numerically less than many of the world’s cities. ( Note that while the country of El Salvador consists of approximately the same land area as Belize, El Salvador contains thirty times as many people; - - with El Salvado having an overall population of almost six million people, compared with Belize’s 200,000. )  Yet despite its small population Belize manages to attract the worlds attention for its modern attitudes, stable government and respectful treatment of its indigenous peoples. 

Good telecommunications, a great environment, real estate prices that are significantly lower than that of Costa Rica, the best diving in the world, the second biggest barrier reef in the world, a growing off-shore tax haven sector, offshore corporate services, developing offshore banking practices, a soon to be established free trade zone, an international airport, a free trade zone at the border city of Chetumal, close proximity to Cancun, an archeological store-house of Mayan Ruins (some still not totally explored), a polyglot culture that lives in harmony,  proximity to Mexico and the United States, (the fact that we can actually drive from Belize to the United States has some positive values,) a series of Cayes (islands) some of which are available for purchase at prices that are so reasonable they make you want to pack your bags and catch the next plane.  It is difficult to think of a better destination for the expatriate seeking a new home in an unspoiled land.

Human Rights Practices for 2000 Report - Human Rights Practices for 2000 Report - Gives Belize fairly high marks. There is nothing occurring in Belize that raises a red flag in terms of human rights practices.

Freedom House - Freedom House - Gives the following evaluation: Freedom of the press is guaranteed constitutionally, but the authorities may make exceptions in the interests of defense, public safety, public order, morality, or public health. There are six privately owned weekly newspapers, half of which are directly affiliated with major political parties. The first privately owned commercial radio station began to broadcast in 1990. Radio call-in programs freely criticize the government and speak on political matters. There are eight privately owned TV stations. Though the Broadcasting Corporation of Belize is nominally independent, the government exerts influence over the BCB's two radio stations through financial subsidies. BCB studios are used by the government to produce partisan propaganda. The government is the largest buyer of radio and television  time. Half of the six privately owned weekly newspapers (no dailies) are subsidized by political parties. Journalists may seek greater access to official information  through the freedom of information act. Freedom House Rating: Political Rights: 1  Civil Liberties:  1 
Note that no other country in Central America has such an exemplary record regarding civil liberties and political rights as does Belize. This is commendable! 

HDI ranking: Ranked 63 out of 174 countries The Human Development Index (HDI) ranks countries according to the following indicators: GDP, life expectancy, rate of adult literacy and years of schooling.

Where Does Belize Fall Down? - In our evaluation Belize falls down in two categories. 
1.) It's telecommunications access is hampered by the idiocy of it's government-subsidized Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL), which is somewhere back in the last century mentally.  They are trying to keep independent Internet Service Providers from ‘competing’ with them.  This will be remedied one way or another.  Hughes Satellite Dishes that will connect anyone, anywhere, to everything, are only a year or two away.  BTL will cut their own throat, (and that of the entire Nation,) if they don’t get someone to explain the facts of global economics and techno-reality to them. Once the government is brought to understand that free access to Internet Service Providers spells the future success, or failure, of Belize; it is hopeful that the situation will be remedied internally.  No access to the internet, or shabby access to the internet, spell doom to any nation.  Belize has to get rid of the blood suckers that run their telephone company.  Or free it up to competition. (We understand that the company strangling Belize is foreign-owned; and is a subsidiary of an American owned company.) 
2.) Rastas, or wantabe Rastas are spoiling some of Belize's larger towns, cities and more populated areas. (But are not a problem in the outlying country or more remote areas.) The worst of it is that most of these so-called Rastas don't even originate from Belize, but migrate to Belize from other areas of the Mosquito Coast. Few tourist or expatriates have any sympathy for them. They are an annoyance to those Belizeans born in Belize as well as to the new expatriates who have moved to Belize. These fake Rastas are drug pushers, thugs, petty thief's, and hoodlums. How Belize will deal with them is an important question. They are not Belizean, so any way that Belize deals with them would be acceptable to EscapeArtist.  Why should anyone have sympathy with those who use sympathy as a means to pick pockets? The people of Belize are for the most part good and gentle souls. That a rash of migrants from other areas of Central America and the Caribbean should come and spoil their fine nation is a travesty. These thugs are one of the biggest problems facing Belize. 

Overall, EscapeArtist gives Belize high marks. It is a nation that still allows us to live the sort of life we care to live without big brother hanging over our shoulder. If we want to disappear, live the quite life on a secluded beach, mind our own business and listen to our hair grow, then Belize might well be one of the best nations to pick. It's low population to land area means that we won't be crowded, nor overwhelmed with meaningless and idiotic laws.  Belize does respect human rights more than most nations, there is freedom of the press, the land is cheap and the weather is pretty darn nice. With the two caveats in mind, we could make of Belize a wonderful new home with much about it that is agreeable. 

Updates: One very good way of keeping abreast of current news in Belize is to search the our Media of Belize Index and see what's going on in their press.  Another excellent resource is One World News, which focuses on news that other news agencies are willing to publish. One World News has an index of most of the worlds nations.  Find them on our Media of Belize index.