Orange Walk

History

In the days of the Maya civilization, the area was known as Holpatin. The district is home to the largest Maya temple of the pre-classic period. The Maya of the area came in contact with the Europeans in the 1530s, after which the two groups fought over land. In 1848, there was a massive influx of Maya and Mestizos from Mexico, fleeing the Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1901). This caused a rapid growth of population. In 1872, it was the site of the Battle of Orange Walk. Lamanai (meaning "submerged crocodile" in Mayan dialect) and Cuello ("neck" in Spanish) are two very early Mayan ruins located in Orange Walk. Cuello is in fact the oldest Mayan settlement in Belize, dating back to around 2000 BC. In the nineteenth century, Orange Walk was a small township located mostly on the western banks of the New River, consisting mainly of thatched and wooden dwellings. The town had grown from a stop on the New River by logwood, mahogany and chicle workers who used the New River as a transport system and stopped on their way to the sea with their products at the logging camp known as Orange Walk. With time the settlement continued growing, especially after the Caste War in neighbouring Mexico brought many migrants escaping the war and who settled in town or in villages around the town. In 1963 a sugar mill was started that brought another influx of migrant workers from other districts and surrounding countries, looking for work and land. Population in Orange Walk Town grew as a result.

Most-observed species

• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  999
• Social Flycatcher

  Myiozetetes similis (Spix, 1825) · Aves
  938
• White-winged Dove

  Zenaida asiatica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  820
• Tropical Kingbird

  Tyrannus melancholicus Vieillot, 1819 · Aves
  816
• Black Vulture

  Coragyps atratus (Bechstein, 1793) · Aves
  815
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  766
• Great Kiskadee

  Pitangus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  750
• Morelet's Seedeater

  Sporophila morelleti (Bonaparte, 1850) · Aves
  701