<P> Central America is composed of seven independent nations : Belize , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , and Panama . After the Spanish conquest in the 16th century , most of the inhabitants of Central America shared a similar history . The exception was the Western Caribbean Zone , which included the Caribbean coast and encompassed both semi-independent indigenous polities , runaway slave communities , and settlers , especially British settlers who would eventually form British Honduras ( the modern - day nation of Belize ) , a sparsely populated area that was inhabited by the British through the Treaty of Madrid from Spain . When Spain failed to regain control over British Honduras , the British continued to inhabit the country , and eventually colonized it . When Guatemala gained its independence , they assumed inheritance of British Honduras from Spain . British Honduras had been a British settlement , not a Colony ( the treaty between Spain and The United Kingdom prohibited British Colonies in the territory ) for several years . After many years of controversy , a treaty was signed between Guatemala and the United Kingdom in which the Guatemalan President of the time recognized the original territory ( granted by the kingdom of Spain to the British Crown ) of Belize . Within this treaty , was also an agreement that a cart road be built from Guatemala City through British Honduras to the Caribbean Sea . Since the cart road was never built , Guatemala declared the treaty null and void . British Honduras for the British and Belize for the Spaniards and Guatemalans gained its independence from Great Britain in 1981 and adopted the name `` Belize '' . Guatemala still disputes the Belizean Territory . </P>
<P> Central America is composed of seven independent nations : Belize , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , and Panama . After the Spanish conquest in the 16th century , most of the inhabitants of Central America shared a similar history . The exception was the Western Caribbean Zone , which included the Caribbean coast and encompassed both semi-independent indigenous polities , runaway slave communities , and settlers , especially British settlers who would eventually form British Honduras ( the modern - day nation of Belize ) , a sparsely populated area that was inhabited by the British through the Treaty of Madrid from Spain . When Spain failed to regain control over British Honduras , the British continued to inhabit the country , and eventually colonized it . When Guatemala gained its independence , they assumed inheritance of British Honduras from Spain . British Honduras had been a British settlement , not a Colony ( the treaty between Spain and The United Kingdom prohibited British Colonies in the territory ) for several years . After many years of controversy , a treaty was signed between Guatemala and the United Kingdom in which the Guatemalan President of the time recognized the original territory ( granted by the kingdom of Spain to the British Crown ) of Belize . Within this treaty , was also an agreement that a cart road be built from Guatemala City through British Honduras to the Caribbean Sea . Since the cart road was never built , Guatemala declared the treaty null and void . British Honduras for the British and Belize for the Spaniards and Guatemalans gained its independence from Great Britain in 1981 and adopted the name `` Belize '' . Guatemala still disputes the Belizean Territory . </P>
what central american country was a british colony until 1981
what central american country was a british colony until 1981
Guatemala
Guatemala