Spanish Lookout is a

Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

settlement in the

Cayo District Cayo is a district located in the west part of Belize, and it contains the capital, Belmopan. It is the most extensive, second-most populous and third-most densely populated of the six districts of Belize. The district's capital is the town of S ...

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

. According to the 2010 census, Spanish Lookout had a population of 2,253 people in 482 households (2005 census had a population of 2,300 and the 2000 census had a population of 1,786). As of the 2022 census, population have increased to 3,108.2022 Housing and Population Census
/ref> The Mennonite community in Spanish Lookout is quite modern: they use cars and other modern conveniences and the overall impression of the settlement is rather like rural North America than

or the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

. The citizens of this community speak

Plautdietsch Plautdietsch () or Mennonite Low German is a Low Prussian dialect of East Low German with Dutch influence that developed in the 16th and 17th centuries in the Vistula delta area of Royal Prussia. The word ''Plautdietsch'' translates to "fl ...

as their mother tongue. Most also speak English and Spanish. It is largely an agricultural community with some light industry, furniture making, prefabricated wood houses and the only oil field in production in

History

In 1958 Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

moved to Belize, creating the Spanish Lookout settlement. They objected to a new social welfare law in Mexico and arable land was more readily available in Belize. Over time, a number of families left for

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

and

Nova Scotia, Canada Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. In 1966 over 30 conservative families left the settlement for Paraguay due to conflicting beliefs about modernization. Another group also left the colony and started a new colony in Lower Barton Creek. Nevertheless, the settlement's population of 1,108 in 1987 has more than doubled until 2010 through natural growth. In the 1980s, refugees arrived from Guatemala and El Salvador finding employment and schooling for their children within the settlement. SLBZECD o

Location and geographic setting

Spanish Lookout is accessible via several roads, going north off the

George Price Highway The George Price Highway is one of four main highways in Belize. It originates in Belize City, runs west through Hattieville, the Belize Zoo, the capital city of Belmopan (northern outskirts), San Ignacio, San José Succotz (across the river ...

. The main access to Spanish Lookout is via the Iguana Creek Bridge. The Central Farm entrance takes you across the Belize River, via one of Belize’s two hand-cranked ferries equipped to transport vehicles. Several vehicles can fit on the ferry at once, while larger trucks may pass one or two at a time.

Demographics

At the time of the 2010 census, Spanish Lookout had a population of 2,253. Of these, 86.8% were

, 8.7%

Mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

, 2.0% Mixed, 1.4% Caucasian, 0.8% Ketchi Maya and 0.1% Creole. In terms of languages spoken (multiple answers allowed), 87.9% spoke English, 87.2% German, 27.3% Spanish, 2.4% Creole, 0.6% Ketchi Maya, 0.4%

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and traditionally speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language. The Garifuna ...

, 0.1%

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

, 0.1% Mopan Maya, 0.1%

Yucatec Maya Yucatec Maya ( ; referred to by its speakers as or ) is a Mayan languages, Mayan language spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula, including part of northern Belize. There is also a significant diasporic community of Yucatec Maya speakers in San Fra ...

and 5.1% other languages; 0.2% could not speak.

Climate

Spanish Lookout has a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...

, with little temperature difference between seasons, but a pronounced rainy season. The warmest month on average is May. The coolest month on average is January.

Economy

Spanish Lookout is a major exporter of beans, corn, chicken and dairy products. As of 2006, Spanish Lookout has the only commercial oilfield within Belize.

Major businesses in Spanish Lookout

* Quality Poultry Products - The largest chicken producer in the country with branches in Punta Gorda, Independence, Dangriga, Belmopan, San Ignacio, Belize City, Orange Walk, Corozal and San Pedro. They also have a restaurant chain called Chicken Express with branches in Punta Gorda, Dangriga, Belmopan, San Ignacio, Belize City and Corozal. * Western Dairies - The only commercial producer of milk in the country, they also produce ice cream, cheese, yogurt and other dairy related products. They have branches in Belize City, Orange Walk and San Pedro. They also have a tiny ice cream business in San Ignacio. In Spanish Lookout they have a large restaurant that gets very busy on weekends with customers from all over the country. * Koop Sheet Metal - The largest roofing supplier in Belize they produce their own roof sheeting. They've been a major roof supplier since

Hurricane Hattie Hurricane Hattie was the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclone of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, reaching peak intensity as a List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes, Category5 hurricane. The ninth Tropical cyclone, tropical storm, sevent ...

. * Country Foods - The largest egg supplier in Belize, they also supply a large percentage of beans, rice, corn and corn flour in the country. They have a transfer depot in Bella Vista and a branch in San Pedro. * Caribbean Tire/Caribbean Motors - With branches in Dangriga, Cattle Landing, Belize City, Orange Walk, San Ignacio and even in Chetumal, Mexico, they are the largest vehicle and tire vendor in Belize. * Belcar Export - Belcar cleans beans and corn, bags of packages them and then exports them out of the country to destinations in the Caribbean. * Reimer's Feed Mill - One of two large feed mills in Spanish Lookout, they have branches in Cattle Landing, San Ignacio, Belize City and Orange Walk. * Country Meats - They specialize in beef and pork products. * Farmers Light Plant Corporation - The largest power provider not connected to the national grid. FLPC used to be part of Western Dairies. They are always innovating and seeking for various sources of power generation. About 30% of power comes from solar and the rest from crude oil and other methods..

Gallery

File:SLFerry.jpg, Hand-operated Ferry File:Spainsh Lookout small.JPG, principal avenue

Literature

*Heinrich Penner, John D. Reimer, Leonard M. Reimer: ''Spanish Lookout since 1958 - Progress in Action'', Spanish Lookout 2008.

References

{{Reflist Canadian diaspora in North America Populated places in Cayo District Cayo North East Kleine Gemeinde Mennonitism in Belize Mexican diaspora in Belize Populated places established in 1958 Russian Mennonite diaspora in Belize Ukrainian diaspora in North America