Punta Gorda, Belize

Coordinates: 16°06′02″N 88°48′27″W / 16.1005°N 88.8074°W / 16.1005; -88.8074
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other places with the same name, see Punta Gorda (disambiguation).
Punta Gorda
Town
Punta Gorda Town
Central)
ClimateAf
Websitewww.puntagordabelize.com

Punta Gorda, known locally as P.G., is the capital and largest town of

East Indian, Kriol, and Maya
descent.

Punta Gorda is a

seaport and fishing town on the Caribbean Sea. It was a small fishing village before it was settled by a number of Garifuna emigrants from Honduras in 1823. The Garifuna refer to the town as Peini.[3]
The town is about fifteen feet above sea level.

Demographics

At the time of the 2010 census, Punta Gorda had a population of 5,351. Of these, 24.2% were Garifuna, 17.2% Mestizo, 14.2% Ketchi Maya, 13.8% Mixed, 10.5% Creole, 8.3% East Indian, 8.1% Mopan Maya, 1.4% Caucasian, 0.9% Asian, 0.5% African, 0.1% Hindu, 0.1% Mennonite, 0.1% Yucatec Maya and 0.4% others.[4]

Climate

The climate is tropical rainforest (Köppen: Af), similar to that found in the Amazon Basin, with precipitation being high and with temperatures always above 25 °C on average every month.[5]

Climate data for Punta Gorda, Belize (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28.2
(82.8) 		29.5
(85.1) 		30.6
(87.1) 		32.0
(89.6) 		32.2
(90.0) 		31.9
(89.4) 		31.3
(88.3) 		32.0
(89.6) 		32.3
(90.1) 		31.4
(88.5) 		29.9
(85.8) 		29.1
(84.4) 		30.9
(87.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 23.4
(74.1) 		24.7
(76.5) 		25.3
(77.5) 		26.9
(80.4) 		27.5
(81.5) 		27.5
(81.5) 		27.1
(80.8) 		27.3
(81.1) 		27.4
(81.3) 		26.7
(80.1) 		25.1
(77.2) 		23.8
(74.8) 		26.1
(79.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 18.6
(65.5) 		19.8
(67.6) 		20.1
(68.2) 		21.9
(71.4) 		22.8
(73.0) 		23.1
(73.6) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.5
(72.5) 		22.6
(72.7) 		22.1
(71.8) 		20.3
(68.5) 		18.6
(65.5) 		21.3
(70.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 170.6
(6.72) 		94.7
(3.73) 		73.4
(2.89) 		82.0
(3.23) 		205.1
(8.07) 		447.0
(17.60) 		709.8
(27.94) 		629.7
(24.79) 		528.8
(20.82) 		361.4
(14.23) 		264.8
(10.43) 		178.5
(7.03) 		3,745.8
(147.48)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12 8 6 5 11 18 22 20 18 16 13 12 161
Source: National Meteorological Service of Belize[6]

Transport

Punta Gorda is the main point of transportation for people visiting the Toledo district and the offshore southern cayes. There is a small

CRECG.[citation needed
]

Tourism

There are several hotels in Punta Gorda that draw tourists with their ocean views. Punta Gorda is also a gateway to several well-regarded jungle accommodations, including Cotton Tree Lodge, The Lodge at Big Falls, Copal Tree Lodge, and Hickatee Cottages. Every May, the town hosts the Toledo Cacao Festival, held over the Commonwealth Day holiday weekend, which celebrates Toledo district's ancient and modern-day links with cacao and chocolate.

Notable people

Notable people from Punta Gorda include paranda musician Paul Nabor, Belize's "Queen of Brukdown", Leela Vernon and Destiny Wagner, Miss Earth 2021, the first Belizean woman to win the Miss Earth title.

Schools

Punta Gorda is served by 3 primary schools: St. Peter Claver School, Bethel Seventh Day Adventist School, and Punta Gorda Methodist School. It also has one high school, the Toledo Community College, and the Punta Gorda campus of the University of Belize.[7]

Religion

St. Peter Claver Catholic parish, with a large elementary school, serves the predominantly Catholic population of the town.

Health care

The town is served by Punta Gorda Polyclinic, as well as a few private doctors.

Gallery

  • Punta Gorda Town from Fisherman's Pier.
    Punta Gorda Town from Fisherman's Pier.
  • Punta Gorda town market
    Punta Gorda town market
  • Boats rest on the shore in Punta Gorda, Belize.
    Boats rest on the shore in Punta Gorda, Belize.


References

  1. ^ "Belize Population and Housing Census 2010" (PDF). Statistical Institute of Belize. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates by Area and Sex 2008 - 2015". Statistical Institute of Belize. Retrieved 14 May 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ISBN 978-1581571295
    .
  4. ^ Population & Housing Census 2010 [1]
  5. ^ "Punta Gorda climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Punta Gorda weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  6. ^ "Climatology Information for a few stations across Belize". National Meteorological Service of Belize. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Punta Gorda, Belize - Schools".

External links

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