Bullet_Tree_Falls

Bullet Tree Falls

Bullet Tree Falls

Place in Cayo District, Belize

Bullet Tree Falls is a village located along the Mopan River in Cayo District, Belize. It lies approximately five kilometers (three miles) northwest of San Ignacio.[2][3] According to the 2010 census, Bullet Tree Falls has a population of 2,124 people in 426 households.[1] The population consists mainly of Spanish-speaking mestizos, along with a smaller number of Maya and Creoles.[2][3][4]

Bullet Tree Falls
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Demographics

At the time of the 2010 census, Bullet Tree Falls had a population of 2,124. Of these, 91.0% were Mestizo, 3.4% Mixed, 1.1% Creole, 1.0% Yucatec Maya, 0.9% Caucasian, 0.8% Mopan Maya, 0.7% Ketchi Maya, 0.3% East Indian and 0.1% Mennonite.[5]

Government

Bullet Tree Falls is governed by a seven-person village council. As of 2019, the chairperson of the council is Thai Wu.[6]

History

Bullet Tree Falls was first established as a small logging camp in the 1800s.[7] During the Caste War of Yucatán, many Maya families migrated to Bullet Tree Falls from villages further north such as El Chorro and Yaloch.[2][7] By 1917, there were approximately one hundred and forty people living in the village in twenty-three households.[7] During the early and mid 20th century, an influx of mestizos migrated to the village from Guatemala and Mexico, many of them working as chicleros.[4][7] During the early days of the chicle and timber industries in Belize, the village was an important trading post.[8]

The first Creoles settled in Bullet Tree Falls in the 1950s, arriving from San Ignacio.[9] In 1961, Hurricane Hattie caused significant damage to the village, destroying a school building and church.[7][10] During the 1960s and 1970s, several Mopan Maya families moved to Bullet Tree Falls from the Toledo District.[7] By 1970, the population of the village had grown to approximately 700.[7] In 1988, the Salvador Fernandez Bridge was completed, replacing an older wooden bridge.[10]

Attractions

Tubing down the Mopan River is a popular tourist activity in Bullet Tree Falls.[11]

Bullet Tree Falls has developed a small tourist economy facilitated by its location between San Ignacio and the El Pilar Maya archeological site.[2] The village hosts several lodges and a small botanical garden.[11] Buses between Bullet Tree Falls and San Ignacio run several times a day and taxi service is available to San Ignacio and El Pilar.[11]

  • The Community Center
  • The main bus stop
  • Aerial view of the village
  • The Salvador Fernandez Bridge and Mopan River

References

  1. [1]
    "Belize Population and Housing Census: 2010 Country Report" (PDF). Statistical Institute of Belize. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  2. [2]
    Pridgeon, Elizabeth (19 February 2010). "Bullet Tree Falls". The Belize Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011.
  3. [3]
    Eltringham, Peter; Fisher, John; Stewart, Iain (2001). The Rough Guide to the Maya World: Guatemala, Belize, Southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador. London: Rough Guides. p. 269. ISBN 1858287421.
  4. [4]
    Gordon, Andrew (28 February 2020). "Rastafarianism in Bullet Tree Falls, Belize: Exploring the Effects of International Trends". Societies. 10 (1): 1–16. doi:10.3390/soc10010024.
  5. [5]
    Population & Housing Census
  6. [6]
    "Village Council Election Results: Bullet Tree, Cayo District" (PDF). Elections and Boundaries Department, Government of Belize. July 29, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  7. [7]
    Sullivan, Paul (November 1978). "The Founding and Growth of Bullet Tree Falls". Belizean Studies. 6 (6): 1–22.
  8. [8]
    Silva, Hector David (July 2010). Brief History of the Cayo District. SEYT. p. 74.
  9. [9]
    Gordon, Andrew J. (2016). Agents of Change in Bullet Tree Falls: How a Village in Belize Responded to Influences of Globalization. Wadsworth Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 1133604498.
  10. [10]
    "History of Immaculate Conception R. C. School". Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic School. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013.
  11. [11]
    Vorhees, Mara (2008). Lonely Planet Belize: Cayo District. Lonely Planet. ASIN B002RI96MG.
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