Background:
Geography
Location: Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Map references: Central America and the
Area: total: 22,966 sq km; land: 22,806 sq km; water: 160 sq km
Land boundaries: total:
Coastline:
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
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)
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
People
Population: 287,730 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678)
15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 19.6 years; male: 19.5 years; female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.31% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Total: 24.89 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Total population: 68.3 years
Male: 66.43 years
Female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (2006 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
Country name:
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form:
Former:
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Name:
Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind
Administrative divisions: 6 districts;
National holiday: Independence Day, 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 - 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; 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
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
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 5% in 1999-2005. 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 (official exchange rate): $908 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $6,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2%; industry: 15.2%; services: 61.2% (2004 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): 3% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 17.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
Revenues: $262 million
Expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 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: 120 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption: 111.6 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2003) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003) Oil - consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: $180 million (2005 est.)
Exports: $349.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners: US 30.6%,
Imports: $622.4 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners: US 29.9%, Mexico 10%, Russia 9%, Guatemala 6.2%, Cuba 6%, China 4.4%, Spain 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $87 million (2005 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 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 33,700 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 91,700 (2004)
Telephone system:
General assessment: above-average system
Domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
International: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2005)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Internet country code: .bz
Internet hosts: 3,846 (2005)
Internet users: 35,000 (2005)
Transportation
Airports: 43 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
Total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
Under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
Under 914 m: 26 (2006)
Roadways:
Total:
Paved:
Unpaved:
Waterways:
Merchant marine:
Total: 302 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,040,813 GRT/1,398,275 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 218, chemical tanker 8, container 6, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 17, and refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 173 (Belgium 1, China 71, Cyprus 2, Estonia 5, Germany 3, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 1, Indonesia 2, Italy 4, Japan 5, South Korea 5, Latvia 4, Malaysia 1, Mexico 1, Pakistan 1, Poland 2, Russia 33, Singapore 4, Spain 2, Switzerland 2, Turkey 8, Ukraine 3, UAE 3, US 2) (2005)
Ports and terminals:
Military
Military branches:
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: 61,201
Females age 18-49: 60,048 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Males age 18-49: 44,238
Females age 18-49: 43,633 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 3,213
females age 18-49: 3,100 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $19 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited rain forests of
Illicit drugs: 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
