Toledo is the southernmost and least populated district in Belize. Punta Gorda is the District capital. According to the Human Development Index (HDI),
Geography
The District has many villages, including Monkey River Town and the Toledo Settlement; the Maya villages of San Pedro Columbia, Blue Creek, Indian Creek, Santa Cruz, San Antonio, San Jose, San Felipe; and the Garifuna village of Barranco. It also has a number of Maya ruins, including
Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit,
Uxbenka, and
Pusilha. According to a 2022 mid-year census estimate, Toledo District had a
population of 41,537 people, 6,801 of whom lived in Punta Gorda.
Economy
The economy of Toledo relies heavily upon agriculture. Crops grown include beans and corn, as well as rice, which is sold to the Big Falls Rice Mill. Cacao is grown organically and sold via the Toledo Cacao Growers Association to Green & Black's for their renowned Maya Gold chocolate, as well as to chocolatiers within
Belize. The District's ancient and modern-day links with chocolate are celebrated annually in May (Commonwealth Day Holiday weekend) at the Toledo Cacao Festival. Farmers grow additional crops such as coffee, yams, sweet potato, hot chilli peppers, avocado, oranges and plantain for sale at the market in Punta Gorda, held each Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Fishermen in Toledo engage in small-scale fishing using dug-out canoes, and they also partake in lobster and conch diving during the open season. The Port Honduras Marine Reserve, situated just north of Punta Gorda Town, is a designated protected area. Toledo's waters are renowned for being a prime location for catching permit fish. Many traditional fishermen have transitioned to becoming fly-fishing guides, thanks to alternative livelihood initiatives offered by local conservation groups.
Tourism has emerged as a significant industry in Toledo. While it was once considered a destination mainly for the intrepid, the establishment of new tourist accommodations and the development of guided tours, coupled with the district's abundance of protected areas, diverse wildlife, exceptional bird-watching opportunities, and appealing offshore cays, have collectively contributed to Toledo's recognition as a burgeoning and valuable travel destination.
Demographics
Ethnicity
|
|
|
|
| 49.43% |
| 19.16% |
| 15.30% |
| 4.95% |
| 4.09% |
| 4.08% |
2.32%
1.96%
0.35% |
| 0.39% |
| 0.26% |
| – |
| 100% |
Language
According to the 2010 census,
Mayan languages are spoken by 68.4% of the population. This makes Toledo the only district in Belize where native languages are spoken by a majority.
On the 2010 census, about 18% of the population were native spanish speakers. Only 12.6% of the population had English as their first language, making it by far one of the least english-speaking districts of Belize.
==Gallery==
Transportation
The Toledo District is served by the paved
Southern Highway, as well as several bush roads to the many rural villages in the District. Regular bus service is provided by Punta Gorda-based James Bus Line, shuttling passengers between the other districts, and Punta Gorda is served by several daily commuter flights on Tropic Air, Maya Island Air and several small, family-run bus services that transport passengers to and from the rural villages.
Events
Each year, during the
Commonwealth Day weekend, Toledo hosts the Chocolate Festival of Belize. The festival features
from across the country as well as
chocolate-related arts and crafts.
According to the project coordinator for the Toledo Cacao Growers Association Thomas Tillett, the Association currently has a membership of about 1,100 cacao farmers.
[Jones, Patrick. Toledo Celebrates Cacoa Festival. "Breaking Belize News (Belize Media Group News)." 25 May 2014 (retrieved 25 May 2014)]
Indian Reservations
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Aguacate Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Black Creek Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Blue Creek Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Crique Sarco Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Graham Creek Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Hinchasones Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Machaca Indian Reservation, Toledo
-
Xpicilha Indian Reservation, Toledo
Notable architecture
Several significant ancient Mayan sites are extant in
ruined form in the Toledo District. Nim Li Punit is a Classic Period Mayan site
[ Nim Li Punit, published by the Department of Archaeology, Belmopan, Belize, Project ACP-RPR 544, Cubola Productions, March, 1999] with ballcourts and carved
.
Lubaantun is a drystone constructed site with ruined
and stone tombs.
[ C.Michael Hogan, Lubaantun, 2007, The Megalithic Portal, editor: A. Burnham]
Notable people
See also
-
The Forgotten District, a documentary film about ecotourism in Toledo
External links
