Blue Creek | |
|---|---|
  Blue Creek | |
| Coordinates:17°54′N88°54′W / 17.900°N 88.900°W /17.900; -88.900 | |
| Country |  Belize |
| District | Orange Walk District |
| Population (2022[1]) | |
• Total | 841 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central) |
| Climate | Aw |
Blue Creek, alsoBlue Creek Colony, is aMennonite settlement that is also an administrativevillage inOrange Walk District inBelize. It bordersBlue Creek river, which forms the border toMexico. Its inhabitants arePlautdietsch-speakingRussian Mennonites.
In 1958 Blue Creek was founded byOld Colony Mennonites fromMexico. Disputes about the use of mechanical tools, especiallychain saws, soon led to conflicts, which resulted in the founding of anEvangelical Mennonite Mission Conference congregation in 1966 there, while others left toBolivia, Mexico and Canada. In the end also the leaders of the Old Colony church left, forcing members to decide whether they would leave with them or join other groups. In 1978 families of theKleine Gemeinde congregation fromSpanish Lookout population moved to Blue Creek, to form a congregation there.[2] Today about half of population is in the modern Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church, which is part of theEvangelical Mennonite Mission Conference, while the other half is in the more conservativeKleine Gemeinde.[3]
Since about 1980 the population of Blue Creek is around 100 families. According to the 2010 census, Blue Creek had a population of 407 people in 111 households.[4]
The population has more than doubled between 2010 and 2022 censuses, reaching 841 as of 2022.[1]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 400 | — |
| 2000 | 767 | +91.8% |
| 2010 | 407 | −46.9% |
| 2022 | 841 | +106.6% |
| [5][6][1] | ||
