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Compare Belize (2008) - American Samoa (2005)

Compare Belize (2008) z American Samoa (2005)

 Belize (2008)American Samoa (2005)
 BelizeAmerican Samoa
Administrative divisions 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
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: 35.7% (male 10,705/female 9,956)


15-64 years: 61.3% (male 18,351/female 17,125)


65 years and over: 3% (male 664/female 1,080) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock
Airports 44 (2007) 3 (2004 est.)
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: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 40


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 27 (2007)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 22,966 sq km


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
total: 199 sq km


land: 199 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts slightly larger than 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. Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.
Birth rate 28.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 23.13 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $328.5 million


expenditures: $365 million (2007 est.)
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)


expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY96/97)
Capital name: Belmopan


geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Pago Pago
Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 386 km 116 km
Constitution 21 September 1981 ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa


conventional short form: American Samoa


abbreviation: AS
Death rate 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 3.33 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $1.2 billion (June 2005 est.) $NA
Dependency status - unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER


embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District


mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize


telephone: [501] 822-4011


FAX: [501] 822-4012
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)


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 the US)
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 $12.91 million (2005) important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994
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 1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered the economic growth in 2006 and 2007. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. In February 2007, the government restructured nearly all of its public external commercial debt, which will reduce interest payments and create the liquidity relief needed for an increase in public spending in the run-up to the March 2008 elections. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.
Electricity - consumption 162.8 million kWh (2005) 120.9 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 200 million kWh (2007 est.) 130 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Lata 966 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines
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% native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census)
Exchange rates Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003) 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 Dean BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008)


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) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003)


cabinet: cabinet made up of 12 department directors


elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3%
Exports 1,960 bbl/day (2006) NA
Exports - commodities sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood canned tuna 93%
Exports - partners US 33.9%, UK 33.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 3.7% (2006) Samoa 39.8%, Australia 19.9%, Japan 15.1%, New Zealand 10.5% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 October - 30 September
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 a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 21.3%


industry: 13.7%


services: 65% (2007 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2007 est.) NA
Geographic coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W 14 20 S, 170 00 W
Geography - note only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean
Highways - total: 185 km


paved: 185 km


unpaved: 0 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, primarily for local consumption; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector -
Imports 6,754 bbl/day (2004) NA
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6%
Imports - partners US 35.7%, Mexico 13%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 7.2%, China 4.3% (2006) Japan 31.4%, New Zealand 27.9%, Germany 17.1%, Australia 8.9% (2004)
Independence 21 September 1981 (from UK) none (territory of the US)
Industrial production growth rate 0.5% (2007 est.) NA%
Industries garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts
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: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2007 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 Interpol (subbureau), IOC, 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) High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
Labor force 113,000


note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2006 est.)
14,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 22.5%


industry: 15.2%


services: 62.3% (2005 est.)
tuna canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990)
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: 10%


permanent crops: 15%


other: 75% (2001)
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) Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2%


note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)
Legal system English law NA
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 (31 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDP 25, PUP 6
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - independents 18


note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.25 years


male: 66.44 years


female: 70.16 years (2007 est.)
total population: 75.84 years


male: 72.27 years


female: 79.62 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 76.9%


male: 76.7%


female: 77.1% (2000 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 98%


female: 97% (1980 est.)
Location Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
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: 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)
-
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the US
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) Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Nationality noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
noun: American Samoan(s)


adjective: American Samoan
Natural hazards frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) typhoons common from December to March
Natural resources arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower pumice, pumicite
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -20.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK]; People's National Party or PNP [Wil MAHEIA]; 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 or WTP [Hipolito BAUTISTA] Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO]
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] NA
Population 294,385 (July 2007 est.) 57,881 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 33.5% (2002 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.258% (2007 est.) -0.11% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Pago Pago
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006) AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 1 (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) Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%
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.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 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: NA


domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station


international: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 33,900 (2006) 15,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 118,300 (2006) 2,377 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 5 (2006) 1; note - one cable TV station (2004)
Terrain flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Total fertility rate 3.52 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.25 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.4% (2006) 6% (2000)
Waterways 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2007) -
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