Jehovah’s Witnesses in Belize

Statistics

2016 Jehovah’s Witness average publishers, 2555; Congregations, 62; Baptisms, 91; Memorial attendance, 8734; Preaching hours, 731,615

History and Culture

Belize, a small country in Central America formerly known as British Honduras with a population of approximately 366,000 in 2016, was settled by the Mayan civilization at least 3500 years ago and may have been inhabited by as many as a million people in the Late Classical Era of Mayan civilization between 600 and 1000 AD. In the 1500s, the area was explored by Spanish conquistadors and declared a colony of Spain, although the area was not settled by the Spanish. English and Scottish privateers called Baymen settled on the coast in 1638 and established a colony. The British superintendent was appointed in 1786. Slavery was abolished across the British Empire in 1833. The region was declared a British Crown colony in 1836. The Belize Estate and Produce Company acquired the majority of private land, and mahogany was a major...