Sarteneja

Sarteneja
Sarteneja
	Village
	Village of Sarteneja
	Sarteneja Location of Sarteneja in Corozal District, Belize
	Coordinates: 18°21′12″N 88°8′46″W
Country	Belize
District	Corozal District
Constituency	Corozal South East
Established	1847
Government
• Chairman	Paulino Lucio Guerrero (PUP)
Area
• Total	90.33 km2 (34.88 sq mi)
Elevation	2-4 m (−11 ft)
Population (2016)
• Total	3,500
Demonym(s)	Sartenejeño(a)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central)
Climate	Aw

Sarteneja is the largest fishing community and the second largest village in Belize. It recorded a population of 3,500 according to a 2016 estimate.[1] The name "Sarteneja" is a Castilian distortion of its original Mayan name "Tza-ten-a-ha", which means "water between the rocks".

Sarteneja North Front at Sunset

It is located on the Sarteneja Peninsula, approximately forty miles by road from Orange Walk Town and is near the privately owned Shipstern Conservation & Management Area. The village's economy is based primarily on fishing for lobster, conch and finfish. There are many farmers, particularly retired fishermen who develop their farmland with agriculture. Recently, tourism is becoming increasingly significant as a source of income or at least as another alternative livelihood for those no longer interested in extracting the aforementioned species but instead help with their conservation or even with their sustainable exploitation.

Most of Sarteneja's inhabitants are of Yucatec Maya and Mestizo ancestry. .

Boatbuilding

Sarteneja is home of shipwrights who are still active, having built most of the traditional fishing boat fleet (visible in Haulover Creek in Belize city) and many of the sailing boats that operate in tourism for sailing tours, most notably; Sirena Azul (San Pedro), Ragga King, Ragga Gial, Blackhawk (Caye Caulker), Brujula (Hopkins), and Zayann. One of the first most famous boat builder of Sarteneja is Mr. Evaristo Verde (Barich). Mr. Verde's boatbuilding record surpassed more than 17 boats during his lifetime.

The Sarteneja Easter Regatta

Sarteneja is famous for its Easter Regatta, which takes place every year on Easter Sunday when most of the village's fleet has returned during the fishing-season break.

Pictures gallery of Sarteneja boat construction and the Sarteneja Easter Regatta

References

Belize Population and Housing Census 2010 (PDF) (Report). Statistical Institute of Belize. 2013. p. 64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.

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[census-1] Belize Population and Housing Census 2010 (PDF) (Report). Statistical Institute of Belize. 2013. p. 64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.