Total population | |
---|---|
approx. 13,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Belize | 10,557 |
Guatemala, El Petén | 2,891 |
Languages | |
Mopan, English, Kriol, Spanish | |
Religion | |
Catholic, Evangelicalist, Maya religion |
The Mopan are one of the Maya peoples in Belize and Guatemala. Their indigenous language is also called Mopan and is one of the Yucatec Maya languages.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the British forced the Mopan out of Belize and into Guatemala. There they endured forced labour and high taxation. In the late 19th century, many Guatemalan Mopan fled back into Belize, settling in the Toledo District in the southern part of the country.
In the 2010 Census, 10,557 Belizeans reported their ethnicity as Mopan Maya. This constituted approximately 3% of the population.