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Compare Belize (2006) - Paraguay (2007)

Compare Belize (2006) z Paraguay (2007)

 Belize (2006)Paraguay (2007)
 BelizeParaguay
Administrative divisions 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
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: 37.2% (male 1,262,408/female 1,220,809)


15-64 years: 57.7% (male 1,933,559/female 1,915,033)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 155,660/female 181,617) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber
Airports 43 (2006) 838 (2007)
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: 13


over 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2007)
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: 825


1,524 to 2,437 m: 26


914 to 1,523 m: 267


under 914 m: 532 (2007)
Area total: 22,966 sq km


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
total: 406,750 sq km


land: 397,300 sq km


water: 9,450 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts slightly smaller than California
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. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then.
Birth rate 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 28.77 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $262 million


expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.)
revenues: $1.705 billion


expenditures: $1.658 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Belmopan


geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Asuncion


geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
Coastline 386 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 21 September 1981 promulgated 20 June 1992
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay


conventional short form: Paraguay


local long form: Republica del Paraguay


local short form: Paraguay
Death rate 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 4.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) $3.362 billion (2006 est.)
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
Ambassador James C. CASON


embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion


mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001


telephone: [595] (21) 213-715


FAX: [595] (21) 213-728
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 James SPALDING Hellmers


chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962


FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508


consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
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 unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations
Economic aid - recipient $NA $NA (2005)
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. Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure. Aided by a firmer exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the economic policy of the DUARTE FRUTOS administration, the economy rebounded between 2003 and 2006, posting modest growth each year.
Electricity - consumption 111.6 million kWh (2003) 4.497 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 43.79 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 120 million kWh (2003) 50.66 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m


highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


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% mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001) guarani per US dollar - 5,672.8 (2006), 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3 (2003), 5,716.3 (2002)
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 Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Francisco OVIEDO Britez (since 21 November 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Francisco OVIEDO Britez (since 21 November 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2008)


election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather
Exports - partners US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) Uruguay 22%, Brazil 17.2%, Russia 11.9%, Argentina 8.8%, Chile 6.9% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
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 three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 14.2%


industry: 15.2%


services: 61.2% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 21.4%


industry: 18.6%


services: 60.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.8% (2005 est.) 4% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W 23 00 S, 58 00 W
Geography - note only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 46.1% (2003)
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 major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery
Imports - partners US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005) China 27%, Brazil 20%, Argentina 13.6%, Japan 8.3%, US 6.4% (2006)
Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 4.6% (1999) 0% (2000 est.)
Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power
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: 26.45 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 30.73 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2005 est.) 9.6% (2006 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 CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) 670 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)
Labor force 90,000


note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
2.706 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 27%


industry: 18%


services: 55% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 45%


industry: NA%


services: NA% (2003)
Land boundaries total: 516 km


border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
total: 3,995 km


border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,365 km
Land use arable land: 3.05%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 95.56% (2005)
arable land: 7.47%


permanent crops: 0.24%


other: 92.29% (2005)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Legal system English law based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2008)


election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.3 years


male: 66.43 years


female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)
total population: 75.34 years


male: 72.78 years


female: 78.02 years (2007 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: 94%


male: 94.9%


female: 93% (2003 est.)
Location Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Central South America, northeast of Argentina
Map references Central America and the Caribbean South America
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
none (landlocked)
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: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 39,693 GRT/43,530 DWT


by type: cargo 16, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 5 (Argentina 3, Netherlands 1, Switzerland 1) (2007)
Military branches Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $19 million (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2005 est.) 1% (2006 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 21 September (1981) Independence Day, 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May)
Nationality noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
noun: Paraguayan(s)


adjective: Paraguayan
Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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] Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Jose A. ALDERETE]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana]; Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis TORALES Kennedy]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]


note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of the Colorado Party or ANR while serving as President of Paraguay; Lino Cesar OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is currently serving a ten-year prison term
Political pressure groups and leaders Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]
Population 287,730 (July 2006 est.) 6,669,086 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (1999 est.) 32% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate 2.31% (2006 est.) 2.416% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (3 inactive) (1998)
Railways - total: 36 km


standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
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) Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)
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: 1.034 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.857 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75
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: meager telephone service; principal switching center is in Asuncion


domestic: fair microwave radio relay network


international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 33,300 (2005) 331,100 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 93,100 (2005) 3.233 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 5 (2003)
Terrain flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Total fertility rate 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) 3.84 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 12.9% (2003) 9.4% (2005 est.)
Waterways 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) 3,100 km (2007)
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