In 1981, after more than 300 years of colonial presence in Central America, the British granted self-government to what country?

On September 21, 1981, the colony of British Honduras officially became the independent nation of Belize. This event concluded the United Kingdom's last colonial administration on the American mainland. The British presence in the region began as early as the 17th century with settlements of English loggers, known as Baymen, who harvested valuable logwood and mahogany from the dense forests, creating a unique English-speaking enclave surrounded by Spanish colonies.

Belize's path to sovereignty was particularly complex and delayed due to a long-standing territorial dispute with its neighbor, Guatemala. Citing inherited claims from the Spanish Empire, Guatemala refused to recognize the territory's legitimacy and threatened invasion, which postponed the move toward independence for several years. Due to this persistent threat, the transition was carefully negotiated on the world stage. Even after independence was finally granted, British troops remained in Belize until 1994 to guarantee the new nation's security, a unique arrangement for a newly sovereign state.