Tobacco Caye is a tiny island in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, about east of

Dangriga Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the North Stann Creek River. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District. Dangriga is served by the Dangriga Airpo ...

. It is approximately in area, shaped like an yam, with a north-south dimension of about and an east-west dimension of . It has a permanent population of about 20, and sees a regular stream of travelers thanks to the five small lodges on the island. Tobacco Caye lies within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, part of Belize's national system of protected waters, with a range of restrictions on fishing.

History

The island is believed to have been named for the early cultivation of tobacco there. The earliest known European chart to indicate Tobacco Caye was by the British geographer J. Speer in 1771. The island was ravaged by

Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...

in 1998 but has since been rebuilt. The island also features Tobacco Caye Marine Station,Tobacco Caye Marine Station
/ref> a study-abroad education centre focusing on the marine environment around Tobacco Caye. The station also gives information to tourists, runs night snorkels and educational lectures.

References

External links

* *{{Wikivoyage-inline Islands of Belize Populated places in Belize Caribbean Sea