Map of Belize | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 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. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.


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

Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 22,966 km²
Land: 22,806 km²
Water: 160 km²
Rank: 152
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries
Total: 542 km
Border countries: (2) Guatemala 266 km; , Mexico 276 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims
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

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

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

Elevation
Mean elevation: 173 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Caribbean Sea

Natural resources: arable land: potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 6.9% (2011 est.)
Forest: 60.6% (2011 est.)
Other: 32.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 35 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


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Population
Distribution: 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: 385,854 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 177
Growth rate: 1.8% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 57
Below poverty line: 41% (2013 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Belizean(s)
Adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions: 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.)

Demographic profile: 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 33.61% (male 66,207 /female 63,466)
15-24 years: 18.74% (male 37,184 /female 35,127)
25-54 years: 37.43% (male 70,222 /female 74,187)
55-64 years: 5.88% (male 11,397 /female 11,284)
65 years and over: 4.35% (male 8,293 /female 8,487) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 56.8 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 50.9 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 17 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 23.7 years
Male: 23.2 years
Female: 24.4 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 168

Population growth rate: 1.8% (2018 est.)
Rank: 57

Birth rate: 22.9 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 63

Death rate: 4.2 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 206

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 73

Population distribution: 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 45.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.32% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 13.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 10.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 114

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 73.1 years (2018 est.)
Female: 76.3 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 122

Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 60

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 51.4% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.1% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.77 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 6.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 11.8% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 9.5% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 26
People living with hivaids: 4,500 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 118
Deaths note: <200 (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2016): note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24.1% (2016)
Rank: 60

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.6% (2015)
Rank: 84

Education expenditures: 7.4% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 14

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years (2015)
Male: 13 years (2015)
Female: 13 years (2015)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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

Government type: parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; 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)

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from the UK)

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

Constitution
History: previous 1954, 1963 (preindependence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981 (2018)
Amendments: proposed and adopted by two-thirds majority vote by 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 by the House; both types of amendments require assent by the governor general; amended several times, last in 2018 (2018)

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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 Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Patrick FABER (since 7 June 2016)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Assembly
Electionsappointments: 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

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral National Assembly consists of:
Elections:
Election results:: note: House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020)

Judicial branch
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 2 judges); 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: Magistrate Courts; Family Court

Political parties and leaders: 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]

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Daniel GUTIEREZ (since 21 July 2017)
In the us chancery: 2,535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-9,636
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 332-6,888
In the us consulate:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Keith R. GILGES (since 24 July 2018)
From the us embassy: 4 Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize
From the us telephone: [011] (501) 822-4,011
From the us FAX: [011] (501) 822-4,012

Flag description:

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

National anthem
Name: Land of the Free
Lyricsmusic: 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)

National heritage


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Economy overview: 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 187

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 186

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 149

Gross national saving:
Rank: 157

Gdp composition by end use
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.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 21.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 68% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber

Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

Industrial production growth rate: -0.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 172

Labor force:
Rank: 180
By occupation agriculture: 10.2%
By occupation industry: 18.1%
By occupation services: 71.7% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 130

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 41% (2013 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 553.5 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 572 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 75

Taxes and other revenues: 29.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 78

Public debt:
Rank: 17

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 55

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 26

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 91

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 162

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 166

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 163

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 91

Exports:
Rank: 178
Partners: UK 33.9%, US 22%, Jamaica 6.7%, Italy 6.4%, Barbados 5.9%, Ireland 5.5%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017)
Commodities: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil

Imports:
Rank: 187
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Partners: US 35.6%, China 11.2%, Mexico 11.2%, Guatemala 6.9% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 167

Debt external:
Rank: 162

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 280 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 186
Consumption: 453 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 172
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 105
Imports: 243 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 92
Installed generating capacity: 198,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 165
Generation sources fossil fuels: 51% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 147
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 48
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 27% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 73
Generation sources other renewable sources: 22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 33

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 86
Crude oil exports: 1220 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 73
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 95
Crude oil proven reserves: 6.7 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 93

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 36 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 109
Products consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 182
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 130
Products imports: 4,161 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 176

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 103
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 120
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 68
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 90
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 110

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 556,700 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 183

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 23,000 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 171
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 227,000 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 181

Telephone system
General assessment: govt telecome company, BTL, continues to hold a monopoly in fixed-line services and mobile and broadband fixed-line teledensity; small market, underinvestment with lack of competion, yet BTL reports stable telecome revenue for fiscal 2017 (2017)
Domestic: mobile sector accounting for over 90% of all phone subscriptions; 6 per 100 fixed-line; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 65 per 100 persons (2017)
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); mid-2017 completing a submarine cable to Ambergris Caye; SEUL submarine cable connecting the mainland with Ambergris Caye completed (2017)

Broadcast media: 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 (2009)

Internet
Country code: .bz
Users total: 157,735 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 44.6% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 173

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 22,000 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2017 est.)
Rank: 149


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 101

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 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)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 28 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 935,603 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,463,420
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: V3 (2016)

Airports: 47 (2013)
Rank: 91
With paved runways total: 6 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 41 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 29 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 2,870 km (2011)
Paved: 488 km (2011)
Unpaved: 2,382 km (2011)
Rank: 169

Waterways: 825 km
Note: (navigable only by small craft) (2011)
Rank: 70

Merchant marine
Total: 756 (2017)
By type: bulk carrier 53, container ship 3, general cargo 373, oil tanker 55, other 272 (2017)
Rank: 29

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Belize City, Big Creek


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Disputes international: 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 interiorboth 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 indefinitelyBelize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: 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