FACTBOX: Five facts about Belize

(Reuters) - Following are five facts about Belize which votes in a general election on Thursday.

* A former pirate haunt and British colony in Central America which won independence in 1981, Belize is best known for its laid-back vibe, lush jungles, palm-fringed cayes and its coral reef -- the world's second-longest after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

* The some 300,000-strong population is a mix of indigenous Maya, Spanish-speaking Mestizos, Creoles, African-descended Garifuna, German-speaking Mennonites and Chinese and Arab immigrants whose languages mingle with Belize's Caribbean-tinged English.

* The Garifuna, descended from shipwrecked African slaves who mixed with Caribbean Indians, are famous for pounding out rhythmic drum beats and their bottom-waggling "punta" dance. Belize's top Garifuna musician, Andy Palacio, died in January.

* Belize is home to a spectacular underwater sinkhole in the Caribbean called "The Blue Hole". Its shark-infested depths were declared one of the world's top scuba diving sites by famed undersea pioneer Jacques Cousteau.

* Belize's economy is driven by tourism, remittances, fishing, citrus fruits, cane sugar and bananas. At $1 billion, Belize's public debt is 85 percent of GDP but the country regained stable ratings after a debt restructuring in late 2006.

(Reporting by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Kieran Murray)