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Compare Belize (2006) - Hong Kong (2003)

Compare Belize (2006) z Hong Kong (2003)

 Belize (2006)Hong Kong (2003)
 BelizeHong Kong
Administrative divisions 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo none (special administrative region of China)
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: 17.3% (male 680,973; female 599,309)


15-64 years: 71.7% (male 2,619,929; female 2,679,430)


65 years and over: 11% (male 375,058; female 439,471) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork
Airports 43 (2006) 3 (2002)
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: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)
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: 1,092 sq km


land: 1,042 sq km


water: 50 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts six 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. Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
Birth rate 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 10.71 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $262 million


expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.)
revenues: $22.8 billion


expenditures: $30.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY02/03)
Capital name: Belmopan


geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
-
Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Coastline 386 km 733 km
Constitution 21 September 1981 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region


conventional short form: Hong Kong


local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu


local short form: Xianggang


abbreviation: HK
Currency - Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Death rate 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) $49.5 billion (2002 est.)
Dependency status - special administrative region of China
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
chief of mission: Consul General James KEITH


consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong


mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006


telephone: [852] 2523-9011


FAX: [852] 2524-0860
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 (special administrative region of China)
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 -
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. Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Imports and exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has increased competitive pressure on Hong Kong's service industries, and Hong Kong's re-export business from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-1997, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past 6 years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global downturn of 2001-2002. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak has also battered Hong Kong's economy but the resumption of strong growth began in 2003.
Electricity - consumption 111.6 million kWh (2003) 37.12 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 1.581 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 10.36 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 120 million kWh (2003) 30.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
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: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Ethnic groups mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% Chinese 95%, other 5%
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001) Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.8 (2002), 7.8 (2001), 7.79 (2000), 7.76 (1999), 7.75 (1998)
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 of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)


head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)


cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and 10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG (since 1 May 2001), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997)


elections: TUNG Chee-Hwa was elected to a second term in March 2002 by an 800-member election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces; the next election is scheduled to be held in 2007
Exports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Exports - commodities sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones
Exports - partners US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) China 34%, US 19.5%, UK 5.5%, Japan 4.8% (2002)
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 a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
GDP - purchasing power parity - $198.5 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 14.2%


industry: 15.2%


services: 61.2% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 0.1%


industry: 13.4%


services: 86.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $27,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.8% (2005 est.) 2.3% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W 22 15 N, 114 10 E
Geography - note only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean more than 200 islands
Heliports - 2 (2002)
Highways - total: 1,831 km


paved: 1,831 km


unpaved: 0 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 Makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces serious challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides a conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people
Imports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment; a large share is reexported
Imports - partners US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005) China 37.5%, Japan 12.2%, Taiwan 7.3%, US 6.2%, Singapore 5.3%, South Korea 5% (2002)
Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) none (special administrative region of China)
Industrial production growth rate 4.6% (1999) -9.7% (2002 est.)
Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
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: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.44 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2005 est.) 3% (2002 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 APEC, AsDB, BIS, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 17 (2000)
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Labor force 90,000


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


industry: 18%


services: 55% (2001 est.)
wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13%, community and social services 12%, manufacturing 6%, transport and communications 6%, construction 5%, other 25% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries total: 516 km


border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
total: 30 km


border countries: China 30 km
Land use arable land: 3.05%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 95.56% (2005)
arable land: 5.05%


permanent crops: 1.01%


other: 93.94% (1998 est.)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
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
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular vote, and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to be held in September 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.3 years


male: 66.43 years


female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)
total population: 79.93 years


male: 77.23 years


female: 82.83 years (2003 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 ever attended school


total population: 94%


male: 97.1%


female: 90.5% (2003 est.)
Location Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Southeast Asia
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: 3 NM
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: 549 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,176,728 GRT/27,119,764 DWT


ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 315, cargo 66, chemical tanker 15, combination bulk 2, container 86, liquefied gas 16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 40, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 2, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 5, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, China 115, Denmark 2, Germany 19, Greece 2, India 8, Japan 8, Liberia 1, Malaysia 7, Norway 1, Panama 2, Philippines 5, Singapore 7, South Korea 2, Taiwan 1, UK 27, Virgin Islands (UK) 1


note: (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of China
Military branches Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) including elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region
Military expenditures - dollar figure $19 million (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2005 est.) NA% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 2,033,716 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,524,903 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 47,477 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 21 September (1981) National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Nationality noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
noun: Chinese


adjective: Chinese
Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) occasional typhoons
Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 7.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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] Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming, chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai, chairman]


note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century Forum
Political pressure groups and leaders Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman]
Population 287,730 (July 2006 est.) 7,394,170 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (1999 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 2.31% (2006 est.) 1.22% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Hong Kong
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways - total: 34 km


standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified and double-tracked)


note: connects to China railway system at Hong Kong-China border (2001)
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) eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
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: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
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: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services


domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network


international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
Telephones - main lines in use 33,300 (2005) 3.839 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 93,100 (2005) 3.7 million (December 1999)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Terrain flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Total fertility rate 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.32 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 12.9% (2003) 7.5% (2002 est.)
Waterways 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) none
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