Gardenia Village, Belize

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Coordinates: 17°40′23″N 88°25′05″W / 17.67306, -88.41806
Gardenia Village
Gardenia Village
Country	Belize
District	Belize
Founded
Government
- Type	Village Council
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Population
- Total	350
Time zone	Central (UTC-6)
Website: www.gardeniavillage.com

Gardenia Village is a village in Belize District, Belize located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Belize City.

1 Geography
2 History of Gardenia Village
3 Environment
4 Economy and education
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Gardenia Village is located at 17°40′23″N 88°25′05″W / 17.67306, -88.41806 (17.673, -88.418), between Sandhill and Biscayne Villages.

Gardenia Village stretches from mile 20 to 23 on the Northern Highway and includes the Grace Bank Community for administrative purposes. The Village of May Pen, one of the Belize River Valley Communities, is accessed by land via a detour from Gardenia. In terms of waterways, the Belize River passes through Grace Bank, while the Mexico Creek/Lagoon flows through huge culverts across the Northern Highway and empties into the river at Grace Bank. The village is 13.92 meters or 45.669 feet above sea level.

[edit] History of Gardenia Village

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In 1985 some enterprising elder ladies wanted to form a Women’s Group. When they approached the Ministry of Rural Development with their idea, Mrs. Ann Olivera and her Associates were tasked with the responsibility of first finding a name for the settlement. After some thoughtful contemplation, Mrs. Ann and her group selected the unique name of “Gardenia” for our village. The exotic Gardenia Flowers exude a sweet aroma and is used mainly for such romantic occasions as weddings and other forms of love festivities. As depicted in the picture, Gardenia Flowers are strikingly rich in appearance yet mild and cool, blending beautifully with their glossy green leaves. Our elders chose well and villagers are proud of our distinctive identity.^{[neutrality disputed]}

[edit] Environment

Gardenia Village forms part of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary for birds and other endangered species. The eco-tourism potential of this village remains untapped.

[edit] Economy and education

With a population of some 350, residents are engaged in farming, cattle rearing and commuting to urban centers for employment and higher education. Kindergarten and elementary (pre-school and primary) education are available in neighboring Sandhill and Biscayne Villages.