Airports [time series]

38 total, 30 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

2,575 km total; 340 km paved, 1,190 km gravel, 735 km improved earth, and 310 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Belize City, Belize City Southwest

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

8,650 telephones; above-average system based on radio relay; stations--6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force, Coast Guard, Police Department

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

2.0% of GDP, or $4.6 million (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 50,988; 30,502 fit for military service; 2,500 reach military age (18) annually

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 30% of GDP (including fish and forestry); commercial crops include sugarcane, bananas, coca, citrus fruits; expanding output of lumber and cultured shrimp; net importer of basic foods

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $94 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $194 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $94.6 million; expenditures $74.3 million, including capital expenditures of $33.9 million (1988 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Belizean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

34,000 kW capacity; 88 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1--2.00 (fixed rate)

Exports [time series]

$120 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--sugar, clothing, seafood, molasses, citrus, wood and wood products; partners--US 47%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada (1987)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$140 million (December 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$225.6 million, per capita $1,285; real growth rate 6% (1989 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; eradication program cut marijuana production from 200 metric tons in 1987 to 66 metric tons in 1989; transshipment point for cocaine

Imports [time series]

$176 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; partners--US 55%, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico (1987)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 6% (1988)

Industries [time series]

sugar refining, clothing, timber and forest products, furniture, rum, soap, beverages, cigarettes, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.5% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is based primarily on agriculture and merchandising. Agriculture accounts for more than 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. In 1987 the drop in income from sugar sales to the US because of quota reductions was almost totally offset by higher world prices for sugar.

Unemployment rate [time series]

14% (1988 est.)

Climate [time series]

tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)

Coastline [time series]

386 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Massachusetts

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations are under way

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south); deforestation

Land boundaries [time series]

516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Land use [time series]

2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 44% forest and woodland; 52% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

arable land potential, timber, fish

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

3 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

22,960 km2; land area: 22,800 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Belmopan

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

negligible

Constitution [time series]

21 September 1981

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Edward A. LAING; Chancery at Suite 2J, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-4505; US--Ambassador Robert G. RICH, Jr.; Embassy at Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City (mailing address is P. O. Box 286, Belize City); telephone [501] 77161 through 77163

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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 with a mahogany tree at the top and the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Independence [time series]

21 September 1981 (from UK; formerly British Honduras)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Elmira Minita GORDON (since 21 September 1981); Head of Government--Prime Minister George Cadle PRICE (since 4 September 1989)

Legal system [time series]

English law

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, CARICOM, CDB, Commonwealth, FAO, GATT, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, G-77, ISO, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 21 September

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR) headed by former PUP minister; United Workers Front

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

People's United Party (PUP), George Price, Florencio Marin, Said Musa; United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel Esquivel, Curl Thompson, Dean Barrow; Belize Popular Party (BPP), Louis Sylvestre

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 National Assembly--last held 4 September 1989 (next to be held September 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(28 total) PUP 15 seats, UDP 13 seats; note--in January 1990 one member expelled from UDP joined PUP, making the seat count 16 PUP, UDP 12

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary

Birth rate [time series]

38 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

39.7% Creole, 33.1% Mestizo, 9.5% Maya, 7.6% Garifuna, 2.1% East Indian, 8.0% other

Infant mortality rate [time series]

35 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

51,500; 30.0% agriculture, 16.0% services, 15.4% government, 11.2% commerce, 10.3% manufacturing; shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

67 years male, 72 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

93% (est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Belizean(s); adjective--Belizean

Net migration rate [time series]

4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

30% of labor force; 11 unions currently active

Population [time series]

219,737 (July 1990), growth rate 3.7% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

60% Roman Catholic; 40% Protestant (Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist, Methodist, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mennonite)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.8 children born/woman (1990)