Belize

total: 24,658 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2018 est.)

8 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV provides access to foreign stations; about 25 radio stations broadcasting on roughly 50 different frequencies; state-run radio was privatized in 1998 (2019)

.bz

total: 181,660 | percent of population: 47.08% (July 2018 est.)

general assessment: govt. telecom company, Belize Telemedia Ltd., continues to hold a monopoly in fixed-line services, mobile and broadband fixed-line teledensity; it is a small market; fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration below regional average; lack of competition and underinvestment in telecom system, make it pricey for consumer (2020) | domestic: 5 per 100 fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 65 per 100 persons; mobile sector accounting for over 90% of all phone subscriptions (2019) | international: country code - 501; landing points for the ARCOS and SEUL 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) (2019) | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

total subscriptions: 18,617 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.74 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions: 256,479 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 65.3 (2019 est.)

bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber

revenues: 553.5 million (2017 est.) | expenditures: 572 million (2017 est.)

-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Moody's rating: Caa3 (2020) | Standard & Poors rating: CCC+ (2020)

-$143 million (2017 est.) | -$163 million (2016 est.)

$1.315 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.338 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

55.5 (2020)

Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of sugar, bananas, citrus, marine products, and crude oil. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2007, but GPD growth has averaged only 2.1% from 2007-2016, with 2.5% growth estimated for 2017. Belize’s dependence on energy imports makes it susceptible to energy price shocks. Although Belize has the third highest per capita income in Central America, the average income figure masks a huge income disparity between rich and poor, and a key government objective remains reducing poverty and inequality with the help of international donors. High unemployment, a growing trade deficit and heavy foreign debt burden continue to be major concerns. Belize faces continued pressure from rising sovereign debt, and a growing trade imbalance.

Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - | 2 (2017 est.) | 2 (2016 est.) | 2 (2015 est.) | 2 (2014 est.) | 2 (2013 est.)

$457.5 million (2017 est.) | $442.7 million (2016 est.)

sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil

UK 33.9%, US 22%, Jamaica 6.7%, Italy 6.4%, Barbados 5.9%, Ireland 5.5%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017)

1 April - 31 March

$1.854 billion (2017 est.)

$3.218 billion (2017 est.) | $3.194 billion (2016 est.) | $3.21 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

household consumption: 75.1% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 15.2% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 22.5% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 49.1% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -63.2% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 10.3% (2017 est.) | industry: 21.6% (2017 est.) | services: 68% (2017 est.)

$8,300 (2017 est.) | $8,500 (2016 est.) | $8,800 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

0.8% (2017 est.) | -0.5% (2016 est.) | 3.8% (2015 est.)

11.3% of GDP (2017 est.) | 13.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 14.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

$845.9 million (2017 est.) | $916.2 million (2016 est.)

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

US 35.6%, China 11.2%, Mexico 11.2%, Guatemala 6.9% (2017)

-0.6% (2017 est.)

garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

1.1% (2017 est.) | 0.7% (2016 est.)

120,500 (2008 est.) | note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel

agriculture: 10.2% | industry: 18.1% | services: 71.7% (2007 est.)

41% (2013 est.)

99% of GDP (2017 est.) | 95.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

$312.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $376.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

29.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

9% (2017 est.) | 8% (2016 est.)

556,700 Mt (2017 est.)

1,220 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

2,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

6.7 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

453 million kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

51% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

27% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

243 million kWh (2016 est.)

198,000 kW (2016 est.)

280 million kWh (2016 est.)

electrification - total population: 99.5% (2018) | electrification - urban areas: 98.2% (2018) | electrification - rural areas: 100% (2018)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

4,161 bbl/day (2015 est.)

36 bbl/day (2015 est.)

total: 22,966 sq km | land: 22,806 sq km | water: 160 sq km

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

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

386 km

mean elevation: 173 m | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m

deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste

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

17 15 N, 88 45 W

only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

35 sq km (2012)

total: 542 km | border countries (2): Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 276 km

agricultural land: 6.9% (2011 est.) | arable land: 3.3% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 1.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 2.2% (2011 est.) | forest: 60.6% (2011 est.) | other: 32.5% (2011 est.)

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

Central America and the Caribbean

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

frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)

arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

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

name: Belmopan | geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W | time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: the decision to move the capital of the country inland to higher and more stable land was made in the 1960s; the name chosen for the new city was formed from the union of two words: "Belize," the name of the longest river in the country, and "Mopan," one of the rivers in the area of the new capital that empties into the Belize River

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent only: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

history: previous 1954, 1963 (preindependence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981 | amendments: proposed and adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the National Assembly House of Representatives except for amendments relating to rights and freedoms, changes to the Assembly, and to elections and judiciary matters, which require at least three-quarters majority vote of the House; both types of amendments require assent of the governor general; amended several times, last in 2018

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Belize | former: British Honduras | etymology: may be named for the Belize River, whose name possibly derives from the Maya word "belix," meaning "muddy-watered"

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Keith R. GILGES (since 24 July 2018) | telephone: [011] (501) 822-4011 | embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District | mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize | FAX: [011] (501) 822-4012

chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Daniel GUTIEREZ (since 21 July 2017) | chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 | FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 | consulate(s) general: Los Angeles | consulate(s): Miami

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Colville Norbert YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993) | head of government: Prime Minister Juan Antonio BRICENO (since 12 November 2020); Deputy Prime Minister Cordel HYDE (since 16 November 2020) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Assembly | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

royal 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 of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize | note: Belize's flag is the only national flag that depicts human beings; two British overseas territories, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands, also depict humans

parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

21 September 1981 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest courts: Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 10 justices); note - in 2010, Belize acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London | judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75; in 2013, the Supreme Court chief justice overturned a constitutional amendment that had restricted Court of Appeal judge appointments to as short as 1 year | subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Family Court

English common law

description: bicameral National Assembly consists of: Senate (14 seats, including the president); 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, non-governmental organizations in good standing, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; Senate president elected from among the Senate members or from outside the Senate; term of appointment NA House of Representatives (31 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) | elections: Senate - last appointed 11 November 2020 (next appointments in November 2025) House of Representatives - last held on 11 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2025) | election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PUP 59.6%, UDP 38.8%, other 1.6%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 5

name: Land of the Free | lyrics/music: Samuel Alfred HAYNES/Selwyn Walford YOUNG | note: adopted 1981; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

Battle of St. George's Caye Day (National Day), 10 September (1798); Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Baird's tapir (a large, browsing, forest-dwelling mammal), keel-billed toucan, Black Orchid; national colors: red, blue

Belize Progressive Party or BPP [Patrick ROGERS] (formed in 2015 from a merger of the People's National Party, elements of the Vision Inspired by the People, and other smaller political groups) People's United Party or PUP [Johnny BRICENO] United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean Oliver BARROW] Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Hubert ENRIQUEZ]

18 years of age; universal

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 1862. 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. Both nations have voted to send the dispute for final resolution to the International Court of Justice. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high crime rates, high unemployment combined with a majority youth population, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Air Wing; Belize Coast Guard (2019)

the Belize Defense Force (BDF) has approximately 1,300 active Army personnel; 150 Belize Coast Guard (2019 est.)

the BDF's inventory is limited and consists mostly of equipment from the UK and US (2019 est.)

1.2% of GDP (2019) | 1.3% of GDP (2018) | 1.6% of GDP (2017) | 1.2% of GDP (2016) | 1.1% of GDP (2015)

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; initial service obligation 12 years (2012)

0-14 years: 32.57% (male 66,454/female 63,700) | 15-24 years: 19% (male 39,238/female 36,683) | 25-54 years: 37.72% (male 73,440/female 77,300) | 55-64 years: 6.18% (male 12,235/female 12,444) | 65 years and over: 4.53% (male 8,781/female 9,323) (2020 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Belize Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Belize. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

22 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

4.6% (2015)

51.4% (2015/16)

5.6% (2017)

4.1 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Migration continues to transform Belize's population. About 16% of Belizeans live abroad, while immigrants constitute approximately 15% of Belize's population. Belizeans seeking job and educational opportunities have preferred to emigrate to the United States rather than former colonizer Great Britain because of the United States' closer proximity and stronger trade ties with Belize. Belizeans also emigrate to Canada, Mexico, and English-speaking Caribbean countries. The emigration of a large share of Creoles (Afro-Belizeans) and the influx of Central American immigrants, mainly Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans, has changed Belize's ethnic composition. Mestizos have become the largest ethnic group, and Belize now has more native Spanish speakers than English or Creole speakers, despite English being the official language. In addition, Central American immigrants are establishing new communities in rural areas, which contrasts with the urbanization trend seen in neighboring countries. Recently, Chinese, European, and North American immigrants have become more frequent. Immigration accounts for an increasing share of Belize's population growth rate, which is steadily falling due to fertility decline. Belize's declining birth rate and its increased life expectancy are creating an aging population. As the elderly population grows and nuclear families replace extended households, Belize's government will be challenged to balance a rising demand for pensions, social services, and healthcare for its senior citizens with the need to reduce poverty and social inequality and to improve sanitation.

total dependency ratio: 52 | youth dependency ratio: 44.4 | elderly dependency ratio: 7.6 | potential support ratio: 13.1 (2020 est.)

improved: urban: 100% of population | rural: 98.6% of population | total: 99.2% of population | unimproved: urban: 0% of population | rural: 1.4% of population | total: 0.8% of population (2017 est.)

7.6% of GDP (2018)

mestizo 52.9%, Creole 25.9%, Maya 11.3%, Garifuna 6.1%, East Indian 3.9%, Mennonite 3.6%, White 1.2%, Asian 1%, other 1.2%, unknown 0.3% (2010 est.) | note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin

1.9% (2018 est.)

<200 (2018 est.)

4,900 (2018 est.)

1 beds/1,000 population (2017)

total: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.3%, none 0.2% (cannot speak) (2010 est.) | note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

total population: 75.3 years | male: 73.7 years | female: 77 years (2020 est.)

23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

total: 23.9 years | male: 23 years | female: 24.8 years (2020 est.)

noun: Belizean(s) | adjective: Belizean

-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

24.1% (2016)

1.12 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

399,598 (July 2020 est.)

approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

1.72% (2020 est.)

Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, Rastafarian, Salvation Army), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.)

improved: urban: 98.8% of population | rural: 95.3% of population | total: 96.9% of population | unimproved: urban: 1.2% of population | rural: 4.7% of population | total: 3.1% of population (2017 est.)

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 13 years (2019)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female | total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

2.7 children born/woman (2020 est.)

total: 15.3% | male: 9.5% | female: 24.8% (2017 est.)

urban population: 46% of total population (2020) | rate of urbanization: 2.32% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: PDF

Guatemala persists in its territorial claim to approximately half of Belize, but agrees to the Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interior; both countries agreed in April 2012 to hold simultaneous referenda, scheduled for 6 October 2013, to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution, but this vote was suspended indefinitely; Belize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty

major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes

current situation: Belize is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the coerced prostitution of women and children by family members has not led to arrests; child sex tourism, involving primarily US citizens, is on the rise; sex trafficking and forced labor of Belizean and foreign women and LGBT individuals occurs in bars, nightclubs, brothels, and domestic service; workers from Central America, Mexico, and Asia may fall victim to forced labor in restaurants, shops, agriculture, and fishing | tier rating: Tier 3 – Belize does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; authorities did not initiate any new trafficking investigations of prosecutions, and cases from previous years remain pending; law enforcement efforts to use informal means to identify and refer victims were ineffective and draft procedures for referring victims to services are still not finalized; trafficking victims were more commonly arrested, detained, or deported based on immigration violations than provided with assistance; the government did not make progress in implementing the 2012-14 anti-trafficking national strategic plan (2015)

47 (2013)

total: 6 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017) | under 914 m: 3 (2017)

total: 41 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (2013) | under 914 m: 29 (2013)

V3 (2016)

total: 786 | by type: bulk carrier 56, container ship 4, general cargo 398, oil tanker 65, other 263 (2019)

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 28 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,297,533 (2018) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3.78 million mt-km (2018)

major seaport(s): Belize City, Big Creek

total: 3,281 km (2017) | paved: 601 km (2017) | unpaved: 2,680 km (2017)

825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2011)