San Pedro Town
Encyclopedia
San Pedro is a town
on the southern part of the island
of Ambergris Caye
in the Belize District
of the nation
of Belize
, in Central America
. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the Belize Rural South constituency. San Pedro was granted the status of a town in 1848. Its inhabitants are known as San Pedranos. English is the main language spoken, however many people speak Spanish.
One of the primary industries in the town is tourism
, most notably scuba diving
. So many visitors are divers that there is even a hyperbaric decompression chamber
on the island, despite its small population.
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...
on the southern part of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye, pronounced "am-BER-gris", is the largest island of Belize located northeast of the country in the Caribbean Sea. Though administered as part of the Belize District, the closest point on the mainland is part of the Corozal District....
in the Belize District
Belize District
The Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize, with its district capital being the nation's largest city, Belize City.- Settlements :...
of the nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
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...
, in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the Belize Rural South constituency. San Pedro was granted the status of a town in 1848. Its inhabitants are known as San Pedranos. English is the main language spoken, however many people speak Spanish.
One of the primary industries in the town is tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, most notably scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. So many visitors are divers that there is even a hyperbaric decompression chamber
Diving chamber
A diving chamber has two main functions:* as a simpler form of submersible vessel to take divers underwater and to provide a temporary base and retrieval system in the depths;...
on the island, despite its small population.
Population and Housing
2010 Population and Housing Census has San Pedro town's total population as 11,510 residents,of this 5,947 are males and 5,563 are females. The total number of households is 3,774 and the average household size is 3.0.External links
- AmbergrisCaye.com - San Pedro is the only town on Ambergris Caye. Travel tips, large photo galleries, very active message board
- San Pedro Sun newspaper site
- Map of San Pedro Town
- Official Lobsterfest Website - Lobsterfest 2007 was a success, Lobsterfest 2008 is being planned
- San Pedro Business Association - Working together to build a prosperous Ambergris Caye
- More about San Pedro - Belize tourist site