Belize (2005) | Somalia (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | 18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed |
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.) |
0-14 years:
44.54% (male 1,670,320; female 1,665,329) 15-64 years: 52.69% (male 1,993,750; female 1,952,437) 65 years and over: 2.77% (male 91,511; female 115,426) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments | cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish |
Airports | 43 (2004 est.) | 62 (2000 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.) |
total:
5 over 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 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.) |
total:
57 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total:
637,657 sq km land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | slightly smaller than Texas |
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 increasing urban crime. | A SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy followed for nine years. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland which now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of the ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal comprise a neighboring self-declared Republic of Puntland, which has also made strides towards reconstructing legitimate, representative government. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. A Transitional National Government (TNG) was created in October 2000 in Arta, Djibouti which was attended by a broad representation of Somali clans. The TNG has a three-year mandate to create a permanent national Somali government. The TNG does not recognize Somaliland or Puntland as independent republics but so far has been unable to reunite them with the unstable regions in the south; numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of Mogadishu and the other southern regions. |
Birth rate | 29.34 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 47.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $244.5 million
expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2004 est.) |
revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | Belmopan | Mogadishu |
Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons |
Coastline | 386 km | 3,025 km |
Constitution | 21 September 1981 | 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in October 2000 has a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within three years |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic |
Currency | - | Somali shilling (SOS) |
Death rate | 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 18.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) | $2.6 billion (1999 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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mail address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 334141; FAX [254] (2) 340838 |
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 |
Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991) |
Disputes - international | 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 | most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $191.5 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | 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. | One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock and bananas are the principal exports; sugar, sorghum, corn, fish, and qat are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. Moreover, ongoing civil disturbances in Mogadishu and outlying areas have interfered with any substantial economic advance and with international aid arrangements. Due to the civil strife, economic data is susceptible to an exceptionally wide margin of error. |
Electricity - consumption | 108.8 million kWh (2002) | 241.8 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 117 million kWh (2002) | 260 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal | famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
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:
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban |
Ethnic groups | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% | Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000 |
Exchange rates | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000) | Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993)
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling |
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 |
chief of state:
ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan (since 26 August 2000); note - Interim President ABDIKASSIM was chosen for a three-year term by a 245-member National Assembly serving as a transitional government; the present political situation is still unstable, particularly in the south, with interclan fighting and random banditry head of government: ALI Khalifa Galaydh, appointed by the president 8 October 2000 cabinet: appointed by the prime minister and sworn in on 20 October 2000 election results: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan was elected president of an interim government at the Djibouti-sponsored Arta Peace Conference on 26 August 2000 by a broad representation of Somali clans that comprised a transitional National Assembly. |
Exports | NA | $186 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | livestock, bananas, hides, fish (1999) |
Exports - partners | US 37.2%, UK 26.8%, Jamaica 4.6% (2004) | Saudi Arabia 53%, Yemen 19%, UAE 14%, Italy 5%, Pakistan 2% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | NA |
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 | light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory) |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 15% services: 67.3% (2003 est.) |
agriculture:
60% industry: 10% (largely shut down in 2000) services: 30% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 10 00 N, 49 00 E |
Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal |
Highways | total: 2,872 km
paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.) |
total:
22,100 km paved: 2,608 km unpaved: 19,492 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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 | $314 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials (1995) |
Imports - partners | US 30.1%, Mexico 12%, Guatemala 7.4%, Cuba 7.2%, China 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2004) | Djibouti 24%, Kenya 14%, Brazil 13%, Saudi Arabia 10%, India 9% (1999) |
Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.6% (1999) | NA% |
Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction | a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication |
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.) |
123.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.9% (2004 est.) | over 100% (businesses print their own money) (2000 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 | ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (1998 est.) | 1,800 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) | following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences |
Labor force | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) |
3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) (1993 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) | agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% |
Land boundaries | total: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
total:
2,366 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001) |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 69% forests and woodland: 26% other: 3% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole | Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English |
Legal system | English law | NA |
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 |
unicameral People's Assembly or Golaha Shacbiga
note: fledgling parliament; a transitional 245-member National Assembly began to meet on 13 August 2000 in the town of Arta, Djibouti and is now based in Mogadishu |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 68.44 years
male: 66.54 years female: 70.44 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
46.6 years male: 44.99 years female: 48.25 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14% (1990 est.) |
Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
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 |
territorial sea:
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) |
none (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard | A Somali National Army is being reformed under the interim government; numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $18 million (2003) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2% (2003) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
1,825,302 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
1,011,400 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) | Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960) |
Nationality | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
noun:
Somali(s) adjective: Somali |
Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season |
Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 15 km |
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] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] | numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power |
Population | 279,457 (July 2005 est.) | 7,488,773
note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 33% (1999 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.33% (2005 est.) | 3.48% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Belize City | Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 4 (1988) |
Radios | - | 470,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
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) | Sunni Muslim |
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.) |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 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: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers international: international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite |
Telephones - main lines in use | 33,300 (2003) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 60,400 (2003) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north |
Total fertility rate | 3.68 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 7.11 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12.9% (2003) | NA% |
Waterways | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004) | none |