ABOUT ORANGE WALK TOWN

Orange Walk Town is the capital, administrative and commercial center of the Orange Walk District. It is located on the western bank of the New River, 53 miles north of Belize City, 30 miles (50 km) south of Corozal Town, and 43 miles from Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Belize has a tremendous economic impact in Chetumal because of the cheaper goods, fuel and services that can be obtained there. Over 1 million Belizeans cross our Northern border into Mexico every year. The inverse is not happening because of the Belize policy on border admissions. The Mexican government facilitates Belizeans entry into Mexico but Belize does not facilitate entry with the exception of the Commercial Free Zone. That makes it virtually impossible for Mexicans to visit taxable national Belizean territory. The University of Quintana Roo, Universidad de la Frontera Sur and Instituto Technologico de Chetumal have over 100 Belizean students at University level.

The town has a long unrecorded history. In the pre-Columbian era, according to Eric Thompson, the town was known as Holpatin. Orange Walk Town is as enigmatic as it is attractive to its residents. Its citizens are described as hard working intelligent individuals with an enviable work ethic. Of the 45,946 district population, 4,927 live abroad and 532 are not reported. Many work outside the area especially in Belize City or the Commercial Free Zone in Santa Elena on the Northern Border with Mexico.