Mennonite Communities in Belize

About 12,000 Mennonites live in a dozen different communities in Belize. Some communities, such as Blue Creek in Northern Belize and Spanish Lookout in Cayo District, are "progressive." Modern vehicles and agricultural methods are used and the community even gets involved in the government. Others, such as Little Belize and Shipyard in Northern Belize, are conservative–-traditional, inward-looking, and shunning modern conveniences, opting for horses and buggies instead. Most Mennonites in Belize speak a Low German dialect among themselves. Although not unfriendly to visitors, they do not seek tourism, and there are few visitor facilities in Mennonite areas. However, Mennonites, known in Belize as hard-working and savvy about business, provide much of the food produced in Belize and dominate a good part of the construction business in the country.