Springfield, Belize
Springfield is a Mennonite village in Cayo District, Belize, some 15 km south of the capital Belmopan.
Springfield | |
|---|---|
  Springfield Map of Corozal metropolitan area | |
| Coordinates: 17°08′37″N 88°48′24″W | |
| Country |  Belize |
| District | Cayo District |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 270[1] |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central) |
| Climate | Am |
History
Springfield was founded around 1996 as a daughter colony of the Upper Barton Creek settlement of very conservative Mennonites, who settled in Mexico, the US and Canada before they came to Belize. These Mennonites, that belong to the Noah Hoover branch of Old Order Mennonites, are in many aspects similar to Old Order Amish, but clearly distinct from them. Norris Hall, a photojournalist who in 2011 made a photo documentary about the people of Springfield, erroneously refers to them as "Amish".[2]
Demographics
The village population of 270 residents is composed of 40 families of Plautdietsch and Pennsylvania German speaking Mennonites. They have large families, in average 6.8 persons per household.[1]
References
- "Population Data – Census 2010". Statistical Institute of Belize. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- 7newsbelize.com: Springfield - A Rare Look At A Place Lost In Time
- YouTube: Springfield, Belize
- YouTube: Horse powered saw mill, Belize