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Compare Belize (2007) - Christmas Island (2003)
Compare Belize (2007) z Christmas Island (2003)
| Belize (2007) | Christmas Island (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | none (territory of Australia) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 38.9% (male 58,459/female 56,183)
15-64 years: 57.5% (male 85,686/female 83,717) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,979/female 5,361) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments | NA |
| Airports | 44 (2007) | 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 40
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 27 (2007) |
- |
| Area | total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | about 0.7 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 an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
| Birth rate | 28.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $302.6 million
expenditures: $324.9 million (2006 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | name: Belmopan
geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
The Settlement |
| Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 386 km | 80 km |
| Constitution | 21 September 1981 | NA |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
| Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Death rate | 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.2 billion (June 2005 est.) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER
embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District mailing address: 3050 Belize Place, Washington DC 20521-3050 telephone: [501] 822-4011 FAX: [501] 822-4012 |
none (territory of Australia) |
| 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 (territory of Australia) |
| Disputes - international | annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Honduras claims Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays in its constitution but agreed to a joint ecological park under the Differendum | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA (2005) | $NA |
| Economy - overview | In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by exports of 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 4% in 1999-2006. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. The government in 2006 announced it would seek a restructuring of its sovereign debt and has been negotiating with international creditors to find an acceptable formula for doing so. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, slated to begin operation in 2003. |
| Electricity - consumption | 162.8 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
| Electricity - production | 175 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 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, Whaling
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% | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
| Exchange rates | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (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 Vildo MARIN (since 5 June 2007) 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 the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
| Exports | 1,960 bbl/day (2006) | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | phosphate |
| Exports - partners | US 33.9%, UK 33.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 3.7% (2006) | Australia, NZ |
| 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 | the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 22.5%
industry: 14.8% services: 62.6% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2006 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
| Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
| Highways | - | total: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
| 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, primarily for local consumption; 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 | consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | US 35.7%, Mexico 13%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 7.2%, China 4.3% (2006) | principally Australia |
| Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.6% (1999) | NA% |
| Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 24.38 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.3% (2006 est.) | NA% |
| International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | none |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
| 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) | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Labor force | 113,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2006 est.) |
NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 22.5%
industry: 15.2% services: 62.3% (2005 est.) |
tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) |
| 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% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census) | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
| Legal system | English law | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
| Legislative branch | bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; 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; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - number of seats will increase to 31 next election
elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held in March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 |
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 68.25 years
male: 66.44 years female: 70.16 years (2007 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.9% male: 76.7% female: 77.1% (2000 census) |
NA |
| Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
| 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 |
contiguous zone: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 261 ships (1000 GRT or over) 940,852 GRT/1,275,111 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 36, cargo 190, chemical tanker 5, container 5, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 217 (China 107, Croatia 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Hong Kong 5, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Japan 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 14, Norway 3, Peru 1, Philippines 1, Russia 39, Singapore 3, Spain 2, Turkey 11, Ukraine 10, UAE 4, US 3) (2007) |
none (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| Military branches | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2006) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) | NA |
| Nationality | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
| Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
| Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | phosphate, beaches |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW]; Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Paul MORGAN]; We the People Reform Movement [Hipolito BAUTISTA] | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ] | none |
| Population | 294,385 (July 2007 est.) | 433 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 33.5% (2002 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.258% (2007 est.) | -9% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Railways | - | 24 km to serve phosphate mines |
| 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) | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.024 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.929 male(s)/female total population: 1.027 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
NA (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
| Telephone system | general assessment: above-average system; fixed-line teledensity of 12 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 40 per 100 persons
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2007) |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 33,900 (2006) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 118,300 (2006) | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 5 (2006) | NA |
| Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | 3.52 children born/woman (2007 est.) | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 9.4% (2006) | NA% |
| Waterways | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2007) | none |
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