GARIFUNA

The Garinagu (Garifuna) are an ethnic group of mixed ancestry who live primarily in Central America. They live along the Caribbean Coast in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras (mainland and the island of Roatán). There are also diaspora communities of Garinagu in the United States and on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad, Dominica, and St. Vincent.

The Garinagu are descendants of Carib, Arawak and African people. Their language is primarily derived from Arawak and Carib, with English, French and Spanish. The Garifuna population is estimated to be around 300,000 both in Central America, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, and the United States. Most Garinagu are bilingual or trilingual in Garifuna, Spanish, and English.