View source for Corozal District

{{Short description|Northernmost district of Belize}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
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| name                    = Corozal District
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| native_name_lang        = <!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| settlement_type         = [[Districts of Belize|District]]
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| nickname                =Coro 
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| image_map               = Corozal in Belize.svg
| mapsize                 = 200px
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| map_caption             = Location of the district in Belize
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| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Belize}}
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| seat_type               = Capital
| seat                    = [[Corozal Town]]
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| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
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| area_total_km2          = 1860
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| elevation_footnotes     = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/belize/|title=Belize: Districts, Towns & Villages - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information|website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 
| population_total        = 46,071
| population_as_of        = 2024 Estimate
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| population_density_km2  = auto
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| iso_code                = BZ-CZL
| website                 = {{URL|http://www.quepasacorozal.com}}
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'''Corozal''' is the northernmost [[Districts of Belize|district]] of the nation of [[Belize]]. The population was 46,071 in 2024. The district capital is [[Corozal Town]].

[[Pre-Columbian]] [[Maya civilization|Maya]] ruins are found in Corozal at [[Santa Rita ruins|Santa Rita]] near Corozal Town, and at [[Cerros]].

==Administrative divisions==
There are four political divisions in the Corozal District.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

*''[[Corozal Bay (Belize House constituency)|Corozal Bay]]'' is represented by the Peoples United Party's David "Dido" Vega, in his first term. The division includes most of Corozal Town proper.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
*''[[Corozal North]]'' covers the villages immediately north and west of Corozal Town and is held by three-term representative Hugo Patt of the UDP.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
*''[[Corozal South East]]'' has long been a PUP stronghold under father and son Florencio Marin Sr. (who stepped down in 2008 after seven terms) and Florencio Marin Jr., who is now in his fourth term.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
*''[[Corozal South West]]'' is represented by the PUP representative Ramiro Ramirez, who beat incumbent  Dr. Angel Campos of the UDP in 2020.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

===Towns and villages===
Corozal District includes [[Corozal Town]] and the villages of [[Buena Vista, Corozal|Buena Vista]], [[Calcutta, Belize|Calcutta]], Caledonia, Carolina, [[Chan Chen]], [[Chunox]], Concepcion, [[Consejo]], [[Copper Bank]], [[Cristo Rey, Corozal|Cristo Rey]], Estrella, Libertad, [[Little Belize]], [[Louisville, Belize|Louisville]], Paraiso, [[Patchacan]], [[Progresso, Belize|Progresso]], Ranchito, San Andres, San Antonio, [[San Joaquin, Corozal|San Joaquin]], [[San Narciso, Belize|San Narciso]], San Roman, [[San Victor, Corozal|San Victor]], [[San Pedro, Corozal|San Pedro]], Santa Clara, [[Sarteneja]], [[Xaibe]], and [[Yo Chen]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

In addition, the island of [[Ambergris Caye]] is geographically closer to Corozal District than the district in which it is administrated, [[Belize District]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

==Demographics==
===Ethnicity===
{| class="wikitable sortable left" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Ethnicity
|-
! colspan="2|2010<ref>{{Cite web |title=Main results of 2010 population and housing census |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812062733/http://www.statisticsbelize.org.bz/dms20uc/dynamicdata/docs/20110505004542_2.pdf#page=5}}</ref>
! colspan="2|2022<ref name="2022 Belize Census">{{cite web |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fsib.org.bz%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FCensus2022_GeneralCharacteristics.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |title=Census 2022 |access-date=2025-04-18}}</ref>
|-
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
|-
| [[Mestizo]] || 30,061 || 76.03% || 34,985 || 77.21%
|-
| [[Europeans|European]]:<br />* German ([[Mennonites in Belize|Mennonite]])<br />* British (Anglo-Celtic) ||2,907<br />''2,566<br />341''||7.35%<br />''6.49%<br />0.86%'' || 4,445<br>''4,009<br>436'' || 9.81%<br>''8.84%<br>0.96%''
|-
| [[Belizean Creole people|Creole]] || 2,151 || 5.44% || 3,340 || 7.37% 
|-
| [[Indo-Caribbean|East Indian]]<br>[[Hindus|Indian]]|| 1,142<br>106 || 2.89%<br>0.27% || 944<br>117 || 2.08%<br>0.26%
|-
| [[Garifuna]] || 235 || 0.59% || 275 || 0.60%
|-
| [[Yucatec Maya people|Yucatec Maya]] || 289 || 0.73% || 269 || 0.59% 
|-
| [[Chinese people|Chinese/Asian]] || 266 || 0.67% || 236 || 0.52%
|-
| [[Qʼeqchiʼ|Qʼeqchi Maya]] || 68 || 0.17% || 126 || 0.28% 
|-
| [[Mopan people|Mopan Maya]] || 84 || 0.21% || 104 || 0.23% 
|-
| Other || 337 || 0.85% || 146 || 0.32%
|-
| Not stated || – || – || 324 || 0.71%
|-
| Mixed || 1,893 || 4.79% || – || –
|-
| '''Total''' || '''39,539''' || '''100%''' || '''45,310''' || '''100%'''
|}

===Languages===
[[English language|English]] is the most spoken language in Corozal, followed by Spanish. 80% speak English very well and 60% speak Spanish very well.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Corozal's villages are divided by colour and language:

Corozal Town, the main centre of the District, is peopled by a mix of Belize's races and cultures, most notably the [[Maya peoples|Maya]] [[Mestizo]]s. Spanish and English are the major languages spoken.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Calcutta, Estrella Village, Libertad, Ranchito, and San Antonio are populated by East Indian people and speak English and Spanish very well.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Chan Chen, Chunox, Cristo Rey, Louisville, Patchakan, San Pedro, San Victor Village, Xaibe, and Yo Chen are populated by [[Maya people]] and speak Spanish and [[Yucatec Maya]] language very well, along with some English.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Buena Vista, Caledonia, Conception, San Narciso, San Roman, and Santa Clara are populated by Maya-Mestizo people who speak Spanish, some English and elders speaking [[Yucatec Maya]]. They are not obliged to learn English, because school teachers teach in Spanish but write in English and because at work the primary language is Spanish, so villagers are not exposed to English on a daily basis.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Progresso, San Andres, and Sarteneja Village are populated by Creole and Hispanic people, who share their cultures and languages in English and Spanish.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Little Belize is populated by Mennonites, who speak German.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

== Economy ==
While Corozal District depended for many years on the sugar industry, at one time having its own sugar factory in Libertad Village, today the economy is more diversified. Sugar production and other agricultural crops such as papaya are still central to the way of life of many rural Corozalenos, but occupations in the tourism industry are slowly becoming more prominent. Now almost 65% of Corozalenos depend on the Commercial Free Zone for employment. The Zone is located on the border of Belize and Mexico.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Contraband is the biggest source of growing income in Corozal since it is adjacent to Mexico, and includes such things as vegetables, fruits, liquors, cigarettes, and gasoline.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

==Education==
[[Belize Adventist College]] and [[Belize Adventist Junior College]] are located in the village of Calcutta in the Corozal District.
[[Corozal Community College]] and [[Corozal Junior College]] are found in the village of San Andres and also near San Antonio in Corozal District.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[St. Viator Vocational High School]] is located just outside [[Chunox]] in the Corozal District.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College]](CEMJC) and [[Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico]] or E.S.T.M. is located in the village of San Roman in the Corozal District.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website|http://www.corozal.info}}
* [http://www.quepasacorozal.com News website]

{{Districts of Belize}}

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[[Category:Corozal District| ]]
[[Category:Districts of Belize]]
[[Category:Mestizo communities in Belize]]