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Compare Belize (2001) - Saint Lucia (2008)

Compare Belize (2001) z Saint Lucia (2008)

 Belize (2001)Saint Lucia (2008)
 BelizeSaint Lucia
Administrative divisions 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
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: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Airports 44 (2000 est.) 2 (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: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 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: 616 sq km


land: 606 sq km


water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts 3.5 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 island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
Birth rate 31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues:
$157 million

expenditures:
$279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
revenues: $141.2 million


expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.)
Capital Belmopan name: Castries


geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 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, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Coastline 386 km 158 km
Constitution 21 September 1981 22 February 1979
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Belize

former:
British Honduras
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Currency Belizean dollar (BZD) -
Death rate 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $338 million (1998) $257 million (2004)
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 Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
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 Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY


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


telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795


FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723


consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
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 joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Economic aid - recipient $NA $11.06 million (2005)
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. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including declines in European Union banana preferences, volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. High debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced.
Electricity - consumption 172.1 million kWh (1999) 282.9 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) 304.2 million 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 Gimie 950 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid waste disposal deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
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, Wetlands, 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 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
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 Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)


head of government: Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007


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


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Exports $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999) France 69.7%, US 10.2%, UK 8.8% (2006)
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 blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
GDP purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
18%

industry:
24%

services:
58% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 5%


industry: 15%


services: 80% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2000 est.) 5.1% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W 13 53 N, 60 58 W
Geography - note only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean
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 transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Imports $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) 2,678 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998) US 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Italy 12.3%, France 11.8%, Venezuela 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8% (2006)
Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) 22 February 1979 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 4.6% (1999) -8.9% (1997 est.)
Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing
Infant mortality rate 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2000 est.) 2.9% (2005 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 ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) -
Irrigated land 20 sq km (1993 est.) 30 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Labor force 71,000

note:
shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)
43,800 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994) agriculture: 21.7%


industry: 24.7%


services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
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: 6.45%


permanent crops: 22.58%


other: 70.97% (2005)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole English (official), French patois
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 (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011)


election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
Life expectancy at birth total population:
71.19 years

male:
68.91 years

female:
73.57 years (2001 est.)
total population: 74.08 years


male: 70.53 years


female: 77.88 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 has ever attended school


total population: 90.1%


male: 89.5%


female: 90.6% (2001 est.)
Location Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
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.)
-
Military branches Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $17 million (FY98/99) -
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, 22 February (1979)
Nationality noun:
Belizean(s)

adjective:
Belizean
noun: Saint Lucian(s)


adjective: Saint Lucian
Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) hurricanes and volcanic activity
Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -1.28 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] National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Sir John COMPTON]
Political pressure groups and leaders Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front NA
Population 256,062 (July 2001 est.) 170,649 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (1999 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 2.7% (2001 est.) 1.297% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 7, 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 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (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: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female


total population: 0.974 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: adequate system


domestic: system is automatically switched


international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados
Telephones - main lines in use 31,000 (1997) 51,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,023 (1997) 105,700 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)
Terrain flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Total fertility rate 4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 12.8% (1999) 20% (2003 est.)
Waterways 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) -
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