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.

Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N 88 45 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

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

Land boundaries
Total: 516 km
Border countries: (2) Guatemala 266 km; , Mexico 250 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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 the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala

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
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m

Natural resources: arable land: potential timber fish hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 2.81%
Permanent crops: 1.1%
Other: 96.09% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 266,440 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 2.44% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 33% (1999 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Belizean
Adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups: mestizo 48.7% Creole 24.9% Maya 10.6% Garifuna 6.1% other 9.7%

Languages: English (official) Spanish Mayan Garifuna (Carib) Creole

Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6% Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3% Methodist 3.5% Mennonite 4.1% Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2% Pentecostal 7.4% Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%) none 9.4% other 14% (2000)

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.1% (male 55,880; female 53,706)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 74,612; female 72,813)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,571; female 4,858) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.9 years
Male: 18.8 years
Female: 19 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 2.44% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 30.46 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 6.05 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage industrial effluents agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male/female
Total population: 1.03 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 27.07 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 23.42 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 30.56 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.36 years
Male: 65.19 years
Female: 69.63 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 2,500 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 300 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.1%
Male: 94.1%
Female: 94.1% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Belize
Former: British Honduras

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Belmopan

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

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 21 September (1981)

Constitution: 21 September 1981

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28 August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September 1998)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch
Elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2008)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)

Political parties and leaders: People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW party leader; Douglas SINGH party chairman]

International organization participation: ACP C Caricom CDB ECLAC FAO G-77 IADB IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ITU LAES NAM OAS OPANAL UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-6,888
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-9,636
In the us chancery: 2,535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
From the us embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7,401, APO AA 34,025
From the us telephone: [501] 227-7,161 through 7,163
From the us fax: [501] 30,802

Flag description: 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

Economy overview: In this small essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by cane sugar citrus marine products bananas and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies initiated in September 1998 led to GDP growth of 6.5% in 1999 10.8% in 2000 4.6% in 2001 and 3.7% in 2002. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.7% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 18%
Industry: 24%
Services: 58% (2001 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas coca citrus sugar; fish cultured shrimp; lumber; garments

Industries: garment production food processing tourism construction

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (1999)

Labor force
Note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel
By occupation agriculture: 27%
By occupation industry: 18%
By occupation services: 55% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (2002)

Population below poverty line: 33% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $224 million
Expenditures: $209 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2002 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.9% (2002 est.)

Exports: $290 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: sugar bananas citrus clothing fish products molasses wood
Partners: US 40.5% UK 23.2% Peru 8.3% (2002)

Imports: $430 million c.i.f. (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods; fuels chemicals pharmaceuticals; food beverages tobacco
Partners: US 35.7% Mexico 10.1% Netherlands Antilles 6.1% Japan 5.9% Cuba 5.7% UK 5.4% (2002)

Debt external: $475 million (2001 est.)

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2002) 2 (2001) 2 (2000) 2 (1999) 2 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 199.5 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 59.9%
Production by source hydro: 40.1%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 185.5 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 31,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 3,023 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: above-average system
Domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .bz
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 18,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $7.7 million (FY00/01)
Percent of gdp: 1.87% (FY00/01)

Airports: 42 (2002)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 38
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 27 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

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

Merchant marine
Total: 292 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,030,141 GRT/1,499,777 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 15, cargo 200, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 1, container 12, petroleum tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 1
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 2, Belgium 3, British Virgin Islands 6, Cambodia 1, China 38, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 1, Equatorial Guinea 1, Eritrea 1, Estonia 7, Germany 3, Greece 4, Grenada 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 20, Indonesia 6, Italy 2, Japan 4, Jordan 1, Lebanon 1, Liberia 5, Malaysia 3, Malta 2, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 13, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 12, Philippines 4, Portugal 1, Romania 1, Russia 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 22, South Korea 10, Spain 4, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, Thailand 6, Tunisia 1, Turkey 1, Ukraine 3, United Arab Emirates 9, United Kingdom 2, United States 4, Virgin Islands (UK) 6, Yemen 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: Guatemala has claimed half of southern Belize; Guatemalan squatters continue to settle along the border despite a 2000 agreement; OAS brokered a Differendum in 2002 that created a small adjustment to land boundary a large Guatemalan maritime corridor in the Caribbean a joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays and a substantial US-UK financial package but agreement was not brought to a popular referendum

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; some money-laundering activity related to offshore sector