Web Trader MT5
The currency of Belize, pegged at 2:1 to the US dollar since 1978. The Central Bank of Belize manages the peg, and like most Caribbean dollar pegs, it has held through multiple shocks largely because the Belizean economy is heavily dollarised in practice. Tourism receipts arrive in USD. Most large transactions, especially in real estate, settle in USD. The local currency handles wages, groceries, and small everyday purchases.
The BZD splits into 100 cents, with notes from $2 to $100. The peg constrains monetary policy; the Central Bank can’t independently set rates without risking the parity; but in exchange Belize gets price stability and predictable trade flows with its biggest economic partner.
Example: A tourist paying a $50 BZD bar tab can hand over a $25 USD note and receive change in either currency, with the exchange happening at the till without anyone calculating anything. The 2:1 ratio is so familiar that it’s mental arithmetic.
