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 1854. 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. Guatemala and Belize plan to hold a simultaneous referendum to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague though they have not yet set a date. 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 prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS in Central America.

Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N 88 45 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 22,966 km²
Rank: 152
Land: 22,806 km²
Water: 160 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
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
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Doyle's Delight 1160 m

Natural resources: arable land: potential timber fish hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 3.05%
Permanent crops: 1.39%
Other: 95.56% (2005)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 18.6 km³ (2000)

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: 321,115 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 177
Growth rate: 2.056% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 45
Below poverty line: 43% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Belizean
Adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups: mestizo 48.7% Creole 24.9% Maya 10.6% Garifuna 6.1% other 9.7% (2000 census)

Languages: Spanish 46% Creole 32.9% Mayan dialects 8.9% English 3.9% (official) Garifuna 3.4% (Carib) German 3.3% other 1.4% unknown 0.2% (2000 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6% Protestant 25.5% (Pentecostal 7.4% Anglican 5.3% Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2% Mennonite 4.1% Methodist 3.5%) Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5% other 14% none 9.4% (2000)

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.8%
15-64 years: 59.6% (male 96,886/female 94,605)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 5,404/female 5,960) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 21 years
Male: 20.8 years
Female: 21.2 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.056% (2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Birth rate: 26.43 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 53

Death rate: 5.87 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 169

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 75

Urbanization
Urban population: 52% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 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 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.95 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 91
Male: 24.43 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.35 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.23 years
Rank: 154
Male: 66.53 years
Female: 70.02 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.21 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.828 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 110

Hospital bed density: 1.1 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 144

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 28
People living with hivaids: 4,800 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 119
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 82

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.9% (2006)
Rank: 86

Education expenditures: 5.7% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 36

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 76.9%
Male: 76.7%
Female: 77.1% (2000 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2009)

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

Government type: parliamentary democracy and 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

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 21 September (1981)

Constitution: 21 September 1981

Legal system: English common law

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from the General Assembly
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; 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 and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives - last held on 6 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
Election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 56.3% PUP 40.9%; seats by party - UDP 25 PUP 6

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) and District Courts (civil jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; People's National Party or PNP [Wil MAHEIA]; People's United Party or PUP [John BRICENO]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW]; Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Paul MORGAN]; We the People Reform Movement or WTP [Hipolito BAUTISTA]

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS C Caricom CDB FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ITU LAES MIGA NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA PetroCaribe RG SICA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nestor MENDEZ
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 general: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Vinai THUMMALAPALLY
From the us embassy: 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: [501] 822-4,011
From the us fax: [501] 822-4,012

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 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

National symbols: Baird's tapir (a large browsing forest-dwelling mammal); keel-billed toucan

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)

Economy overview: Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy followed by exports of marine products citrus cane sugar bananas and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies initiated in September 1998 led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered this growth. Exploration efforts have continued and production has increased a small amount. In February 2007 the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt which helped reduce interest payments and relieved some of the country's liquidity concerns. Growth slipped to 0% in 2009 and 1.5% in 2010 as a result of the global slowdown natural disasters and the drop in the price of oil. With weak economic growth and a large public debt burden fiscal spending is likely to be tight. A key government objective remains the reduction of poverty and inequality with the help of international donors. Although Belize has the second highest per capita income in Central America the average income figure masks a huge income disparity between rich and poor. The 2010 Poverty Assessment shows that more than 4 out of 10 people live in poverty. The sizable trade deficit and heavy foreign debt burden continue to be major concerns.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 181
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 145

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 118
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 21.6%
Industry: 20.2%
Services: 58.2% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: garment production food processing tourism construction oil

Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2010 est.)
Rank: 143

Labor force: 120,500
Rank: 178
Note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2008 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 10.2%
By occupation industry: 18.1%
By occupation services: 71.7% (2007)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (2008)
Rank: 138

Population below poverty line: 43% (2010 est.)

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

Budget
Revenues: $350 million
Expenditures: $400 million (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 112

Taxes and other revenues: 25.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 125

Public debt: 83.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 17

Inflation rate consumer prices: -1.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 20

Central bank discount rate: 12% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 21

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.1% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 69

Stock of narrow money: $356.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 165

Stock of broad money: $1.084 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 156

Stock of domestic credit: $1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 153

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$82.8 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 68

Exports: $383.9 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 170
Commodities: sugar bananas citrus clothing fish products molasses wood crude oil
Partners: US 30.3% UK 20.8% Costa Rica 12.7% Cote dIvoire 4.6% Nigeria 4.6% (2010)

Imports: $620.5 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 183
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods; fuels chemicals pharmaceuticals; food beverages tobacco
Partners: US 34% Mexico 14.3% Cuba 9.5% Guatemala 7.6% China 4.7% Trinidad and Tobago 4.3% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $213.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 164

Debt external: $954.1 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 151

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 215.5 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 176
Consumption: 200.4 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 182
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 156
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 151
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 61
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 88
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 113

Telephones
Main lines in use: 30,300 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 181
Mobile cellular: 194,200 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 177

Telephone system
General assessment: above-average system; trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity of 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 60 per 100 persons
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) (2008)

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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bz
Hosts: 2,880 (2010)
Hosts rank: 147
Users: 36,000 (2009)
Users rank: 178

Military expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 105

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; law allows for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2008)

Airports: 45 (2010)
Rank: 96
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 41
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 27 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 3,007 km
Rank: 166
Paved: 575 km
Unpaved: 2,432 km (2006)

Waterways: 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2010)
Rank: 71

Merchant marine
Total: 231
Rank: 33
By type: barge carrier 1 bulk carrier 37 cargo 146 chemical tanker 1 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 7 refrigerated cargo 27 roll on/roll off 10
Foreign owned: 171 (Chile 1 China 64 Croatia 1 Cyprus 1 Estonia 1 Germany 1 Greece 2 Iceland 2 Italy 3 Japan 1 Latvia 10 Lithuania 2 Netherlands 1 Nigeria 2 Norway 3 Peru 1 Russia 32 Singapore 7 Spain 1 Syria 2 Turkey 18 UAE 5 UK 4 Ukraine 6) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Belize City Big Creek

Disputes international: Guatemala persists in its territorial claim to half of Belize but agrees to Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interior; Belize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity rela