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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.
Location :
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Geographic Coordinates Center :
17 15 N, 88 45 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -89.22 |
| North | 18.50 |
| East | -87.78 |
| South | 15.89 |
Map references :
America
Area :
| total | 22 966 | square km |
| land | 22 806 | square km |
| water | 160 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 516 | km |
| Guatemala (gt) | 266 | km |
| Mexico (mx) | 250 | km |
Coastline :
386.00 km
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 | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 1 160 | metres |
Natural resources :
| arable land potential | fish |
| hydropower | timber |
Land use :
| arable land | 3.05 | % |
| permanent crops | 1.39 | % |
| other | 95.56 | % |
Irrigated land :
30 square km
Total renewable water resources :
18 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| devastating hurricanes |
current issues :
deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Hazardous Wastes |
| Law of the Sea | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Wetlands |
| Whaling |
Population :
307 899
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 2.15 | % |
| Birth rate | 27.33 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 3.36 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 5.80 | deaths/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 37.90 | % |
| 15-64 years | 58.60 | % |
| 65 years and over | 3.50 | % |
Median age :
| total | 20.40 | years |
| male | 20.30 | years |
| female | 20.60 | years |
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 | 0.92 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.03 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 23.07 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 68.20 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 66.44 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 70.05 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 2.10 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 3 600 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 200 |
Religions :
| Roman Catholic | 49.60 | % |
| Protestant | 27.00 | % |
| other | 14.00 | % |
| none | 9.40 | % |
Languages :
| Spanish | 46.00 | % |
| Creole | 32.90 | % |
| Mayan dialects | 8.90 | % |
| English | 3.90 | % |
| Garifuna | 3.40 | % |
| German | 3.30 | % |
Literacy :
| total population | 76.90 | % |
| male | 76.70 | % |
| female | 77.10 | % |
Country name :
| conventional short form | Belize |
| former | British Honduras |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | BZ |
| ISO Numeric | 84 |
| ISO3 | BLZ |
| FIPS | BH |
| ccTLD | bz |
| English | Belize |
Administrative divisions :
6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Capital :
| name | Belmopan |
| geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 46 W |
| time difference | -6.00 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | AOSIS |
| C | CDB |
| Caricom | FAO |
| G-77 | IADB |
| IAEA | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICCt |
| ICRM | IDA |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IFRCS | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IOC | IOM |
| ITU | ITUC |
| Interpol | LAES |
| MIGA | NAM |
| OAS | OPANAL |
| OPCW | PCA |
| PetroCaribe | RG |
| SICA | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNIDO | UPU |
| WCL | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1981-09-21
National holiday :
Independence Day
1981-09-21
Executive branch :
| Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW | Queen ELIZABETH II |
Legislative branch :
| UDP | 56.30 | % |
| PUP | 40.90 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 2 534 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 1 407 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -1.50 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 8 200 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 29.00 | % |
| industry | 16.90 | % |
| services | 54.10 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 10.20 | % |
| industry | 18.10 | % |
| services | 71.70 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Unemployment rate | 8.10 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 33.50 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.30 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 19.10 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | - 80 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 200 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 954 100 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 1.40 | % of GDP |
Budget :
| revenues | 376 500 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 412 500 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| bananas | cacao |
| citrus | cultured shrimp |
| fish | garments |
| sugar | timber |
Industries :
| construction | food processing |
| garment production | oil |
| tourism |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 213 500 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 198 500 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Imports | 248 400 000 | kWh |
| Oil Production | 3 511 | bbl/day |
| Oil Consumption | 7 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 2 260 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 7 204 | bbl/day |
| Oil Proved reserves | 6 700 000 | bbl |
Value :
395 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 36.90 | % |
| United Kingdom (gb) | 22.30 | % |
| Italy (it) | 4.70 | % |
| Cote dIvoire | 4.40 | % |
| Nigeria (ng) | 4.20 | % |
Commodities :
| bananas | citrus |
| clothing | crude oil |
| fish products | molasses |
| sugar | wood |
Value :
616 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 38.00 | % |
| Mexico (mx) | 13.10 | % |
| Cuba (cu) | 7.90 | % |
| Guatemala (gt) | 6.20 | % |
| China (cn) | 4.30 | % |
Commodities :
| beverages | chemicals |
| food | fuels |
| machinery and transportation equipment | manufactured products |
| pharmaceuticals | tobacco |
Currency-code :
BZD
Currency-name :
Belizean dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 31 100 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 160 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 16 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 7 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | bz | |
| Internet Hosts | 3 017 | |
| Internet Users | 34 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 4 | |
| Roadways - total | 3 007 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 575 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 2 432 | km |
| Waterways | 825 | km |
Flag
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