Language
In the late 17th century, European Traders and farmers known as Puritans settled Stann Creek Town (now Dangriga) and surrounding communities. Puritans called trading posts "stands", which over time was corrupted to "stann". In Belize today the locals still use the word “stand” as a place to sell produce from (e.g. Fruit stand, vegetable stand). This was just one of the ways in which our language has evolved over time.
The creole spoken in Belize previous to 1786 was probably more like Jamaican than the Belize Creole language of today. By the Convention of London in 1786 the British were supposed to cease all logwood cutting operations along the Caribbean coast of Central America, except for the Belize settlement. In 1787, the British evacuated the Mosquito Shore in Nicaragua, and 2,214 "Shoremen" and their slaves came to Belize. The immigrants outnumbered the Baymen five to one and they brought their Miskito Coast Creole with them. Since this influx the local Kriol speech shifted to become something more like the Miskito Coast Creole. Today a Belizean creole speaker and a speaker form the Mosquito Coast (Blue Field, Nicaragua) can still speak and understand each other. Mosquito Coast creole is closer sounding to Belizean Creole than any of the English speaking Caribbean creole.
The Creole dialect is the most widely spoken language of the Stann Creek District and resembles English enough to be understood if spoken slowly. Although English is taught in the schools most people in the Stann Creek Valley speak Belizean Creole as their first language. Belizean Creole is the Lingua franca of the Stann Creek Valley area. Spanish is also widely spoken because of the steady influx of Central Americans but a strong Creole influence over the centuries and the Valleys distance from any Spanish speaking border to trade, lead most Spanish speakers to communicate in Creole after a short time. This scenario is also unique to Belize City, Dangriga, Punta Gorda and other coastal villages in the south of Belize.
The Creole dialect is the most widely spoken language of the Stann Creek District and resembles English enough to be understood if spoken slowly. Although English is taught in the schools most people in the Stann Creek Valley speak Belizean Creole as their first language. Belizean Creole is the Lingua franca of the Stann Creek Valley area. Spanish is also widely spoken because of the steady influx of Central Americans but a strong Creole influence over the centuries and the Valleys distance from any Spanish speaking border to trade, lead most Spanish speakers to communicate in Creole after a short time. This scenario is also unique to Belize City, Dangriga, Punta Gorda and other coastal villages in the south of Belize.