St. George's Caye (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: Cayo San Jorge) is an

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

, eight miles east of

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital city, capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2022 census, Belize City has a population of 63,999 people. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, which is a ...

. It is part of the

Belize District Belize is a district of the nation of Belize. Its capital is Belize City. Geography Most of the Belize District is in the east central mainland of Belize; the Belize District also includes various offshore islands, including Ambergris Caye ...

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern 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 maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

. The village on the island is also known as St. George's Caye. As of 2000, St. George's Caye had a permanent population of about 20 people. St. George's Caye was previously known by the Spaniards as "Cayo Cocina", or "Kitchen Cay". It was settled as a town in 1650, and was the largest settlement in what was then British Honduras in the 17th century and 18th century; however, its importance was eventually eclipsed by the growth of

. St.George's Caye was Belize's first capital in the 1700s. Following Spanish Capture of Cayo Cocina in 1779, from 3 September through 10 September 1798,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

settlers fought and defeated a small

fleet sent to drive them from the area; this battle is marked as a national holiday in Belize each September 10 as the Battle of St. George's Caye. The British Army had an adventure training establishment on the island, allowing members of the British Forces stationed at the nearby British Army Training and Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) and their families a chance to take part in such activities as diving and sailing. However, the army decided to close the BATSUB in the late 20th century. Aside from several private residences, the island also has St. George's Caye Resort. Resort activities focus on diving, sailing, and snorkeling.

References

Islands of Belize Belize District Belize Rural South Populated places in Belize District Populated places in Belize Caribbean Sea {{Belize-geo-stub