Belize (2006) | Montserrat (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
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: 23.3% (male 1,109/female 1,072)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 2,923/female 3,201) 65 years and over: 11.1% (male 536/female 500) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers, livestock products |
Airports | 43 (2006) | 1 (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: 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) |
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Area | total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | about 0.6 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. | Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003. |
Birth rate | 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 17.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $262 million
expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.) |
Capital | name: Belmopan
geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) |
Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 386 km | 40 km |
Constitution | 21 September 1981 | effective 19 December 1989 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
Death rate | 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 7.17 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) | $8.9 million (1997) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
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 the UK) |
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 the UK) |
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 | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.) |
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. | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. |
Electricity - consumption | 111.6 million kWh (2003) | 1.674 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) | 1.8 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: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
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% | black, white |
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 Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA |
Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle |
Exports - partners | US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) | US, Antigua and Barbuda |
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 the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 14.2%
industry: 15.2% services: 61.2% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.8% (2005 est.) | -1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes |
Highways | - | total: 227 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003) |
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 | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners | US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005) | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada |
Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.6% (1999) | NA% |
Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic 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: 7.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2005 est.) | 2.6% (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 | Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
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 High Court) |
Labor force | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) |
4,521 (lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity) (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 27%
industry: 18% services: 55% (2001 est.) |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2001) |
Languages | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole | English |
Legal system | English law | English common law and statutory 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 (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 68.3 years
male: 66.43 years female: 70.26 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 78.71 years
male: 76.54 years female: 80.98 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 ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 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: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 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) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard | no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $19 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.7% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) |
Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 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] | National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] | NA |
Population | 287,730 (July 2006 est.) | 9,341
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 33% (1999 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 2.31% (2006 est.) | 1.04% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Plymouth |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, 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) | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
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: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 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: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-664 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 33,300 (2005) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 93,100 (2005) | 70 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.78 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12.9% (2003) | 6% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) | - |