Vol. 39 No. 1 (1991)
Research Article

Toponymic Generics, Environment, and Culture History in Pre-Independence Belize*

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  • Robert E. Ford
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/nam.1991.39.1.1

Published 1991-03-01

Copyright (c) 1991 Maney

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Abstract

An analysis of 941 toponymic generics in Belize (formerly British Honduras) in terms of historical-cultural environmental development reveals that physical generic terms predominate (77%) over cultural ones (23%). Among the physical terms, landform generics (92%) far outweigh vegetation ones (8%), and fluvial terms (91%) far outnumber marine (9%) ones. These patterns reflect the dominant influence of extractive livelihoods (fishing, logging, farming, smuggling) in pre-independence Belize.

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