San José, Belize Explained

Official Name:San José
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Belize
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Coordinates:18.1667°N -122°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:District
Subdivision Name1:Orange Walk District
Established Title:San José
Established Date:1915
Leader Title:Chairman
Leader Name:Rodolfo Rodriguez
Population Total:2862
Population As Of:2010
Timezone:Central
Utc Offset:-6

San José is a village in the Orange Walk District of Belize. In the 2000 census, San José had a population of 2,254 people. The village is the fourth largest in the Orange Walk district and is estimated to have almost 3,000 residents as of 2016 mainly of Yucatec Maya-Mestizo ancestry. San José is adjacent to San Pablo and is only divided from the latter by a speed bump. Combined, the two villages make up the third largest population center in the Orange Walk District with approximately 4,000 residents.

Ethnicities

The community is populated by Maya Mestizos (Yucatec Mayas), Chinese, Taiwanese, and other people from Central America. It is heavily influenced by Catholicism.

Population and Housing

2010 Population and Housing Census has San José's total population as 2,862 residents, of this 1,468 are males and 1,376 are females. The total number of households is 590 and the average household size is 4.9.

Educational institutions

San José only has one elementary school which is San José Government School. Children also attend school in neighbouring San Pablo at San Pablo Roman Catholic School and San Pablo Community School.

Transportation

The locality is served by the local bus company Cabrera's Bus Service. Local bus service to and from Orange Walk and Belize City to the south and Corozal Town to the north operates approximately every half-hour.

Language

Most of the villagers of San Jose speak Spanish inside the village but they also understand English. Many of the elders continue speaking Yucatec Maya.