Belize

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

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
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m

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, Whaling

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

PEOPLE

Population

219,296 (July 1996 est.)
214,061 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

43% (male 48,291; female 46,451) (July 1996 est.)
44% (male 47,618; female 45,812) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

53% (male 59,132; female 57,498) (July 1996 est.)
53% (male 57,230; female 55,630) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

4% (male 3,881; female 4,043) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 3,801; female 3,970) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.42% (1996 est.)
2.42% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

32.8 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
33.71 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

5.73 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
5.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-3.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

33.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
34.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 68.53 years (1996 est.); 68.32 years (1995 est.)
Male: 66.58 years (1996 est.); 66.37 years (1995 est.)
Female: 70.58 years (1996 est.); 70.36 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.12 children born/woman (1996 est.)
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 (1991 est.)

Total population: 70.3%
Male: 70.3%
Female: 70.3%

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)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Belize (Pronunciation)
Former: British Honduras

Digraph

Type

Parliamentary democracy

Capital

Belmopan

Administrative Divisions

6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Independence

21 September 1981 (from U.K.)

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), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG (since 17 November 1993), who, according to the constitution, must be a Belizean; was appointed by the queen
Head of government: Prime Minister Manuel ESQUIVEL (since July 1993) was appointed by the governor general; 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, the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

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, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO

National Anthem

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)

2.3% (1994 est.)
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:

U.S. 51%
U.K.
Other EU countries (1992)

Imports

$281 million (c.i.f., 1993)

Commodities:

Machinery and transportation equipment
Food
Manufactured goods
Fuels
Chemicals
Pharmaceuticals

Partners:

U.S. 57%
U.K. 8%
Other EU countries 7%
Mexico (1992)

External Debt

$167.5 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: U.S. 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

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: 2,560 km
Paved: 336 km
Unpaved: 2,224 km (1987 est.)

Inland Waterways

825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable

Ports

Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda

Merchant Marine

Total: 89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 311,731 GRT/470,272 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 60, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 (1995 est.)