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Compare Belize (2001) - Netherlands Antilles (2007)
Compare Belize (2001) z Netherlands Antilles (2007)
| Belize (2001) | Netherlands Antilles (2007) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government |
| 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: 23.6% (male 27,020/female 25,726)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 72,449/female 78,259) 65 years and over: 9% (male 8,243/female 11,955) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit |
| Airports | 44 (2000 est.) | 5 (2007) |
| 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: 5
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
| 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.) |
- |
| Area | total:
22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 960 sq km
land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin) |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | more than five 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. | Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion, called Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France. |
| Birth rate | 31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 14.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$157 million expenditures: $279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
revenues: $757.9 million
expenditures: $949.5 million (2004) |
| Capital | Belmopan | name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds |
| Coastline | 386 km | 364 km |
| Constitution | 21 September 1981 | 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended |
| Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen former: Curacao and Dependencies |
| Currency | Belizean dollar (BZD) | - |
| Death rate | 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $338 million (1998) | $2.68 billion (2004) |
| Dependency status | - | an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs |
| 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 |
chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 4613066 FAX: [599] (9) 4616489 |
| 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 |
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| 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 | $21.32 million
note: IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2004) |
| 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, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Most of the oil Netherlands Antilles imports for its refineries come from Venezuela. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population. |
| Electricity - consumption | 172.1 million kWh (1999) | 891 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 185 million kWh (1999) | 1.175 billion kWh (2005) |
| 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: Mount Scenery 862 m |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid waste disposal | NA |
| 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 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3% | mixed black 85%, other 15% (includes Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian) |
| Exchange rates | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) | Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002) |
| 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 BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2010) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP-St. M, UPB, WIPM Saba, DP-St. E |
| Exports | $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | petroleum products |
| Exports - partners | US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999) | US 28.5%, Panama 12%, Mexico 9.4%, Haiti 5.6%, Singapore 5.1%, Bahamas, The 4.5% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| 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 | white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2000 est.) | 1% (2004 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 12 15 N, 68 45 W |
| Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao); the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten |
| 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%: 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 | transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center |
| Imports | $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals | crude petroleum, food, manufactures |
| Imports - partners | US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998) | Venezuela 71.2%, US 10.4%, Italy 3.7% (2006) |
| Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.6% (1999) | NA% |
| Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction | tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) |
| Infant mortality rate | 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 9.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.33 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2000 est.) | 2.1% (2003 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 | Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | 20 sq km (1993 est.) | NA |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) |
| Labor force | 71,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
83,600 (2005) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994) | agriculture: 1%
industry: 20% services: 79% (2005 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total:
516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
total: 15 km
border countries: Saint Martin 15 km |
| Land use | arable land:
10% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 84% other: 3% (2000 est.) |
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2005) |
| Languages | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole | Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) |
| Legal system | English law | based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence |
| 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 |
unicameral States or Staten (22 seats, Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP-St. E 1, DP-St. M 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1 note: the government is a coalition of several parties |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
71.19 years male: 68.91 years female: 73.57 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 76.24 years
male: 73.96 years female: 78.65 years (2007 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 can read and write
total population: 96.7% male: 96.7% female: 96.8% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands |
| 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
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
| 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: 138 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,096,005 GRT/1,437,692 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 4, cargo 70, carrier 12, chemical tanker 3, container 10, liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 25, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 125 (Belgium 1, Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 48, Netherlands 53, Norway 5, Sweden 3, Turkey 12, US 1) (2007) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Military branches | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) | no regular military forces; National Guard, Police Force (2005) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $17 million (FY98/99) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 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, 21 September (1981) | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980) |
| Nationality | noun:
Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean |
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean |
| Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October |
| Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW, Doug SINGH] | Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO]; Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT] Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL] Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St. Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD] Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St. Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party [Bienvenido RICHARDSON] note: political parties are indigenous to each island |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front | Unions (AVBO) and Employers Association (VBC) |
| Population | 256,062 (July 2001 est.) | 223,652 (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 33% (1999 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.7% (2001 est.) | 0.777% (2007 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2003) |
| 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) | Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census) |
| 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: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.926 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.929 male(s)/female (2007 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: generally adequate facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 31,000 (1997) | 81,000 (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,023 (1997) | 200,000 (2004) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and 4 Venezuelan channels) (2003) |
| Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | generally hilly, volcanic interiors |
| Total fertility rate | 4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.99 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 12.8% (1999) | 17% (2002 est.) |
| Waterways | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) | - |
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