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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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 |
|
