In Spanish, it is known as “Belice”, but as Belize is the only country in Central America that was formerly a British colony, the English name Belize has a strange and somewhat legendary history. The Maya were the original inhabitants of Belize, so many people have naturally assumed that perhaps the name of the country comes from the Mayan language. What is known for a fact, however, is that the original name of Belize was British Honduras. In 1981, Belize gained full independence from Great Britain and is, today, a proudly sovereign member of the British Commonwealth. Although Queen Elizabeth II is nominally the head of state in Belize and her portrait appears on all Belizean bank notes, Belize is a fully independent nation.