Benque Viejo del Carmen (usually shortened to "Benque") is a town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in the Cayo District

Cayo District

Cayo District is a district in the west of the nation of Belize. The District capital is the town of San Ignacio.- Geography :The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize. It is located on the western side of the country which borders Guatemala. The nation's capital, Belmopan, is...

 in the country of Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

.

History

The town was established in the 19th century, mostly by immigrants from Guatemala. During the first years of the 21st century, the town experienced a rapid boom in population. Benque is mainly a suburban settlement with schools, supermarkets and other facilities.

Location and geographics setting

Benque Viejo del Carmen is the furthest west sizable settlement in Belize, located about 130 km (80.8 mi) west of Belize City

Belize City

Belize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...

, near the border with Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

. San Ignacio Cayo

San Ignacio Cayo

San Ignacio is a town in western Belize that serves as the capital of Cayo District. It got its start from Mahogany and chicle production during British rule...

 is located 13 km (8.1 mi) to the east of the town, while Melchor de Mencos

Melchor de Mencos

Melchor de Mencos is a municipality in the Petén department of Guatemala with population 23,813. It is situated on the western border with Belize,a and is the only major border crossing from Guatemala to Belize....

 is 2 km (1.2 mi) to the west in Petén

Petén (department)

Petén is a department of the nation of Guatemala. It is geographically the northernmost department of Guatemala, as well as the largest in size — at it accounts for about one third of Guatemala's area. The capital is Flores...

, Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

. The northern edge of the town lies along the Mopan River

Mopan River

Mopan River is a river in Guatemala and the Cayo district in western Belize near the border with Guatemala. The Mopan River discharges to the Belize River as the Mopan merges with the Macal River; the Belize River in turn terminates at the Caribbean Sea. The Belize River/Mopan River Catchment...

 which also forms the border with Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

.

Demographics

Benque Viejo del Carmen has a population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of about 8,000 people, most of Maya

Maya peoples

The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...

 or Mestizo descent. The ancient Maya

Maya civilization

The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...

 ruins of Xunantunich

Xunantunich

Xunantunich is a Maya archaeological site in western Belize, about 80 miles west of Belize City , in the Cayo District. Xunantunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan River, within sight of the Guatemala border...

 are nearby. The town lies alongside the Mopan River

Mopan River

Mopan River is a river in Guatemala and the Cayo district in western Belize near the border with Guatemala. The Mopan River discharges to the Belize River as the Mopan merges with the Macal River; the Belize River in turn terminates at the Caribbean Sea. The Belize River/Mopan River Catchment...

. Film director Caleb Botton featured the town as the backdrop it in his feature "7 Days in Carmel." which featured Benque's Holy week processions.

Government

As of March 2009, the mayor is Nicholas Ruiz of the United Democratic Party. The current councillors of the Benque Viejo Town Board are Salvador Iglesias, Ana Melita Castellanos, Constance Hyde, Eric Raul Manzanero, Marcos Moises Kotcha, and Miguel Velasquez. All are members of the UDP.

Population and Housing

2010 Population and Housing Census has Benque Viejo's total population as 5,824 residents,of this 2,906 are males and 2,918 are females. The total number of households is 1,415 and the average household size is 4.1.