This sector comprised the bulk of the Belizean population and
was popularly known as the grass roots or roots class. It, too, was
stratified by occupation and ethnicity. The lower sector consisted
of unskilled or semiskilled urban workers, subsistence farmers,
agricultural laborers, and the unemployed. These people shared, in
addition to poverty and generally poor living conditions, severely
limited access to land, higher education, or any other opportunity
to change their marginal status. Possibilities for mobility were a
main dividing line between the middle and lower sectors of Belizean
society.
The ethnic composition of the lower sector varied by region.
Most of the country's urban poor lived in predominantly Creole
Belize City. With a population four times the size of the next
largest urban area, Belize City was home to over half of all
unemployed Belizeans in 1980. Many of the employed were engaged in
ketch an kill jobs, temporary unskilled manual labor. No
more than two-thirds of the employed population in 1980 had fulltime work.
Educational opportunities beyond the primary level were scarce
for most poor urban families. Many children dropped out of school
before completing their primary education. Children who finished
school often lacked the grades or financial resources to attend
secondary school. Because the government generally awarded
scholarships according to academic performance rather than
financial need, most poor Belizean families continued to lack
access to education beyond the primary level.
In further contrast to the upper and middle sectors, many
lower-sector households in Belize City were headed by single
parents, usually women. Female workers generally received lower
incomes than their male counterparts, and women experienced an
unemployment rate 250 percent higher than men. In numerous cases,
migration of both parents resulted in children being raised by
siblings, older relatives, or friends of the family. Some of the
more privileged members of Belizean society perceived that
increases in juvenile delinquency, crime, and drug use among
Belizean urban youth were directly attributable to breakdowns in
family structure.
As with the population in general, a large percentage of the
urban poor were young. Nationwide, over 40 percent of out-of-school
youths aged fifteen to twenty-four lacked work, and youth
unemployment rates in Belize City were even higher. Many unemployed
youths in Belize City congregated on street corners or met in
storefronts known as "bases." These young people were known as
baseboys and basegirls. More privileged members of Belizean society
tended to categorize baseboys and basegirls as criminals and
delinquents, although the only thing many were guilty of was
lacking opportunities for education and meaningful work.
Still, the lack of educational and employment prospects for the
rural and urban poor in the 1980s did lead to dramatic increases in
crime, especially in the drug trade. By the middle of the decade,
Belize had become the fourth largest exporter (after Mexico,
Colombia, and Jamaica) of marijuana to the United States. By 1987
crack cocaine and gangs had established a foothold among the
youthful population of Belize City. By 1991, both gang membership
and gang warfare had escalated dramatically, moving off the street
corners of the poorer neighborhoods into the schools and major
public spaces of Belize City. Gangs, drugs, and violence were the
dominant realities with which nearly all Belizean urban youth,
especially the poor, had to deal.
Extremely limited access to education and well-paying jobs
characterized conditions for the poor in the district towns of
Belize. But many people perceived the conditions in these towns as
less severe than in Belize City. One exception was Orange Walk,
which was known as Rambo Town, owing to the intensity of drugrelated violence there in the mid-1980s.
The most limited opportunities for education and economic
advancement were found in rural areas. Rural primary schools had
much higher rates of absenteeism and attrition than urban schools
and all but three secondary schools were located in Belize City or
the major district towns. Furthermore, the demands of agricultural
work often prevented many children from attending school.
The rural poor were mostly Mayan and Mestizo subsistence
farmers and agricultural laborers, although some Creole and
Garifuna families were also included in this category. At the very
bottom of both the rural and urban social hierarchies, however,
were the Central American aliens who were employed in the lowest
paid, least desirable occupations, such as unskilled labor in the
sugar, citrus, banana, and marijuana industries.
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.
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Location | | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
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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
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
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Coastline(km) | | 386 km
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Climate | | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
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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)
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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)
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Natural hazards | | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
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Environment - current issues | | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
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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
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Geography - note | | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
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Population | | 307,899 (July 2009 est.)
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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.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 20.4 years male: 20.3 years female: 20.6 years (2009 est.)
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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.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 52% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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
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Ethnic groups(%) | | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% (2000 census)
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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)
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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)
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Country name | | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras
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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)
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Administrative divisions | | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
|
Constitution | | 21-Sep-81
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Legal system | | English law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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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
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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
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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]
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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
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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.
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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.)
|
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)
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $955 million (31 December 2008) $877.6 million (31 December 2007)
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA
|
Economic aid - recipient | | $12.91 million (2005)
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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.)
|
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
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Exports - partners(%) | | US 35.6%, UK 21.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Nigeria 4% (2008)
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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
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Imports - partners(%) | | US 37.4%, Mexico 12.9%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 6.1%, Russia 5%, China 4.2% (2008)
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $166.2 million (31 December 2008 est.) $108.5 million (31 December 2007 est.)
|
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)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 31,100 (2008)
|
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)
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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.)
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 56,135 females age 16-49: 54,732 (2009 est.)
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 3,632 female: 3,500 (2009 est.)
|
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
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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.)
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
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.)
|
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.)
|
Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 2.1% (2007 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 3,600 (2007 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
|
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)
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.9% male: 76.7% female: 77.1% (2000 census)
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 13 years (2004)
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 5.3% of GDP (2004)
|