[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24674]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO THE BELIZE 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 18, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 26th 
anniversary of the Independence of Belize, which will be on September 
21, 2007.
  On September 21, 1981, Belize became an independent nation within the 
Commonwealth of Nations, formerly British Commonwealth. Belize is 
located in South America and is a member of the Caribbean Community, 
also known as CARICOM.
  Belize is an extraordinary country because of its people. Nowhere 
else in the world are people with diverse ethnicities and heritage so 
unified and harmonious. The country's population consists of people 
with Mayan, African, European, Afro-European, and Afro-Amerindian 
ancestry, just to name a few. In recent years, people of Asian descent 
have made Belize their home.
  Due to globalization and other factors the world is getting smaller 
and smaller. It will be important for countries to be unified in order 
to interact politically, economically, and culturally within the world. 
Belize's diverse and unified characteristics can serve as a model to 
other nations struggling with internal conflict and peace.
  I offer congratulations to the people of Belize as they celebrate 
their independence. I encourage people from all over the world to look 
to Belize for inspiration and hope for a better world.

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