Gardenia Village is a village in Belize District

Belize District

The Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize, with its district capital being the nation's largest city, Belize City.- Settlements :...

, Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

 located about 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Belize City

Belize City

Belize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...

.

Geography

Gardenia Village is located at 17°40′23"N 88°25′05"W (17.673, -88.418), between Sandhill and Biscayne

Biscayne, Belize

Biscayne, Belize is a populated settlement located in the nation of Belize. It is a mainland village located in the Belize District....

 Villages.

Gardenia Village stretches from mile 20 to 23 on the Northern Highway

Northern Highway, Belize

The Northern Highway in Belize joins Belize City through Orange Walk Town and Corozal Town with the Mexican border at the state of Quintana Roo. Crude side-roads suitable only for over-land vehicles connect to such localities as Aguas Turbias, on the corner where Belize, Mexico and Guatemala...

 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

Belize River

Belize River is a 180-mile river in Belize that drains more than one-quarter of the country as it winds along the northern edge of the Maya Mountains across the center of the country to the sea just north of Belize City . However, the Belize River/Mopan River Catchment contains over 45 percent of...

 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.

History of Gardenia Village

In 1985, a group of senior women to form a Women's group. After approaching the Ministry of Rural Development with their idea, Mrs. Ann Olivera and her Associates decidede on the name “Gardenia” for the village.

With the current population of 350, residents primarily focus on farming. They commute

Commuting

Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...

 to other urban centers for employment and education, taking elementary education in the nearby Sandhill and Biscayne villages.

Gardenia Village is part of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife reserve in Belize. It is particularly important for birds, which flock to the area during the dry season, to take advantage of the shallow waters, and abundance of food resources....

for birds and other endangered species.