BELIZE
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BELIZE
@Belize:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Guatemala and Mexico
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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BELIZE - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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Belize City 48,000 17.29N, 88.10W 501-2 GMT-6
Corozal 10,000 18.23N, 88.23W 501-4 GMT-6
Orange Walk 10,000 18.06N, 88.31W 501-3 GMT-6
Dangriga 8,000 16.59N, 88.13W 501-5 GMT-6
BELMOPAN 4,000 17.13N, 88.48W 501-8 GMT-6
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Area:
total area: 22,960 sq km
land area: 22,800 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts
Land boundaries: total 516 km, Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Coastline: 386 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 miles; 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
International disputes: border with Guatemala in dispute; talks to
resolve the dispute are stalled
Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 44%
other: 52%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial
effluents, agricultural runoff
natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to
December) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan
because of hurricanes; only country in Central America without a
coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
@Belize:People
Population: 214,061 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (female 45,812; male 47,618)
15-64 years: 53% (female 55,630; male 57,230)
65 years and over: 3% (female 3,970; male 3,801) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.42% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 33.71 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 34.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.32 years
male: 66.37 years
female: 70.36 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.25 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean
Ethnic divisions: mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 7%,
other 8%
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, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970)
total population: 91%
male: 91%
female: 91%
Labor force: 51,500
by occupation: agriculture 30%, services 16%, government 15.4%,
commerce 11.2%, manufacturing 10.3%
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel
(1985)
@Belize:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras
Digraph: BH
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Belmopan
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 Manuel ESQUIVEL (since July 1993);
Deputy Prime Minister Dean BARROW (since NA 1993)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice from the
prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
Senate: consists of an 8-member appointed body; 5 members are
appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 2 on the advice of the
leader of the opposition, and 1 after consultation with the Belize
Advisory Council (this council serves as an independent body to advise
the governor-general with respect to difficult decisions such as
granting pardons, commutations, stays of execution, the removal of
justices of appeal who appear to be incompetent, etc.)
National Assembly: elections last held 30 June 1993 (next to be held
June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (28 total)
PUP 13 UDP 15
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: People's United Party (PUP), George
PRICE, Florencio MARIN, Said MUSA; United Democratic Party (UDP),
Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean LINDO, Dean BARROW; National Alliance for
Belizean Rights, Philip GOLDSON
Other political or pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of
Education and Research (SPEAR), Assad SHOMAN; United Workers Front,
leader NA
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT
(nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAES, NAM,
OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dean R. LINDO
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador George Charles BRUNO
embassy: Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City
mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City; APO: Unit 7401, APO AA
34025
telephone: [501] (2) 77161 through 77163
FAX: [501] (2) 30802
Flag: 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 increasing importance. Agriculture
accounts for about 30% of GDP and provides 75% of export earnings,
while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for almost 40% of hard currency
earnings. The US, Belize's main trading partner, is assisting in
efforts to reduce dependency on sugar with an agricultural
diversification program.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $575 million (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,750 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $126.8 million
expenditures: $123.1 million, including capital expenditures of $44.8
million (FY90/91 est.)
Exports: $115 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: sugar, citrus fruits, bananas, clothing, fish products,
molasses, wood
partners: US 51%, UK, other EC (1992)
Imports: $281 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, food,
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
partners: US 57%, UK 8%, other EC 7%, Mexico (1992)
External debt: $158 million (1992)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1990); accounts for 12% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 34,532 kW
production: 110 million kWh
consumption per capita: 490 kWh (1993)
Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Agriculture: commercial crops: bananas, coca, citrus fruits, fish,
cultured shrimp, lumber
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; an illicit producer of
cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering
center
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $215 million
Currency: 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1 - 2.00 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Belize:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 2,710 km
paved: 500 km
unpaved: gravel 1,600 km; improved earth 300 km; unimproved earth 310
km
Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft;
seasonally navigable
Ports: Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda
Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 170,002 GRT/270,893 DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 25, container 4, oil tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 1
Airports:
total: 46
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 35
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
@Belize:Communications
Telephone system: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on
microwave radio relay
local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay
international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 1
televisions: NA
@Belize:Defense Forces
Branches: Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 50,499; males fit for military
service 30,040; males reach military age (18) annually 2,285 (1995
est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $11 million, 2.2% of
GDP (FY93/94)
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