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Compare Belize (2001) - Antigua and Barbuda (2004)

Compare Belize (2001) z Antigua and Barbuda (2004)

 Belize (2001)Antigua and Barbuda (2004)
 BelizeAntigua and Barbuda
Administrative divisions 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 9,761; female 9,429)


15-64 years: 67.6% (male 23,179; female 23,023)


65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,151; female 1,777) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Airports 44 (2000 est.) 3 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
40

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
29 (2000 est.)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total:
22,966 sq km

land:
22,806 sq km

water:
160 sq km
total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)


land: 443 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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. The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
Birth rate 31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 17.7 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$157 million

expenditures:
$279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
revenues: $123.7 million


expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
Capital Belmopan Saint John's (Antigua)
Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) tropical; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 386 km 153 km
Constitution 21 September 1981 1 November 1981
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Belize

former:
British Honduras
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Currency Belizean dollar (BZD) East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Death rate 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $338 million (1998) $231 million (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel A. HURST


chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016


telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122


FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225


consulate(s) general: Miami
Disputes - international 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 none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $2.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview 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. Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.
Electricity - consumption 172.1 million kWh (1999) 97.89 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 185 million kWh (1999) 105.3 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
56.76%

hydro:
43.24%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m

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


highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid waste disposal water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mestizo 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3% black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998) (fixed rate since 1976)
Executive branch 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
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)


head of government: Prime Minister Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; 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
Exports $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%
Exports - partners US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999) Germany 84.9%, UK 3.8%, US 3.3% (2003)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 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 red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band
GDP purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $750 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
18%

industry:
24%

services:
58% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 3.9%


industry: 19.2%


services: 76.8% (2002)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2000 est.) 3% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W 17 03 N, 61 48 W
Geography - note only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor
Highways total:
2,872 km

paved:
488 km

unpaved:
2,384 km (1998 est.)
total: 250 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs minor transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center
Imports $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports - partners US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998) US 26.5%, Singapore 10%, Poland 7%, Germany 6.1%, UK 6.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2003)
Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) 1 November 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 4.6% (1999) 6% (1997 est.)
Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Infant mortality rate 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 24.29 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2000 est.) 0.4% (2000 est.)
International organization participation 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 ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) -
Irrigated land 20 sq km (1993 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Labor force 71,000

note:
shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)
30,000
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994) agriculture 7%, industry 11%, services 82% (1983)
Land boundaries total:
516 km

border countries:
Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
0 km
Land use arable land:
10%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
2%

forests and woodland:
84%

other:
3% (2000 est.)
arable land: 18.18%


permanent crops: 4.55%


other: 77.27% (2001)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole English (official), local dialects
Legal system English law based on English common law
Legislative branch 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
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 12, contested 1; note - new election will decide the contested seat
Life expectancy at birth total population:
71.19 years

male:
68.91 years

female:
73.57 years (2001 est.)
total population: 71.6 years


male: 69.26 years


female: 74.07 years (2004 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%
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 89%


male: 90%


female: 88% (1960 est.)
Location Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Central America and the Caribbean 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
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine 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.)
total: 867 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,873,626 GRT/7,683,143 DWT


by type: bulk 25, cargo 477, chemical tanker 13, container 284, liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large load carrier 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 32, vehicle carrier 1


foreign-owned: Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 3, Colombia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 3, France 1, Germany 818, Greece 2, Iceland 5, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 2, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 19, New Zealand 1, Norway 2, Portugal 1, Slovenia 5, Sweden 2, Switzerland 5, Turkey 3, United States 10


registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)
Military branches Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (including Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $17 million (FY98/99) NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.4% (FY98/99) NA
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, 21 September (1981) Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)
Nationality noun:
Belizean(s)

adjective:
Belizean
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)


adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW, Doug SINGH] Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM)
Political pressure groups and leaders Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
Population 256,062 (July 2001 est.) 68,320 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (1999 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.7% (2001 est.) 0.6% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda Saint John's
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 133,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions 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) Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)
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 (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 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)
general assessment: NA


domestic: good automatic telephone system


international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe
Telephones - main lines in use 31,000 (1997) 38,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,023 (1997) 38,200 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 2 (1997)
Terrain flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Total fertility rate 4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.27 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 12.8% (1999) 11% (2001 est.)
Waterways 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) -
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