Belize (2006) | French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
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.) |
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Agriculture - products | bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments | - |
Airports | 43 (2006) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2006) |
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Area | total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 7,829 sq km
land: 7,829 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware |
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 Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840. |
Birth rate | 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $262 million
expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.) |
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Capital | name: Belmopan
geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | antarctic |
Coastline | 386 km | 1,232 km |
Constitution | 21 September 1981 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises abbreviation: TAAF |
Death rate | 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) | - |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA) |
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 |
none (overseas territory of France) |
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 (overseas territory of France) |
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 | French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
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. | Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion. |
Electricity - consumption | 111.6 million kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 120 million kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal | NA |
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 |
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Ethnic groups | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% | - |
Exchange rates | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001) | - |
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: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON |
Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | - |
Exports - partners | US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) | - |
Fiscal year | 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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 14.2%
industry: 15.2% services: 61.2% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | 3.8% (2005 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 43 00 S, 67 00 E |
Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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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 | - |
Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco | - |
Imports - partners | US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005) | - |
Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.6% (1999) | - |
Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction | - |
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.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2005 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 | - |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (2003) | 0 sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) | - |
Labor force | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 27%
industry: 18% services: 55% (2001 est.) |
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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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole | - |
Legal system | English law | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 68.3 years
male: 66.43 years female: 70.26 years (2006 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.) |
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Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land" |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Antarctic Region |
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
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands) |
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: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/5,345,291 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, container 18, liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 6, Denmark 2, France 36, Germany 2, Hong Kong 2, Japan 4, Norway 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $19 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.7% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) | - |
Nationality | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
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Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes |
Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | fish, crayfish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] | - |
Population | 287,730 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 33% (1999 est.) | - |
Population growth rate | 2.31% (2006 est.) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 12, 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) | - |
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.) |
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Suffrage | 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) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 33,300 (2005) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 93,100 (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | - |
Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | volcanic |
Total fertility rate | 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 12.9% (2003) | - |
Waterways | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) | - |