Belmopan City is the capital of Belize since 1972. It is located at the crossroads of the [[road:7]] and the [[road:8]], giving it a very centralized location in the country. Belmopan is bordered on the west by [[waterway:266]] and on the north by the [[road:7]]. # History Belmopan was founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Hattie, a Category 5 storm that struck [[settlement:12(1961)]] on October 31, 1961, causing widespread destruction and prompting the British colonial government to relocate the capital inland. In 1962, a committee selected a site 82 km southwest of [[settlement:12(1961)]], near the [[waterway:20(1961)]] Valley and the Mountain Pine Ridge foothills, at an elevation of 76 meters above sea level for flood protection. Premier George Cadle Price led negotiations in London in 1964 to secure funding from the United Kingdom. Construction began in 1966-1967, with the first phase completed in 1970 at a cost of BZ$24 million (US$12 million). Government offices relocated that year, and housing development continued through the 1970s, initially housing mostly civil servants and their families.Belmopan: a New Capital for a New Country by Shannon Ricketts The city was designed as a "Garden City" with a Ring Road encircling key areas, promoting green spaces and modern infrastructure. In 1972, [[settlement:14(1972)]] was officially inaugurated. Belmopan was managed by Recondev until a referendum was held in 1999 for the city to be run by a city council. So in 2000 Belmopan became the second city in Belize.https://belmopancitycouncil.org/welcome/our-history/ ## Education In September 1993, **Belize Christian Academy** opened its doors in a rented building on Forest Drive. There were 38 students and 4 teachers. Fourteen nationalities were represented in the student body. It was clear that God had done this! After the first year was completed and the 8th grade graduation took place, it was determined that BCA would be extended to include 9th grade and each year another year of high school would be added until a complete high school was in existence. At such point, the Ministry of Education granted a License for **Belize Christian Academy High School**. The first high school graduation was a real landmark in June 1998. There were 10 graduates – eight of which went on to colleges in the U.S. Three of those graduates have since taught at BCA.https://belizechristianacademy.com/about-us/school-history/ In 2004 the main campus of the **University of Belize** was moved to Belmopan from Belize City.https://ub.edu.bz/about-university-of-belize/ **Quality Schools International** was invited to open an international school in [[settlement:14]] , by the US State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools. QSI began to work with Belizean officials to attain licensure to open a school in the early summer of 2011. By the end of that summer, August 2011, QSI International School of Belize opened in its first location, [[settlement:41(2011)]]. The school operated in that location for its first four years. At that time, most of the students were children of US State Department employees. In the summer of 2015, the QSI school changed locations. Providing a safe, aesthetically pleasing facility within the capital city, Belmopan. The school moved to the University Heights location on Dean Crescent in August 2015.https://belize.qsi.org/about-us/history On July 16, 2021 the new **Judy Diego Government Preschool** was inaugurated.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/221481 ## Embassies and Consulates - **Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil** March 1, 1983 - **Honorary Consulate of Chile** October 11, 1990 - **Embassy of the Republic of Cuba** 1995 - **Honorary Consulate of the Dominican Republic** June 6, 1989 - **Honorary Consulate of Ecuador** 1990s - **Embassy of the Republic of El Salvador** 1982 - **Honorary Consulate General of India** March 28, 1983 - **Embassy of Japan** 1982 - **Embassy of the United Mexican States** Foreign relations were established on September 21, 1981. The embassy in Belmopan was designed by Teodoro González de León.https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/belice/index.php/embajada/embajadahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Belize - **Honorary Consulate of Sweden**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Belize - **British High Commission** Opened in Belmopan in 1981 upon Belize's independence; moved to current location in 1984https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Belize - **Embassy of the United States of America** Diplomatic relations were established on September 21, 1981. The embassy was relocated to Belmopan on December 11, 2006.https://history.state.gov/countries/belizehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Belize - **Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela** 1990 https://tourism.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Diplomatic-Consular-Listing.pdf ## Etymology Belmopan City was named after the [[waterway:20]] and the [[waterway:197]] and gained the nickname of Garden City.https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/geography-and-cartography/belmopan-belize In March of 2000 Belmopan was upgraded to city status as Belmopan City.https://www.belizehub.com/history-of-belmopan-belize/https://belmopancitycouncil.org/welcome/our-history/