| Background: |
Territorial
disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the
independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until
1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until
1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The
country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing
involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased
urban crime. |
| Location: |
Middle America,
bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
17 15 N, 88 45 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km
water: 160 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Massachusetts |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM in the north, 3 NM in
the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to
Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 NM; according to
Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this
limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of
a definitive agreement on territorial differences with
Guatemala |
| Climate: |
tropical; very
hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(February to May) |
| Terrain: |
flat, swampy
coastal plain; low mountains in south |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
| Natural
resources: |
arable land
potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
10%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 3% (2000 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
20 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
frequent,
devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal
flooding (especially in south) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents,
agricultural runoff; solid waste disposal |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
only country in
Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific
Ocean |
| Population: |
256,062 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
42.04% (male 54,876; female 52,780)
15-64 years: 54.43% (male 70,534; female
68,837)
65 years and over: 3.53% (male 4,403; female
4,632) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.7% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
31.69
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.7 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
25.14
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 71.19 years
male: 68.91 years
female: 73.57 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.05 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
2.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,400 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
170 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
| Ethnic
groups: |
mestizo 43.7%,
Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite
4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980) |
| Languages: |
English
(official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.3%
male: 70.3%
female: 70.3% (1991 est.)
note: other sources list the literacy rate as
high as 75% |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
6 districts;
Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
| Independence: |
21 September 1981
(from UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
21 September (1981) |
| Constitution: |
21 September 1981 |
| Legal
system: |
English law |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG (since 17
November 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Said MUSA
(since 27 August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO
(since 1 September 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
governor general appointed by the monarch; governor general
appoints the member of the House of Representatives who is
leader of the majority party to be prime minister |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
National Assembly consists of the Senate (eight members,
five appointed on the advice of the prime minister, two on
the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one by the
governor general; members are appointed for five-year
terms); and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members
are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held
27 August 1998 (next to be held by NA August 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party -
PUP 59.2%, UDP 40.8%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 3 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
People's United
Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP
[Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW, Doug SINGH] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Society for the
Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK];
United Worker's Front |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom,
CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Carolyn CURIEL
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street,
Belize City
mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO
AA 34025
telephone: [501] (2) 77161
FAX: [501] (2) 30802 |
| Flag
description: |
blue with a
narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges;
centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the
coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in
front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA
FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom,
all encircled by a green garland |
| Economy
- overview: |
The small,
essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on
agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with
tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar,
the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while
the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The
government's tough austerity program in 1997 resulted in an
economic slowdown that continued in 1998. The trade deficit
has been growing, mostly as a result of low export prices
for sugar and bananas. The tourist and construction sectors
strengthened in early 1999, supporting growth of 6% in 1999
and 4% in 2000. Aided by international donors, the
government's key short-term objective remains the reduction
of poverty. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $790 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
18%
industry: 24%
services: 58% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
33% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
71,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types
of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 38%,
industry 32%, services 30% (1994) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
12.8% (1999) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$157 million
expenditures: $279 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
garment
production, food processing, tourism, construction |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4.6% (1999) |
| Electricity
- production: |
185 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
56.76%
hydro: 43.24%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
172.1 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, coca,
citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp |
| Exports: |
$235.7 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
sugar, bananas,
citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 42%, UK 33%,
EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$413 million
(c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food,
beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 58%, Mexico
12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$338 million
(1998) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Belizean dollar (BZD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Belizean dollars
per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
31,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
3,023 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on
microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 12,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
41,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.bz |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
12,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
2,872 km
paved: 488 km
unpaved: 2,384 km (1998 est.) |
| Waterways: |
825 km (river
network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Belize City, Big
Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
402 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,575,851 GRT/2,241,731
DWT
ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 265, chemical
tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 14, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 56, refrigerated cargo
18, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 1, specialized
tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Cuba 1, Singapore
1, US 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
40
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 29 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Belize Defense
Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer
Guard) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 62,698 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 37,174 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
2,847 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$17 million
(FY98/99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.4% (FY98/99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Guatemala
periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize;
to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed
to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto
boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala |
| Illicit
drugs: |
minor
transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit
producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor
money-laundering center |
|
