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Introduction - Belize
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
and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Guatemala and
Belize are gearing up for a simultaneous referendum to determine if this dispute
will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. 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, high crime rates, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.
Geography - Belize
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
country comparison to the world: 151
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:
Current Weather
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
People - Belize
Population:
314,522 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.3% (male 59,904/female 57,539)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 94,091/female 91,885)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,293/female 5,810) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.7 years
male: 20.5 years
female: 20.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.102% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Birth rate:
26.84 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Death rate:
5.82 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 52% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.52 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 92
male: 25.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.23 years
country comparison to the world: 150
male: 66.54 years
female: 70 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.28 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,600 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean
Ethnic groups:
mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% (2000 census)
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)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 54
Government - Belize
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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 the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Constitution:
21 September 1981
Legal system:
English law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 Oliver 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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the
monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
the leader of the majority coalition 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 on 6 February 2008 (next to be
held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 56.3%, PUP 40.9%; seats by
party - UDP 25, PUP 6
Judicial branch:
Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) and District Courts (civil jurisdiction);
Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the
advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member
of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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 [John BRICENO]; 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, AOSIS, 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, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nestor MENDEZ
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 Vinai THUMMALAPALLY
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 of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main
political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the
coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of
leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize
note: the flag of Belize is the only national banner that depicts human beings;
the flags of Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands, both British overseas
territories, also depict humans
Economy - Belize
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, though growth slipped to 2.1% in 2008 and -1.5% in 2009 as a
result of the global slowdown, natural disasters, and the drop in the price of
oil. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered economic growth. Exploration efforts
continue and production increased a small amount in 2009. Major concerns
continue to be the sizable trade deficit and sizable foreign debt. In February
2007, the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial
debt, which helped reduce interest payments and relieve some of the country's
liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty
with the help of international donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.485 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
$2.522 billion (2008 est.)
$2.471 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.424 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
2.1% (2008 est.)
1.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,100 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
$8,400 (2008 est.)
$8,400 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 16.9%
services: 54.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
122,300
country comparison to the world: 179
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 18.1%
services: 71.7% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.1% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 88
9.4% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
33.5% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
24.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Budget:
revenues: $359.1 million
expenditures: $399.9 million (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
6.4% (2008 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 24
12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.14% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 53
14.33% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$345.7 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 135
$323.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$653.8 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 132
$549 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$955 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 113
$877.6 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber
Industries:
garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
Industrial production growth rate:
0.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Electricity - production:
213.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Electricity - consumption:
198.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
248.4 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
3,990 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Oil - consumption:
7,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Oil - exports:
2,260 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Oil - imports:
7,204 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Oil - proved reserves:
6.7 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
Current account balance:
-$39 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
-$144.4 million (2008 est.)
Exports:
$385 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
$471.9 million (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil
Exports - partners:
US 30.7%, UK 29.77%, Nigeria 4.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.45% (2009)
Imports:
$616 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
$788.1 million (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners:
US 33.65%, Mexico 14.17%, Cuba 8.51%, Guatemala 6.75%, Spain 6.07%, China 4.12%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$199 million (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
$166.2 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$954.1 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
$1.2 billion (June 2005 est.)
Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2009), 2 (2008), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2
(2005)
Communications - Belize
Telephones - main lines in use:
31,100 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 177
Telephones - mobile cellular:
160,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 175
Telephone system:
general assessment: above-average system; trunk network depends primarily on
microwave radio relay
domestic: fixed-line teledensity of 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
teledensity roughly 55 per 100 persons
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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (2008)
Internet country code:
.bz
Internet hosts:
3,017 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 142
Internet users:
34,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 178
Transportation - Belize
Airports:
44 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 96
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 40
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 27 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 3,007 km
country comparison to the world: 165
paved: 575 km
unpaved: 2,432 km (2006)
Waterways:
825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 71
Merchant marine:
total: 216
country comparison to the world: 33
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 32, cargo 152, chemical tanker 2,
container 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll
on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 178 (Australia 1, China 71, Croatia 2, Cyprus 1, Estonia 6,
Greece 1, Iceland 2, Italy 3, Japan 8, South Korea 1, Latvia 12, Norway 3, Peru
1, Russia 31, Singapore 2, Spain 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 7, UAE 5, UK 5) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Belize City, Big Creek
Military - Belize
Military branches:
Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, BDF Air Wing (includes Special Boat Unit), BDF
Volunteer Guard (2010)
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: 79,088
females age 16-49: 77,147 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 57,759
females age 16-49: 55,903 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,678
female: 3,543 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 105
Transnational Issues - Belize
Disputes - international:
OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence
Building Measures saw cooperation in repatriation of Guatemalan squatters and
other areas, but Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean
Sea remain unresolved; 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
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Belize is a source, transit, and destination country for men,
women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual
exploitation and forced labor; the most common form of trafficking in Belize is
the internal sex trafficking of minors; some Central American men, women, and
children, particularly from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, migrate
voluntarily to Belize in search of work but are subsequently subjected to
conditions of forced labor or forced prostitution
tier rating: Belize is placed on Tier 2 Watch List because it does not fully
comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
it is making significant efforts to do so; despite efforts to raise public
awareness of human trafficking and provide protection services for trafficking
victims, the government did not show evidence of progress in convicting and
sentencing trafficking offenders last year (2009)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis,
primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity
related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes (2008)
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