What country's name is derived from a Mayan word that means 'muddy waters'?
Question #1816. Asked by abba.
Roxanne33
Answer has 3 votes
Roxanne33 25 year member
339 replies
Answer has 3 votes.
Belize
Apr 26 2000, 5:47 PM
zbeckabee
Answer has 4 votes
Currently Best Answer
zbeckabee Moderator 19 year member
11752 replies
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The origin of the name Belize is unclear, but one idea is that it derives from the Spanish pronunciation of the surname of the pirate who created the first settlement in Belize in 1638, Peter Wallace. Another possibility is that the name is from the Maya word belix, meaning "muddy water", applied to the Belize River.