Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Atlantic Ocean (2005) - Belize (2005)

Compare Atlantic Ocean (2005) z Belize (2005)

 Atlantic Ocean (2005)Belize (2005)
 Atlantic OceanBelize
Administrative divisions - 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Age structure - 0-14 years: 40.1% (male 57,114/female 54,877)


15-64 years: 56.4% (male 79,694/female 77,881)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,768/female 5,123) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
Airports - 43 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways - total: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 38


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
Area total: 76.762 million sq km


note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
total: 22,966 sq km


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Background The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south. 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 increasing urban crime.
Birth rate - 29.34 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget - revenues: $244.5 million


expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2004 est.)
Capital - Belmopan
Climate tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Coastline 111,866 km 386 km
Constitution - 21 September 1981
Country name - conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
Death rate - 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN


embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City


mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City


telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163


FAX: [501] 2-30802
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) Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS is attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial US-UK financial package
Economic aid - recipient - NA
Economy - overview The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea). In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 6% in 1999-2004. 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.
Electricity - consumption - 108.8 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production - 117 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 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 the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
Environment - 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


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 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000)
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 - NA
Exports - commodities - sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners - US 37.2%, UK 26.8%, Jamaica 4.6% (2004)
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 - composition by sector - agriculture: 17.7%


industry: 15%


services: 67.3% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.5% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 0 00 N, 25 00 W 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Geography - note major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
Highways - total: 2,872 km


paved: 488 km


unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 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; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector
Imports - NA
Imports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners - US 30.1%, Mexico 12%, Guatemala 7.4%, Cuba 7.2%, China 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2004)
Independence - 21 September 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.6% (1999)
Industries - garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Infant mortality rate - total: 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 28.97 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 22.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.9% (2004 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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 (2001 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: 2.85%


permanent crops: 1.71%


other: 95.44% (2001)
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 March 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 68.44 years


male: 66.54 years


female: 70.44 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 94.1%


male: 94.1%


female: 94.1% (2003 est.)
Location body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Map references Political Map of the World Central America and the Caribbean
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
Merchant marine - total: 295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 207, chemical tanker 9, container 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 5


foreign-owned: 142 (Australia 2, Belgium 1, China 50, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 9, Germany 4, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 3, Italy 2, Japan 5, Latvia 4, Malaysia 1, Nigeria 1, Pakistan 1, Poland 2, Russia 23, Singapore 5, South Korea 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 4, UAE 3, United States 2) (2005)
Military branches - Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $18 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2% (2003)
National holiday - Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Nationality - noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
Natural hazards icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December) frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Natural resources oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 - 279,457 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - 33% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.33% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) Belize City
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions - Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (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)
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: 0.93 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: above-average system


domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay


international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use - 33,300 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 60,400 (2003)
Television broadcast stations - 2 (1997)
Terrain surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Total fertility rate - 3.68 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Transportation - note Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways; significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US -
Unemployment rate - 12.9% (2003)
Waterways - 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004)
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.