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This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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| Introduction | Belize | Top of Page

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 increasing urban crime.

| Geography | Belize | Top of Page

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: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Natural resources: | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Land use: | arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001)
Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (1998 est.)
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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

| People | Belize | Top of Page

Population: | 279,457 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 40.1% (male 57,114/female 54,877) 15-64 years: 56.4% (male 79,694/female 77,881) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,768/female 5,123) (2005 est.)
Median age: | total: 19.35 years male: 19.21 years female: 19.49 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.33% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: | 29.34 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: | 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 68.44 years male: 66.54 years female: 70.44 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 3.68 children born/woman (2005 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.)
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: | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.)

| Government | Belize | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras
Government type: | parliamentary democracy
Capital: | Belmopan
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 Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28 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; 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 members appointed by the governor general - six on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one 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; 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 5 March 2003 (next to be held March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8
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 [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM]
International organization participation: | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, 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 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 Russell F. FREEMAN embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163 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 | Belize | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by 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 6% in 1999-2004. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $1.778 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 17.7% industry: 15% services: 67.3% (2003 est.)
Labor force: | 90,000 note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 12.9% (2003)
Population below poverty line: | 33% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.9% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 33.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $244.5 million expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: | bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
Industries: | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Industrial production growth rate: | 4.6% (1999)
Electricity - production: | 117 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption: | 108.8 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA
Oil - imports: | NA
Current account balance: | $-115 million (2004 est.)
Exports: | $401.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners: | US 37.2%, UK 26.8%, Jamaica 4.6% (2004)
Imports: | $579.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners: | US 30.1%, Mexico 12%, Guatemala 7.4%, Cuba 7.2%, China 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $111.1 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: | $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | NA
Currency (code): | Belizean dollar (BZD)
Exchange rates: | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000)
Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

| Communications | Belize | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 33,300 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 60,400 (2003)
Telephone system: | general assessment: above-average system domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: | 2 (1997)
Internet country code: | .bz
Internet hosts: | 2,613 (2003)
Internet users: | 30,000 (2002)

| Transportation | Belize | Top of Page

Highways: | total: 2,872 km paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004)
Ports and harbors: | Belize City
Merchant marine: | total: 295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 207, chemical tanker 9, container 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 142 (Australia 2, Belgium 1, China 50, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 9, Germany 4, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 3, Italy 2, Japan 5, Latvia 4, Malaysia 1, Nigeria 1, Pakistan 1, Poland 2, Russia 23, Singapore 5, South Korea 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 4, UAE 3, United States 2) (2005)
Airports: | 43 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)

| Military | Belize | Top of Page

Military branches: | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard
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 (2001)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 60,750 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 41,368 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males: 3,209 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $18 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2% (2003)

| Transnational Issues | Belize | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS is attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial US-UK financial package
Illicit drugs: | major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005