Statistical information Belize 1992Belize

Map of Belize | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year:  | More stats

Belize in the World
Belize in the World

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Belize - Introduction 1992
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Background: Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment growing involvement in the South American drug trade and increased urban crime.


Belize - Geography 1992
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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 22,960 km²
Land: 22,800 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Land boundaries: 516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea:
12 nm in the north and 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Caye, Belize's territorial sea is 3 miles; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with the Republic of
Guatemala''

Disputes: claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute have begun

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

Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Elevation

Natural resources: arable land: potential, timber, fish
Land use

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

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


Belize - People 1992
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Population: 229,143 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Belizean(s; adjective - Belizean

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


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

Religions:
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)


Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 31 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south); deforestation
Current issues note: 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 73 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Belize - Government 1992
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Country name
Conventional long form: none

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Belmopan

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


Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK; formerly British Honduras)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September

Constitution: 21 September 1981

Legal system: English law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 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, UDP 13; note - in January 1990 one member expelled from UDP joined PUP, making the seat count PUP 16, UDP 12

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

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

Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador James V. HYDE; Chancery at 2,535
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 332-9,636

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 (2) 77,161; FAX 501 (2) 30,802


Diplomatic representation

Flag descriptionflag of Belize: 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 RA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Belize - Economy 1992
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Economy overview: The economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming increasing importance. Agriculture accounts for about 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.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $373 million, per capita $1,635; real growth rate 10% (1990 est.)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 9.7% (1989; accounts for 16% of GDP

Labor force: 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)
Organized labor: 12% of labor force; 7 unions currently active
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 12% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $126.8 million; expenditures $123.1 million, including capital expenditures of $44.8 million (FY91 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $134 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: sugar, clothing, seafood, molasses, citrus, wood and wood products
Partners: US 47%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada (1987)

Imports: $194 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Partners: US 56%, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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


Belize - Energy 1992
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Electricity
Production: 34,532 kW capacity; 90 million kWh produced, 395 kWh per capita (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Belize - Communication 1992
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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Belize - Military 1992
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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp:
exchange rate conversion - $4.8 million, 1.8% of
GDP (FY91)


Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Belize - Transportation 1992
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:
44 total, 34 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 2,439 m; 2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m


Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine:
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,127
GRT/5,885 DWT

Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


Belize - Transnational issues 1992
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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; eradication program cut marijuana production from 200 metric tons in 1987 to about 50 metric tons in 1991; transshipment point for cocaine


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