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Belize Index
British military vehicle, Royal Electrical Mechanical
Engineers
Courtesy Steven R. Harper
From the early seventeenth century, the area now known as
Belize had a troubled and disorderly history. The British
Settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras served as a base for
privateers who carried out raids against Spanish vessels
transporting gold and silver to Europe. The coral coral reefs (photos) and sand
bars of the coast provided hiding places from which to surprise
intended targets; these same features offered a place to flee from
pursuing warships and other deep-draft vessels unable to navigate
the area's shallow passages. By the time piracy had been
suppressed, toward the end of the century, settlers--mostly
British--had moved into the area's interior to develop lucrative
logwood resources
(see Colonial Rivalry Between Spain and Britain
, ch. 6).
The small British settlement became a target for attacks from
neighboring Spanish settlements as the rivalry between the Spanish
and British intensified. The first attack took place in 1717 when
Spanish and Mayan soldiers entered the area from what is now
Guatemala. In the years that followed, Spain made several raids and
incursions into various parts of the settlement. British warships
were commonly dispatched to the area in response. In times of
threat, the settlers at first formed an irregular militia, which
was occasionally bolstered by Indians brought in from the Mosquito
Coast of what is now Nicaragua and by African slaves from Jamaica.
When the threat subsided, the militia disbanded, and residents
returned to their usual pursuits, rebuilding what had been
destroyed.
After beating back yet another attack in 1754, settlers agreed
to build a fort overlooking the harbor near Belize Town and to
station a full-time force there. After Spain recognized Britain's
right to use the area, the fort was demolished (even though Spain
maintained its claim to sovereignty over the area). Hostilities
resumed in 1779, however, when local residents fled from Spanish
raiders who had kidnapped a number of settlers. This exodus was
short-lived; the limits of the British settlement were defined in
the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, and British settlers again
returned. In 1784 the British governor of Jamaica appointed a
superintendent for the settlement
(see Beginnings of Self Government and the Plantocracy
, ch. 6). Britain also gave the title
of commander in chief to the superintendent to enable him, as well
as later governors, to organize defense forces. Early the next
year, the superintendent established a small garrison.
Spain's last attempt to dislodge the settlers by force took
place in 1798 when the Spanish fleet from Yucatán launched an
attack on the settlement. Although poorly armed and badly
outnumbered, local settlers resisted. Three companies of the
British West India Regiment and slaves from Jamaica who had
volunteered to serve in exchange for their freedom backed the
settlers. The final skirmish involved a sea battle off Saint
Georges Cay in which local forces, supported by the British sloop
HM Merlin, forced a final Spanish retreat.
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the
settlement's defense forces were essentially temporary militia.
European settlers routinely led the militia, but in times of
hostilities, military commissions were opened to all groups,
including freed blacks and slaves who sought manumission through
enlistment. Although these arrangements appeared to work
satisfactorily during times of external threat, the fear of slave
rebellions during the mid-1820s prompted concerns regarding the
loyalties of black troops, and the local government sent for three
or four companies of British troops from Jamaica.
The settlement's chief strategic threat in the nineteenth
century came from Spanish colonies that began to receive their
independence. The principal and most long-lasting threat came from
Guatemala, which did not accept British territorial claims in the
area. In 1827 a Guatemalan gunboat threatened local residents, but
for the most part, the two sides aired their differences in the
diplomatic arena. In 1862, when Britain declared British Honduras
a colony, the borders with both Mexico and Guatemala were still
undefined. The border with Mexico was finally established in 1893,
but uncertainty over the Guatemalan claim continued to affect the
strategic outlook of the
crown colony (see Glossary)
throughout the
twentieth century and was responsible for the continued presence of
British troops in the territory well after Belize became an
independent state.
The most significant threat to public peace in the nineteenth
century resulted from clashes with the Maya. At first British
forces countered the Mayan raids. Approximately thirty civil police
backed the forces, which were stationed in Belize Town. But as
clashes grew more serious, it became necessary to impose a land tax
to finance armed troops and to call in British regulars from
Jamaica. The last battle with Mayan raiding parties took place in
1872, after which many Maya were forced to retire to reservations
in Yucatán
(see Mayan Emigration and Conflict
, ch. 6).
Another threat to peace throughout the late nineteenth and the
early twentieth centuries came from isolated internal disturbances
that generally resulted from economic or social tension. In 1894,
for instance, mahogany workers rioted after their wages fell as a
result of a currency devaluation. Local police and British troops
on a warship in the harbor easily subdued the rioters. In 1919,
demobilized
Creole (see Glossary)
soldiers rioted, after returning
from service with the British West India Regiment during World War
I, in protest against unemployment, homelessness, and high prices.
Order was restored only after martial law was proclaimed. Such
disturbances did not seriously threaten public peace but limited
outbreaks of public disorder erupted during the 1930s and 1940s,
chiefly as a result of harsh economic circumstances, which had
contributed to increasing labor militancy
(see Interest Groups
, ch.
9). By and large, however, British Honduras escaped much of the
civil disorder suffered in most of the
West Indies (see Glossary)
during the period.
During the 1950s, the issue of independence for the colony
became a topic of local concern, and by the early 1960s, Britain
was willing to support independence. Britain granted the colony
internal self-government in 1964 but retained responsibility for
defense, internal security, and external relations. Fears arising
from Guatemala's continued territorial claims, however, slowed
progress toward independence. Between 1962 and 1972, talks between
Britain and Guatemala occurred regularly, but even these were
abandoned in 1972, after Britain announced it was sending 8,000
servicemen to conduct amphibious exercises in Belize, and other
parts of the Caribbean. Guatemala responded by massing troops on
the border. Although no violence resulted, Britain thereafter
increased the size of its regular garrison to act as a deterrent to
Guatemalan adventurism. Talks resumed in 1973 but broke off two
years later when Guatemala threatened invasion, first in November
1975 and again in July 1977. Britain responded each time by sending
in troops and aircraft. Britain kept a battalion of troops, a
flight of fighter aircraft, and one-half squadron of RAF fighters
and ground-attack aircraft in Belize after 1975. In all the British
contingent grew from some 750 personnel in 1970 to about 1,500 in
the mid-1970s. By this time, people living in the colony generally
agreed that a continued British military presence would be
necessary to guarantee security for an independent Belize.
In March 1981, Britain and Guatemala appeared to reach
agreement that would clear the way for independence, with Guatemala
accepting Belize's independence in return for specified concessions
(see Relations with Guatemala
, ch. 9). Violent demonstrations in
Belize followed this agreement in April 1981. The government
proclaimed a state of emergency to deal with protesters who argued
that the legitimate security interests of Belize had not been
protected. The agreement on independence collapsed in July 1981 as
a result of Guatemala's renewed territorial claims on Belize and
the violent reaction to the proposed agreement in Belize.
Nevertheless, Belize achieved independence as scheduled on
September 21, 1981, and Britain agreed to continue to garrison
troops in Belize and to train the new nation's defense force.
Guatemala closed the borders with Belize in protest for several
months. In 1984 Britain renewed its assurances to keep British
troops on hand until the territorial dispute with Guatemala was
resolved. Talks between Britain and Guatemala resumed in 1985, and
all three countries began the work to draft a treaty to deal with
outstanding economic, political, and territorial issues. Progress
was interrupted in November 1988 when a Guatemalan gunboat fired on
an unarmed British naval vessel in the disputed Gulf of Honduras.
Britain dispatched two Royal Air Force Harrier jets to Belize in
response, but the incident was quickly resolved after Guatemala
indicated it had only fired warning shots at the vessel, which it
claimed had strayed into Guatemalan waters.
Data as of January 1992
- Belize-Social Dynamics
- Belize-Climate
- Belize-ANCIENT MAYAN CIVILIZATION
- Belize-Transport and Telecommunications OTHER SERVICES
- Belize-Defense Spending
- Belize-Crime
- Belize-Acknowledgments
- Belize-Electoral Process since Independence
- Belize-Consciousness-Raising Organizations
- Belize-Growth during 1980-85
- Belize-Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Diversity
- Belize-GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- Belize-Relations with Britain
- Belize-Constitutional and Political Structures Prior to Independence CONSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND
- Belize-Chapter 7 - Belize: The Society and Its Environment
- Belize-The Genesis of Modern Politics, 1931-54
- Belize-External Debt
- Belize-Executive
- Belize-BELIZE
- Belize-Beginnings of Self-Government and the Plantocracy
- Belize-The 1960 Constitution
- Belize-Legislature
- Belize-The Small Economy
- Belize-PUBLIC ORDER AND INTERNAL SECURITY
- Belize-Growth after 1985
- Belize-Organization and Equipment
- Belize-The Middle Sector
- Belize-ECONOMY
- Belize-Food and Diet
- Belize-The Colonial Economy GROWTH AND STRUCTURE OF THE ECONOMY
- Belize-Investments
- Belize-Business Community
- Belize-Relations with Other Latin American and Caribbean Countries
- Belize-Structure of the Constitution of 1981
- Belize-Local Government
- Belize-STANDARD OF LIVING
- Belize-NATIONAL SECURITY
- Belize-Electoral Procedures POLITICAL DYNAMICS
- Belize-The Upper Sector
- Belize-Natural Resources
- Belize-Fiscal Performance
- Belize-Mining and Energy INDUSTRY
- Belize-Patterns of Access and Performance
- Belize-BELIZE'S MILITARY HISTORY AND STRATEGIC SETTING
- Belize-Boundaries, Area, and Relative Size GEOGRAPHY
- Belize-Language
- Belize-Religion
- Belize-Formal Establishment of the Colony, 1862-71
- Belize-Mayan Emigration and Conflict
- Belize-Ethnicity THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF BELIZEAN SOCIETY
- Belize-The Criminal Justice System
- Belize-Relations with Guatemala
- Belize-The Return to Elected Government, 1936-53
- Belize-School System
- Belize-Bananas
- Belize-Introduction
- Belize-FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS
- Belize-Constitution of 1981
- Belize-Construction
- Belize-TOURISM
- Belize-Preface
- Belize-Chapter 8 - Belize: The Economy
- Belize-EDUCATION
- Belize
- Belize-Other Crops
- Belize-Foreword
- Belize-The Colonial Order, 1871-1931 COLONIAL STAGNATION AND CRISIS
- Belize
- Belize-TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Belize-Economic History
- Belize-Colonial Rivalry Between Spain and Britain THE EMERGENCE OF THE BRITISH SETTLEMENT
- Belize-LABOR
- Belize
- Belize-Peripheral Factors
- Belize-Physical Features
- Belize-Chapter 6 - Belize: Historical Setting
- Belize-SOCIETY
- Belize-Geology
- Belize-Crown Colony, 1871-1935
- Belize-GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS
- Belize-Slavery in the Settlement, 1794-1838
- Belize-Constitution of 1954 and Extension of Suffrage, 1954-60
- Belize -Belize: Country Profile
- Belize-Public Service
- Belize-Chapter 9 - Belize: Government and Politics
- Belize-Other Parties
- Belize
- Belize-Balance of Payments
- Belize-Health and Welfare
- Belize-Sugar AGRICULTURE
- Belize-Personnel and Training
- Belize-Judiciary
- Belize-Political Parties
- Belize
- Belize-GEOGRAPHY
- Belize
- Belize-Relations with Other Countries
- Belize-The Public Meeting and the Superintendent, pre-1854
- Belize-Manufacturing
- Belize-Interest Groups
- Belize-ECONOMIC PROSPECTS
- Belize-The Belize National Police
- Belize-Chapter 10 - Belize: National Security
- Belize
- Belize-Mass Communications
- Belize-THE BELIZE DEFENCE FORCE
- Belize-Internal Self-Rule, 1964-81
- Belize-Banking and Finance
- Belize-Churches and Religious Institutions
- Belize-The Lower Sector
- Belize-Relations with the United States FOREIGN RELATIONS
- Belize-Procedure for Amending the Constitution
- Belize-Foreign Military Relations
- Belize-Citrus
- Belize-Economic Diversification GOVERNMENT POLICY
- Belize-FISHING AND FORESTRY
- Belize-Elected Legislative Assembly, 1854-70
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, growing urban crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.
|
Location | | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km
|
Geographic coordinates | | 17 15 N, 88 45 W
|
Land boundaries(km) | | total: 516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
|
Coastline(km) | | 386 km
|
Climate | | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,160 m
|
Natural resources | | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
|
Land use(%) | | arable land: 3.05% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 95.56% (2005)
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 30 sq km (2003)
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 18.6 cu km (2000)
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 0.15 cu km/yr (7%/73%/20%) per capita: 556 cu m/yr (2000)
|
Natural hazards | | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
|
Environment - current issues | | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
|
Environment - international agreements | | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
Geography - note | | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
|
Population | | 307,899 (July 2009 est.)
|
Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 37.9% (male 59,462/female 57,117) 15-64 years: 58.6% (male 91,298/female 89,170) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,185/female 5,667) (2009 est.)
|
Median age(years) | | total: 20.4 years male: 20.3 years female: 20.6 years (2009 est.)
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 2.154% (2009 est.)
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 27.33 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | NA (2009 est.)
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 52% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | 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 (2009 est.)
|
Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 23.07 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 68.2 years male: 66.44 years female: 70.05 years (2009 est.)
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 3.36 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
Nationality | | noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean
|
Ethnic groups(%) | | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% (2000 census)
|
Religions(%) | | 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)
|
Languages(%) | | Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)
|
Country name | | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras
|
Government type | | parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
|
Capital | | name: Belmopan geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
|
Administrative divisions | | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
|
Constitution | | 21-Sep-81
|
Legal system | | English law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
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, Sr. (since 17 November 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: 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 | | bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 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; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 56.3%, PUP 40.9%; seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6
|
Judicial branch | | Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) and District Courts (civil jurisdiction); Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ]
|
International organization participation | | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Flag description | | 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 | | In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy, tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by exports of 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 4% in 1999-2007, though growth slipped to 3.8% in 2008 as a result of the global slowdown, natural disasters, and the drop in the price of oil. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered the economic growth. Exploration efforts continue and a small increase in production is expected in 2009. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt equivalent to nearly 70% of GDP. In February 2007, the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt, which helped reduce interest payments and relieve some of the country's liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.
|
GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $2.542 billion (2008 est.) $2.468 billion (2007 est.) $2.43 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $1.359 billion (2008 est.)
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 3% (2008 est.) 1.6% (2007 est.) 5.3% (2006 est.)
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $8,400 (2008 est.) $8,400 (2007 est.) $8,400 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 29% industry: 16.9% services: 54.1% (2008 est.)
|
Labor force | | 122,300 note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2008 est.)
|
Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 10.2% industry: 18.1% services: 71.7% (2007)
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 8.1% (2008) 9.4% (2006)
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | 33.5% (2002 est.)
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 27.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
Budget | | revenues: $347 million expenditures: $386.5 million (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 6.4% (2008 est.) 2.3% (2007 est.)
|
Stock of money | | $345.7 million (31 December 2008) $323.9 million (31 December 2007)
|
Stock of quasi money | | $653.8 million (31 December 2008) $549 million (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $955 million (31 December 2008) $877.6 million (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA
|
Economic aid - recipient | | $12.91 million (2005)
|
Agriculture - products | | bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
|
Industries | | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 1.8% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | -$153.7 million (2008 est.) -$51.1 million (2007 est.)
|
Exports | | $464.7 million (2008 est.) $425.6 million (2007 est.)
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil
|
Exports - partners(%) | | US 35.6%, UK 21.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Nigeria 4% (2008)
|
Imports | | $788.1 million (2008 est.) $642 million (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
|
Imports - partners(%) | | US 37.4%, Mexico 12.9%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 6.1%, Russia 5%, China 4.2% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $166.2 million (31 December 2008 est.) $108.5 million (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $954.1 million (2008 est.) $1.2 billion (June 2005 est.)
|
Exchange rates | | Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
|
Currency (code) | | Belizean dollar (BZD)
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 31,100 (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 160,000 (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: above-average system; fixed-line teledensity of 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density roughly 55 per 100 persons domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2008)
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Internet country code | | .bz
|
Internet users | | 34,000 (2008)
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Airports | | 44 (2009)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 3,007 km paved: 575 km unpaved: 2,432 km (2006)
|
Ports and terminals | | Belize City, Big Creek
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Military branches | | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, BDF Air Wing, BDF Volunteer Guard (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 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 (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 74,605 females age 16-49: 72,926 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 56,135 females age 16-49: 54,732 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 3,632 female: 3,500 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 1.4% of GDP (2006)
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Disputes - international | | OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures saw cooperation in repatriation of Guatemalan squatters and other areas, but Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea remain unresolved; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Honduras claims Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays in its constitution but agreed to a joint ecological park under the Differendum
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 213.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 59.9% hydro: 40.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 198.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 248.4 million kWh (2005)
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 3,511 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 7,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 2,260 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 7,204 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 6.7 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 2.1% (2007 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 3,600 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
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Major infectious diseases | | degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.9% male: 76.7% female: 77.1% (2000 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 13 years (2004)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 5.3% of GDP (2004)
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