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Background:
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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 increasing urban crime.
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Location:
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Central
America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala
and Mexico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 15 N, 88
45 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km
water: 160 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
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Coastline:
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386 km |
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Maritime claims:
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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 |
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Climate:
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tropical;
very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry
season (February to May) |
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Terrain:
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flat,
swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
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Natural resources:
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arable land
potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 1.71%
other: 95.44% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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30 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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frequent,
devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal
flooding (especially in south) |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation;
water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents,
agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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only
country in Central America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean
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Population:
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279,457
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 40.1% (male 57,114/female 54,877)
15-64 years: 56.4% (male 79,694/female 77,881)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,768/female 5,123)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
19.35 years
male: 19.21 years
female: 19.49 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.33% (2005
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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29.34
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.04
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
25.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 67.49 years
male: 65.02 years
female: 70.08 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.68
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.4% (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3,600 (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo
48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other
9.7% |
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Religions:
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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) |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 94.1%
female: 94.1% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy |
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Capital:
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Belmopan |
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Administrative divisions:
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6
districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann
Creek, Toledo |
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Independence:
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21
September 1981 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day, 21 September (1981) |
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Constitution:
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21
September 1981 |
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Legal system:
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English law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of
age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 5
March 2003 (next to be held March 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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People's
United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party
or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party
chairman] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Society for
the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele
CATZIM] |
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City
mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City
telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163
FAX: [501] 2-30802 |
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Flag description:
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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:
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In this
small, essentially private enterprise economy the
tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange
earner followed by 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 6% in
1999-2004. 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing
power parity - $1.778 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.5% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $6,500 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
17.7%
industry: 15%
services: 67.3% (2003 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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33.6% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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33% (1999
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.9% (2004
est.) |
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Labor force:
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90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of
technical personnel (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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12.9%
(2003) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$244.5 million
expenditures: $300 million, including capital
expenditures of $70 million (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas,
coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber;
garments |
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Industries:
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garment
production, food processing, tourism, construction |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.6% (1999) |
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Electricity - production:
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117 million
kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 59.9%
hydro: 40.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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108.8
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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5,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Current account balance:
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$-115
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$401.4
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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sugar,
bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
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Exports - partners:
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US 36.8%,
UK 28.5%, Thailand 3.6% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$579.9
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco |
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Imports - partners:
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US 32.7%,
Mexico 14.4%, Cuba 6.5%, Japan 4.7% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
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$111.1
million (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.362
billion (June 2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA |
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Currency:
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Belizean
dollar (BZD) |
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Currency code:
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BZD |
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Exchange rates:
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Belizean
dollars per US dollar - 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2
(2001), 2 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April -
31 March
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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33,300
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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60,400
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on
microwave radio relay
international: country code - 501; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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133,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2 (1997) |
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Televisions:
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41,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.bz |
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Internet hosts:
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2,613
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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2 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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30,000
(2002)
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Highways:
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total:
2,872 km
paved: 488 km
unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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825 km
(navigable only by small craft) (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Belize
City, Big Creek, Corozal, Punta Gorda |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 207, chemical
tanker 9, container 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 142 (Australia 2, Belgium 1, China
50, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 9, Germany 4, Hong Kong 6,
Indonesia 3, Italy 2, Japan 5, Latvia 4, Malaysia 1,
Nigeria 1, Pakistan 1, Poland 2, Russia 23, Singapore 5,
South Korea 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine
4, UAE 3, United States 2) (2005) |
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Airports:
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43 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
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Military branches:
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Belize
Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and
Volunteer Guard |
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Military manpower - military age and obligation:
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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) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males
age 18-49: 60,750 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 41,368 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
3,209 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$18 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2% (2003)
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| Transnational
Issues |
Belize |
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Disputes - international:
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Guatemalan
squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited
rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS is
attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that
created a small adjustment to land boundary, a
Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint
ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and
substantial US-UK financial package |
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