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Compare Arctic Ocean (2001) - Belize (2002)
Compare Arctic Ocean (2001) z Belize (2002)
| Arctic Ocean (2001) | Belize (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 55,716; female 53,581)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 73,068; female 71,368) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,511; female 4,755) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp |
| Airports | - | 44 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 27 (2002) |
| Area | total:
14.056 million sq km note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies |
total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
| Background | The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean. | 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. |
| Birth rate | - | 31.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: $186 million
expenditures: $253 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
| Capital | - | Belmopan |
| Climate | polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
| Coastline | 45,389 km | 386 km |
| Constitution | - | 21 September 1981 |
| Country name | - | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
| Currency | - | Belizean dollar (BZD) |
| Death rate | - | 4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $500 million (2000 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | - | chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO AA 34025 telephone: [501] 227-7161 FAX: [501] 230-802 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | - | chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
| Disputes - international | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) | the "Line of Adjacency" established in 2000 as an agreed limit to check squatters settling in Belize, remains in place while the Organization of American States (OAS) assists states to resolve Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize and Guatemalan maritime access to the Caribbean Sea; Honduras claims the Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
| Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals. | The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.4% in 1999 and 10.5% in 2000. Growth decelerated in 2001 to 3% due to the global slowdown and severe hurricane damage to agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Major concerns continue to be the rapidly expanding trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. |
| Electricity - consumption | - | 178.56 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | - | 192 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Fram Basin -4,665 m highest point: sea level 0 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
| Environment - current issues | endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | - | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% |
| Exchange rates | - | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
| 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 |
| Exports | - | $239.6 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | - | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
| Exports - partners | - | EU 45% (UK 33%), US 42%, Caricom 6%, Canada 1% (1999) |
| Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
| 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 |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $830 million (2001 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 18%
industry: 24% services: 58% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 3% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 90 00 N, 0 00 E | 17 15 N, 88 45 W |
| Geography - note | major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
| Highways | - | total: 2,880 km
paved: 490 km unpaved: 2,390 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| 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 |
| Imports | - | $505 million c.i.f. (2001 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | - | machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
| Imports - partners | - | US 51%, Mexico 12%, Central America 5%, UK 4% (1999) |
| Independence | - | 21 September 1981 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | 4.6% (1999) (1999) |
| Industries | - | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction |
| Infant mortality rate | - | 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1.7% (2001 est.) |
| International organization participation | - | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, 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 |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | - | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) |
| Labor force | - | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) |
| Land boundaries | - | total: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
| Land use | - | arable land: 2.81%
permanent crops: 1.1% other: 96.09% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | - | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
| Legal system | - | English law |
| Legislative branch | - | bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members appointed by the governor general - six on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one 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; members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
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 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 71.46 years
male: 69.17 years female: 73.87 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.3% male: 70.3% female: 70.3% (1991 est.) note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75% |
| Location | body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
| Map references | Arctic Region | Central America and the Caribbean |
| 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 |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 315 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240,551 GRT/1,761,168 DWT
ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 204, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 12, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 39, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, 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.) |
| Military branches | - | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $7.7 million (FY00/01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.87% (FY00/01) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 64,909 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 38,472 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 2,847 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | - | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) |
| Nationality | - | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
| Natural hazards | ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
| Natural resources | sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] |
| Population | - | 262,999 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | 33% (1999 est.) |
| Population growth rate | - | 2.65% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US) | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
| Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 133,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| 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) |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | - | general assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | - | 31,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 3,023 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | - | 2 (1997) |
| Terrain | central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge) | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
| Total fertility rate | - | 3.96 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 11.5% (2000) (2000) |
| Waterways | - | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) |
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