|
Background: |
Belize was the site of several
Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium
A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th
centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854.
Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence
of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until
1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns
include an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment, growing
involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban crime, and
increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS. |
|
Location: |
Central 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 |
|
Coastline: |
386 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
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 negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial
differences with Guatemala
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
|
|
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: Doyle's Delight 1,160 m |
|
Natural resources: |
arable land potential, timber,
fish, hydropower |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 3.05%
permanent crops: 1.39%
other: 95.56% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
30 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
18.6 cu km (2000) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 0.15 cu km/yr
(7%/73%/20%)
per capita: 556 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
Natural hazards: |
frequent, devastating
hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
|
|
Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; water pollution
from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage
waste disposal |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
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: |
301,270 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 38.4% (male
58,987/female 56,674)
15-64 years: 58.1% (male 88,521/female
86,450)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,095/female 5,543) (2008
est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 20.1 years
male: 20 years
female: 20.3 years (2008 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
2.207% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
27.84 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
5.77 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
NA |
|
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: 0.92
male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 23.65
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 68.19
years
male: 66.39 years
female: 70.08 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
3.44 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
2.4% (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
3,600 (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 200 (2003 est.)
|
|
Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk:
intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue
fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)
|
|
Nationality: |
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
|
Ethnic groups: |
mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%,
Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% |
|
Religions: |
Roman Catholic 49.6%,
Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist
5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other
14%, none 9.4% (2000) |
|
Languages: |
Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%,
Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib),
German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census) |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 76.9%
male: 76.7%
female: 77.1% (2000 census)
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British
Honduras |
|
Government type: |
parliamentary democracy |
|
Capital: |
name: Belmopan
geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
time
difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
|
|
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, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
head of
government: Prime Minister Dean BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy
Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of
the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister
recommends the deputy prime minister |
|
Legislative branch: |
bicameral National Assembly
consists of the Senate (12 seats; members appointed by the governor
general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the
leader of the opposition, and 1 each on the advice of the Belize Council
of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the
National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; to
serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats; members
are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6 |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court of Judicature
(the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister); Court of Appeal |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
National Alliance for Belizean
Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; People's
National Party or PNP [Wil MAHEIA]; People's United Party or PUP [Said
MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW]; Vision Inspired by
the People or VIP [Paul MORGAN]; We the People Reform Movement or WTP
[Hipolito BAUTISTA] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Society for the Promotion of
Education and Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned
Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize
or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ] |
|
International organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant)
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 Robert J. DIETER
embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan
City, Cayo District
mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan
City, Cayo District, Belize
telephone: [501] 822-4011
FAX: [501] 822-4012 |
|
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: |
In this small, essentially
private-enterprise economy, tourism is the number one foreign exchange
earner followed by exports of marine products, citrus, cane sugar,
bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal
policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging
nearly 4% in 1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered the economic
growth in 2006 and 2007. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade
deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. In February 2007, the government
restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt, which will
reduce interest payments and relieve liquidity concerns. A key short-term
objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international
donors. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$2.336 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$1.304 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
3% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$7,800 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 21.3%
industry: 13.7%
services: 65% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
113,000
note:
shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2006 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 22.5%
industry: 15.2%
services: 62.3% (2005 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
9.4% (2006) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
33.5% (2002 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.8% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
22.4% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $328.5 million
expenditures: $365 million (2007 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar;
fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments |
|
Industries: |
garment production, food
processing, tourism, construction, oil |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
0.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
200 million kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 59.9%
hydro: 40.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
162.8 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
2,413 bbl/day (2006) |
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Oil - consumption: |
3,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
1,960 bbl/day (2006) |
|
Oil - imports: |
6,754 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Current account balance: |
-$54 million (2007 est.) |
|
Exports: |
$437 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
sugar, bananas, citrus,
clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 33.9%, UK 33.6%, Cote
d'Ivoire 3.7% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$670 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery and transport
equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food,
beverages, tobacco |
|
Imports - partners: |
US 35.7%, Mexico 13%, Cuba
7.7%, Guatemala 7.2%, China 4.3% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$12.91 million (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$92 million (31 December 2007
est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$1.2 billion (June 2005 est.)
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
|
|
Currency (code): |
Belizean dollar (BZD) |
|
Currency code: |
BZD |
|
Exchange rates: |
Belizean dollars per US dollar
- 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
33,900 (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
118,300 (2006) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
above-average system; fixed-line teledensity of 12 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density of about 40 per 100 persons
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio
relay
international: country code - 501; landing point for the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and
Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth
station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2007) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)
|
|
Radios: |
133,000 (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
5 (2006) |
|
Televisions: |
41,000 (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.bz |
|
Internet hosts: |
1,942 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
34,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
44 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 4
1,524 to
2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2
(2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 40
2,438
to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 27
(2007) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 2,872 km
paved: 488 km
unpaved: 2,384 km (1999) |
|
Waterways: |
825 km (navigable only by small
craft) (2007) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 261 ships (1000
GRT or over) 940,852 GRT/1,275,111 DWT
by type: barge carrier
1, bulk carrier 36, cargo 190, chemical tanker 5, container 5, petroleum
tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 217 (China 107, Croatia 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1,
Hong Kong 5, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Japan 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 14, Norway
3, Peru 1, Philippines 1, Russia 39, Singapore 3, Spain 2, Turkey 11,
Ukraine 10, UAE 4, US 3) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Belize City, Big Creek
|
|
Military branches: |
Belize Defense Force (BDF):
Army, BDF Air Wing, BDF Volunteer Guard (2007) |
|
Military service age and obligation: |
18 years of age for voluntary
military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are
insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers
typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2008) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 74,605
females age 16-49: 72,926 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 54,627
females age 16-49: 53,500 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 3,580
females age 16-49: 3,449 (2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.4% (2006) |
| Transnational Issues |
Belize |
|
Disputes - international: |
annual ministerial meetings
under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and
Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and
maritime claims in Belize and Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created
under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international
boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of
Belize's border region; Honduras claims Belizean-administered Sapodilla
Cays in its constitution but agreed to a joint ecological park under the
Differendum |
|
Illicit drugs: |
transshipment point for
cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local
consumption; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking
and offshore sector |
|
