Airports [time series]

42 total, 32 usable; 3 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]

2,710 km total; 500 km paved, 1,600 km gravel, 300 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; additional ports for shallow draught craft include Corozol, Punta Gorda, Big Creek

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 (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1990 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 53,184; 31,790 fit for military service; 2,545 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $87.4 million; expenditures $130.5 million, including capital expenditures of $53.5 million (FY90 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $199 million

Electricity [time series]

34,700 kW capacity; 90 million kWh produced, 410 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$108 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); 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]

$169 million (December 1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

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

$290 million, per capita $1,320; real growth rate 9% (1990 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]

$204 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.); 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 9.7% (1989); accounts for 16% of GDP

Industries [time series]

garment production, citrus concentrates, sugar refining, rum, beverages, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.8% (1990 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

12% (1988)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

386 km Territorial sea: 3 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Massachusetts

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve dispute are nearing completion

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]

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

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

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 James V. HYDE; Chancery at Suite 2J, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-4505; US--Ambassador Eugene L. SCASSA; 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 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

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) People's United Party (PUP), George PRICE, Florencio MARIN, Said MUSA; United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean LINDO, Dean BARROW; Belize Popular Party (BPP), Louis SYLVESTRE

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, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, 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

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 democracy

Birth rate [time series]

38 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

35 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

51,500; agriculture 30.0%, services 16.0%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%, manufacturing 10.3%; 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]

male 67 years, female 72 years (1991)

Literacy [time series]

91% (male 91%, female 91%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

12% of labor force; 7 unions currently active

Population [time series]

228,069 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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%, unknown 3%, other 3% (1980)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.7 children born/woman (1991)