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Compare Belize (2006) - Puerto Rico (2005)

Compare Belize (2006) z Puerto Rico (2005)

 Belize (2006)Puerto Rico (2005)
 BelizePuerto Rico
Administrative divisions 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco
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: 22% (male 441,594/female 421,986)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,228,583/female 1,337,066)


65 years and over: 12.4% (male 211,283/female 276,120) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens
Airports 43 (2006) 30 (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: 17


over 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 5 (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: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
Area total: 22,966 sq km


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
total: 9,104 sq km


land: 8,959 sq km


water: 145 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
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. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose to retain commonwealth status.
Birth rate 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $262 million


expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.)
revenues: $6.7 billion


expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00)
Capital name: Belmopan


geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
San Juan
Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 386 km 501 km
Constitution 21 September 1981 ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico


conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Death rate 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) NA
Dependency status - commonwealth associated with the US
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 (commonwealth associated with the US)
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 (commonwealth associated with the US)
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 increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
Economic aid - recipient $NA NA (2001)
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. Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004.
Electricity - consumption 111.6 million kWh (2003) 20.54 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 120 million kWh (2003) 22.09 billion 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: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
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
-
Ethnic groups mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001) the US dollar is used
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 George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature


elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4%
Exports NA bbl/day NA
Exports - commodities sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Exports - partners US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 July - 30 June
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 five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 14.2%


industry: 15.2%


services: 61.2% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 45%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.8% (2005 est.) 2.7% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W 18 15 N, 66 30 W
Geography - note only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Highways - total: 25,328 km


paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways)


unpaved: 1,363 km (2004)
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 -
Imports NA bbl/day NA
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Imports - partners US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005) US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.)
Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Industrial production growth rate 4.6% (1999) NA%
Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
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: 8.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2005 est.) 6.5% (2003 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 ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)
Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) 400 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
Labor force 90,000


note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
1.3 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 27%


industry: 18%


services: 55% (2001 est.)
agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)
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: 3.95%


permanent crops: 5.52%


other: 90.53% (2001)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole Spanish, English
Legal system English law based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
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 Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1


note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1; Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.3 years


male: 66.43 years


female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)
total population: 78.29 years


male: 74.35 years


female: 82.43 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 can read and write


total population: 94.1%


male: 93.9%


female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
Location Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
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


exclusive economic 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)
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT


by type: roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 2 (United States 2)


registered in other countries: 1 (2005)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $19 million (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2005 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 21 September (1981) US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Nationality noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)


adjective: Puerto Rican
Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) periodic droughts; hurricanes
Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -1.38 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 Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]
Political pressure groups and leaders Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
Population 287,730 (July 2006 est.) 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 33% (1999 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.31% (2006 est.) 0.47% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways - total: 96 km


narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
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 85%, Protestant and other 15%
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: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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 system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability


domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service


international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
Telephones - main lines in use 33,300 (2005) 1,329,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 93,100 (2005) 1,211,111 (2001)
Television broadcast stations 2 (1997) 6 (19 relay stations) (2004)
Terrain flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Total fertility rate 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 12.9% (2003) 12% (2002)
Waterways 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) -
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