The national motto of Belize is "Under the shade I flourish" and this reflects its people's connection to the natural environment. Belize is the only Central American country with English as its official language.

The origin of the name Belize is relatively unclear, but one theory is that it derives from the Spanish pronunciation of the surname of the pirate who created the first settlement in Belize in 1638, Peter Wallace. Another possibility is that the name is from the Maya word beliz, meaning "muddy water", applied to the Belize River.

The Cayo District is primarily an agricultural district, with the chief crops being citrus, (oranges, grapefruits and tangerines), as well as bananas. Recently oil was found in Spanish Lookout and is now in production. There are 2 major highways in the District. The Western Highway runs from Belize City to the Guatemalan border, and the Hummingbird Highway which starts in Belmopan and ends at the juncture of the Coastal Road and the Southern Highway in the Stann Creek District. In addition to the magnificent Mayan ruins there are several other important nature reserves including two National Parks, Blue Hole (park) and Guanacaste National Park. Ecotourism is also an integral part of the region's economy.

According to the 2000 census, Cayo District had a population of 53,715 people. The official currency of Belize is the Belizean dollar (BZD) which is approximately 2:1 with the US Dollar. The capital of Belize is Belmopan.