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Compare Belize (2008) - Barbados (2006)
Compare Belize (2008) z Barbados (2006)
| Belize (2008) | Barbados (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may be given parish status |
| 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: 20.1% (male 28,160/female 28,039)
15-64 years: 71.1% (male 97,755/female 101,223) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,508/female 15,227) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments | sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
| Airports | 44 (2007) | 1 (2006) |
| 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
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
| 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: 431 sq km
land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | 2.5 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. | The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. |
| Birth rate | 28.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $328.5 million
expenditures: $365 million (2007 est.) |
revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 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: Bridgetown
geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 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) | tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
| Coastline | 386 km | 97 km |
| Constitution | 21 September 1981 | 30 November 1966 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados |
| Death rate | 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.67 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.2 billion (June 2005 est.) | $668 million (2003) |
| 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN
embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379 |
| 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York consulate(s): Los Angeles |
| 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 | in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration that will result in a binding award challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters and the southern limit of Barbadian traditional fishing; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea |
| Economic aid - recipient | $12.91 million (2005) | $9.1 million (1995) |
| 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. | Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved. |
| Electricity - consumption | 162.8 million kWh (2005) | 761.7 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 200 million kWh (2007 est.) | 819 million kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal | pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers |
| 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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
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% | black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% |
| Exchange rates | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003) | Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001) |
| 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003) 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; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
| Exports | 1,960 bbl/day (2006) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components |
| Exports - partners | US 33.9%, UK 33.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 3.7% (2006) | US 18.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 12.1%, Saint Lucia 8.4%, Jamaica 7.9%, Grenada 4.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.6% (2005) |
| 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 | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 21.3%
industry: 13.7% services: 65% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2007 est.) | 4.1% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 13 10 N, 59 32 W |
| Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | easternmost Caribbean island |
| 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 | one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center |
| Imports | 6,754 bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco | consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components |
| Imports - partners | US 35.7%, Mexico 13%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 7.2%, China 4.3% (2006) | NZ 45.9%, US 20.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12% (2005) |
| Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | 30 November 1966 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.5% (2007 est.) | -3.2% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil | tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export |
| 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: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (2007 est.) | -0.5% (2003 est.) |
| 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 | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | 30 sq km (2003) | 50 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 Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services) |
| Labor force | 113,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2006 est.) |
128,500 (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 22.5%
industry: 15.2% services: 62.3% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 10%
industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 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: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005) |
| 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 |
| Legal system | English law | English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| 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 Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 68.25 years
male: 66.44 years female: 70.16 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 72.79 years
male: 70.79 years female: 74.82 years (2006 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 has ever attended school
total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.) |
| Location | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
| 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: 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) |
total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5) registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006) |
| Military - note | - | the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005) |
| Military branches | Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard | Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Coast Guard (2005) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2006) | NA |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) | Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
| Nationality | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
| Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
| Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | petroleum, fish, natural gas |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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] | Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON] |
| 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] | Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE] |
| Population | 294,385 (July 2007 est.) | 279,912 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 33.5% (2002 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.258% (2007 est.) | 0.37% (2006 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006) | AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (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) | Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% |
| 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 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: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 33,900 (2006) | 134,900 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 118,300 (2006) | 206,200 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 5 (2006) | 1 (plus two cable channels) (2004) |
| Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region |
| Total fertility rate | 3.52 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 9.4% (2006) | 10.7% (2003 est.) |
| Waterways | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2007) | - |
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