CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Belize


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!| 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 160 sq km land: 22,806 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
 * 17 15 N, 88 45 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 22,966 sq km
 * slightly smaller than Massachusetts
 * total: 516 km
 * 386 km
 * 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
 * tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
 * flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
 * lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
 * arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
 * arable land: 2.85%
 * 30 sq km (1998 est.)
 * frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
 * deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
 * only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 55.8% (male 77,118; female 75,309) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,674; female 4,992) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 19 years female: 19.3 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 22.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 29.75 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 65.11 years female: 69.86 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Belizean !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.)
 * 272,945 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 40.6% (male 56,530; female 54,322)
 * total: 19.1 years
 * 2.39% (2004 est.)
 * 29.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 26.37 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 67.43 years
 * 3.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 2.4% (2003 est.)
 * 3,600 (2003 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Belizean(s)
 * mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%
 * Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000)
 * English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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: elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general: Los Angeles FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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:
 * conventional long form: none
 * parliamentary democracy
 * Belmopan
 * 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
 * 21 September 1981 (from UK)
 * Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
 * 21 September 1981
 * English law
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
 * 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)
 * Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
 * People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman]
 * Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM]
 * 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
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 24.5% services: 52.8% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2003 est.) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by cane sugar, citrus, marine products, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.5% in 1999, 10.8% in 2000, 4.6% in 2001, and 3.7% in 2002. 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $1.28 billion (2002 est.)
 * 3.7% (2002 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2002 est.)
 * agriculture: 22.7%
 * 33% of GDP (2003)
 * 33% (1999 est.)
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 2.6% (2003 est.)
 * 90,000
 * agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.)
 * 9.1% (2002)
 * revenues: $222 million
 * bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
 * garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
 * 4.6% (1999)
 * 199.5 million kWh (2001)
 * 185.5 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $-142 million (2003)
 * $207.8 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
 * US 39.1%, UK 25%, France 4% (2003)
 * $500.6 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
 * US 41.9%, Mexico 12.4%, UK 5.9%, Cuba 5.5% (2003)
 * $84.7 million (2003)
 * $475 million (2001 est.)
 * NA
 * Belizean dollar (BZD)
 * BZD
 * Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999)
 * 1 April - 31 March
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 33,300 (2003)
 * 60,400 (2003)
 * general assessment: above-average system
 * AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
 * 133,000 (1997)
 * 2 (1997)
 * 41,000 (1997)
 * .bz
 * 2,613 (2003)
 * 2 (2000)
 * 30,000 (2002)
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!| Highways: paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 25 (2004 est.) by type: bulk 13, cargo 240, chemical tanker 11, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 10, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: Bahamas 2, Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 11, Cambodia 6, China 67, Cuba 2, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Estonia 8, Germany 5, Greece 2, Grenada 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 27, Indonesia 4, Italy 2, Japan 5, Jordan 1, South Korea 13, Latvia 5, Liberia 2, Malaysia 4, Malta 1, Isle of Man 1, Marshall Islands 16, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Nigeria 2, Panama 15, Philippines 4, Portugal 1, Russia 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 9, Spain 6, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 3, Tunisia 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 3, United Kingdom 1, United States 3, Yemen 1 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
 * total: 2,872 km
 * 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004)
 * Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda
 * total: 336 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT
 * 43 (2003 est.)
 * total: 5
 * total: 38
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard)
 * 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)
 * males age 15-49: 68,518 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 40,619 (2004 est.)
 * males: 3,122 (2004 est.)
 * $18 million (2003)
 * 2% (2003)
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