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Compare Bahamas, The (2008) - Belize (2001)
Compare Bahamas, The (2008) z Belize (2001)
| Bahamas, The (2008) | Belize (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 27% (male 41,268/female 41,186)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 99,961/female 103,230) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 8,176/female 11,834) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years:
42.04% (male 54,876; female 52,780) 15-64 years: 54.43% (male 70,534; female 68,837) 65 years and over: 3.53% (male 4,403; female 4,632) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | citrus, vegetables; poultry | bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp |
| Airports | 62 (2007) | 44 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 24
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2007) |
total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 22 (2007) |
total:
40 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 29 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
total:
22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
| Background | Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. | 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 | 17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $1.03 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05) |
revenues:
$157 million expenditures: $279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Capital | name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November |
Belmopan |
| Climate | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
| Coastline | 3,542 km | 386 km |
| Constitution | 10 July 1973 | 21 September 1981 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
| Currency | - | Belizean dollar (BZD) |
| Death rate | 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | $342.6 million (2004 est.) | $338 million (1998) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 356-3229 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Carolyn CURIEL embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO AA 34025 telephone: [501] (2) 77161 FAX: [501] (2) 30802 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York |
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 | disagrees with the US on the alignment of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian refugees in Bahamian waters | Guatemala periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize; to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala |
| Economic aid - recipient | $4.78 million (2004) | $NA |
| Economy - overview | The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. | 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 tough austerity program in 1997 resulted in an economic slowdown that continued in 1998. The trade deficit has been growing, mostly as a result of low export prices for sugar and bananas. The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999, supporting growth of 6% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. Aided by international donors, the government's key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.762 billion kWh (2005) | 172.1 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 1.894 billion kWh (2005) | 185 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
56.76% hydro: 43.24% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
| Environment - current issues | coral reef decay; solid waste disposal | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid 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 |
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 | black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% | mestizo 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3% |
| Exchange rates | Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003) | 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 Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation 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; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG (since 17 November 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Said MUSA (since 27 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; governor general appoints the member of the House of Representatives who is leader of the majority party to be prime minister |
| Exports | transshipments of 41,290 bbl/day (2004) | $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
| Exports - partners | Spain 22.3%, US 19.8%, Poland 13.5%, Germany 13%, UK 5.7%, Guatemala 4.9% (2006) | US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side | 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 - $790 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.) |
agriculture:
18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (2007 est.) | 4% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 24 15 N, 76 00 W | 17 15 N, 88 45 W |
| Geography - note | strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
| Heliports | 1 (2007) | - |
| Highways | - | total:
2,872 km paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: 27% (2000) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center | minor transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center |
| Imports | 68,250 bbl/day (2004) | $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals | machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
| Imports - partners | US 24.7%, Brazil 15.7%, Japan 13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Spain 6.2% (2006) | US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998) |
| Independence | 10 July 1973 (from UK) | 21 September 1981 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4.6% (1999) |
| Industries | tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 24.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.4% (2007 est.) | 2% (2000 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), 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 | 10 sq km (2003) | 20 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; magistrates courts | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) |
| Labor force | 181,900 (2006) | 71,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.) | agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005) |
arable land:
10% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 84% other: 3% (2000 est.) |
| Languages | English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
| Legal system | based on English common law | English law |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be called by May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18 |
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (eight members, five appointed on the advice of the prime minister, two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one by the governor general; 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 27 August 1998 (next to be held by NA August 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 59.2%, UDP 40.8%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 3 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 65.66 years
male: 62.37 years female: 69.02 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
71.19 years male: 68.91 years female: 73.57 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
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 | Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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: 1,213 ships (1000 GRT or over) 40,403,455 GRT/54,276,183 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 225, cargo 240, chemical tanker 84, combination ore/oil 13, container 72, liquefied gas 49, livestock carrier 2, passenger 117, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 196, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 39 foreign-owned: 1,134 (Angola 6, Australia 3, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 1, Canada 13, China 9, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 20, Denmark 66, Finland 8, France 43, Germany 40, Greece 214, Hong Kong 3, Iceland 1, Indonesia 3, Ireland 2, Italy 1, Japan 62, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 11, Monaco 11, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24, Nigeria 2, Norway 232, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Russia 5, Saudi Arabia 15, Singapore 9, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 11, Sweden 5, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 5, UAE 20, UK 68, US 162, Uruguay 1, Venezuela 1) registered in other countries: 3 (Barbados 1, Panama 2) (2007) |
total:
402 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,575,851 GRT/2,241,731 DWT ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 265, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 14, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 56, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cuba 1, Singapore 1, US 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military branches | Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007) | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $17 million (FY98/99) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.5% (2006) | 2.4% (FY98/99) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
62,698 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
37,174 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
2,847 (2001 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 10 July (1973) | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) |
| Nationality | noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
noun:
Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage | frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
| Natural resources | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | -2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] | People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW, Doug SINGH] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front |
| Population | 305,655
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.) |
256,062 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 9.3% (2004) | 33% (1999 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.602% (2007 est.) | 2.7% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006) | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 133,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census) | Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.002 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.968 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.691 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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 (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 2 (2007) |
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 | 133,100 (2005) | 31,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 227,800 (2005) | 3,023 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (2006) | 2 (1997) |
| Terrain | long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
| Total fertility rate | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% (2006 est.) | 12.8% (1999) |
| Waterways | - | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) |
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