Belize City in Belize- Photo by Alisa Matthews on Unsplash

10 Most Famous People from Belize


 

Belize is a Caribbean country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It borders Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south

It is the least populated and least densely populated country in Central America. Its population growth rate of 1.87% per year (2018 estimate) is the second-highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

Its capital is Belmopan, and its largest city is the namesake city of Belize City.

The culture of Belize is quite an interesting one because it is a mixture of influences and people from Kriol, Maya, East Indian, Garinagu (also known as Garifuna), Mestizo (a mixture of Spanish and Native Americans), Mennonites who are of German descent, with many other cultures ranging from Chinese to Lebanese.

This unique blend of many cultures coming together emerged through the country’s long and occasionally violent history.

1. Dean Barrow

Belizean Prime Minister, Dean Barrow in London- Author; Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Wikimedia

Dean Oliver Barrow is a Belizean politician who has been Prime Minister of Belize since 2008. He is also the leader of the United Democratic Party.

An attorney by trade, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1998 and was Leader of the Opposition from 1998 until the UDP (his political party) won the February 2008 election.

Barrow started his first term as Prime Minister after victory in the 2008 election. He started his second term after the UDP again won an election on 7th March 2012.

2. Arlen Escarpeta

Arlen Escarpeta in 2014- Author; Gage Skidmore- Wikimedia

Arlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Friday the 13th, Brotherhood, and Final Destination 5.

He has managed to create quite a good name for himself in Hollywood thus presenting his country at a wider scope.

3. Shyne

Shyne- Author; U.S. Embassy Belize- Wikimedia

Moses Michael Levi, better known by his stage name Shyne, is a Belizean hip hop recording artist, who relocated to the Brooklyn borough of New York City as a teenager.

He is popularly and best known for his time under Bad Boy Entertainment and a 1999 shooting incident that led to his nine-year incarceration.

He was released from prison in 2009 and was subsequently deported back to Belize.

4. George Cadle Price

George Cadle Price at a press conference- Author; Unknown- Wikimedia

The Right Honourable George Cadle Price was the first Prime Minister of Belize and is considered to have been one of the principal architects of the country’s independence. Today he is referred to by many as “the Father of the Nation”.

Born in Belize City, in what was then British Honduras, he entered politics in 1947 with his election to the Belize City Council.

In 1949, with the devaluation of the British Honduran Dollar he, together with a group of citizens formed the People’s Committee. It was the start of the “Peaceful, constructive Belizean revolution”.

On September 29th, 1950, he co-founded the People’s United Party, which he led for four decades and which was devoted to the political and economic independence of the British colony, then known as British Honduras.

5. Zee Edgell

Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay

Zelma I. Edgell, better known as Zee Edgell, MBE, is a writer. She has had four of her novels published.

She was an associate professor of English at Kent State University. Although not much is known about her personal life, her works are quite known and embraced in Belize

6. Errollyn Wallen

Errollyn Wallen speaking at Other Minds Festival in 2015- Author; Allan J. Cronin- Wikimedia

Errollyn Wallen is a Belize-born British composer. Her music draws on a wide range of influences, including avant-garde classical music as well as popular songwriting. Her work has even been performed in leading concert halls and theatres around the world.

Her first orchestral commission was a concerto for percussion and orchestra, written for percussionist Colin Currie and premiered by him during the finals of the BBC Young Musician competition in 1994.

This piece was subsequently performed at the 1998 BBC Proms, making Wallen the first black female composer to receive a performance at that festival.

7. Arlie Petters

Dr. Arlie Petters, Dr. Duane Cooper At the Conference for African American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences- Author; Lenoreblum- Wikimedia

Arlie O. Petters, MBE is a Belizean American mathematical physicist, who is the Benjamin Powell Professor and Professor of Mathematics, Physics, and Business Administration at Duke University.

Petters is the founder of mathematical astronomy, focusing on problems connected to the interplay of gravity and light and employing tools from astrophysics, cosmology, general relativity, high energy physics, differential geometry, singularities, and probability theory.

His monograph, “Singularity Theory and Gravitational Lensing” is the first to develop a mathematical theory of gravitational lensing. He was Chairman of the Council of Science Advisers to the Prime Minister of Belize.

8. Woodrow West

Woodrow West- Author; Ramirocarp2010- Wikimedia

Woodrow West is a Belizean professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belmopan Bandits.

In July 2013 he, and fellow international teammate, Ian Gaynair, were praised by CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) for reporting an attempt to bribe them ahead of a Gold Cup game against the USA.

9. Deon McCaulay

Afootball match- Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Deon McCaulay is a Belizean international footballer, who plays for Belmopan Bandits in the Premier League of Belize. He is a talented footballer who has managed to represented Belize in many international tournaments.

10. Barry Bowen

Money- Image by S K from Pixabay

Barry Mansfield Bowen KCMG was a Belizean bottling magnate, politician and entrepreneur.

As of 2010, Bowen was the second wealthiest citizen of Belize. His business interests included Bowen and Bowen, Ltd., which was founded by his father. He is also the exclusive bottler of Coca-Cola products in Belize and the Belize Brewing Company, which brews Belikin beer.

Bowen also served as a former member of the Senate of Belize and the financier of the People’s United Party.

In December 2007, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Bowen as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

 

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