The first inhabitants to develop a distinct culture in what is now Belize were the Maya. Belize was an important part in the great Mayan Empire, which was possibly the most sophisticated civilization in the ancient Americas. Including modern day southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, the Maya reached their peak in the 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries AD. However, by the 14th Century this once-great civilization declined. By the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th Century, Maya presence was barely felt.
Even though the Spanish ruled Belize since their arrival in the new world, they were never able to truly control the area. To them, Belize was a backwater, good only for cutting dye wood. This lack of control eventually allowed for pirates from England and Scotland to come in and find sanctuary during the 17th century. When pirating became a less popular profession, these former buccaneers turned to logging the rich tropical forests of Belize.
