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Compare Belize (2006) - Antigua and Barbuda (2005)

Compare Belize (2006) z Antigua and Barbuda (2005)

 Belize (2006)Antigua and Barbuda (2005)
 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: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678)


15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 27.9% (male 9,767/female 9,427)


15-64 years: 68% (male 23,466/female 23,250)


65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,085/female 1,727) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Airports 43 (2006) 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 38


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 26 (2006)
total: 1


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


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)


land: 442.6 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 Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increasing 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 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 17.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $262 million


expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.)
revenues: $123.7 million


expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
Capital name: Belmopan


geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Saint John's (Antigua)
Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) tropical maritime; 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
Death rate 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 5.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) $231 million (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER


embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City


mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City


telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163


FAX: [501] 223-0802
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados 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 Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS seeks to revive the 2002 failed Belize-Guatemala 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 none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $2.3 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 5% in 1999-2005. 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. 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 111.6 million kWh (2003) 103 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 120 million kWh (2003) 110.8 million kWh (2002)
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 and sewage 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, 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, 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 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001) East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)


note: fixed rate since 1976
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)


head of government: Prime Minister Winston 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 NA bbl/day NA
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 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) Poland 47.8%, UK 24.6%, Germany 8.7% (2004)
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 - composition by sector agriculture: 14.2%


industry: 15.2%


services: 61.2% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 3.9%


industry: 19.2%


services: 76.8% (2002)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.8% (2005 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: 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 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 considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center
Imports NA bbl/day NA
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports - partners US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005) China 19.5%, US 18.7%, Singapore 14.8%, Poland 8.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2004)
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 total: 24.89 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 19.46 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.43 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2005 est.) 0.4% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, 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, 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
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) NA
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 90,000


note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
30,000
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 27%


industry: 18%


services: 55% (2001 est.)
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: 3.05%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 95.56% (2005)
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 (12 members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 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
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 13
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.3 years


male: 66.43 years


female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)
total population: 71.9 years


male: 69.53 years


female: 74.38 years (2005 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 has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 89%


male: 90%


female: 88% (1960 est.)
Location Central 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 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: 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: 285 ships (1000 GRT or over) 985,464 GRT/1,322,629 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 203, chemical tanker 7, container 4, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 225 (China 103, Croatia 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 3, Germany 3, Greece 2, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 2, Indonesia 2, Italy 4, Japan 2, North Korea 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 6, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 1, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Poland 2, Russia 36, Singapore 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 11, UAE 5, Ukraine 7, US 5) (2006)
total: 980 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,873,626 GRT/7,683,143 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 630, chemical tanker 9, container 272, liquefied gas 9, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 1


foreign-owned: 923 (Australia 2, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia 2, Denmark 8, Estonia 2, Germany 849, Iceland 5, Latvia 5, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 11, Norway 3, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Slovenia 5, Sweden 1, Switzerland 5, Turkey 4, United Kingdom 1, United States 7) (2005)
Military branches Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force: Infantry, Coast Guard (2004)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $19 million (2005 est.) NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2005 est.) NA
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 (June to November) 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 (2006 est.) -6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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] 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 [Adele CATZIM] Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
Population 287,730 (July 2006 est.) 68,722 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (1999 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.31% (2006 est.) 0.57% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Saint John's
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
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) 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: 0.93 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 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: 0.63 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 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 - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2005)
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 33,300 (2005) 38,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 93,100 (2005) 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 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) 2.26 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 12.9% (2003) 11% (2001 est.)
Waterways 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) -
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