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Compare British Virgin Islands (2004) - Belize (2004)
Compare British Virgin Islands (2004) z Belize (2004)
| British Virgin Islands (2004) | Belize (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361)
15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911) 65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 56,530; female 54,322)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 77,118; female 75,309) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,674; female 4,992) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments |
| Airports | 3 (2003 est.) | 43 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
| Background | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. |
| Birth rate | 14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 29.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
revenues: $222 million
expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2003 est.) |
| Capital | Road Town | Belmopan |
| Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
| Coastline | 80 km | 386 km |
| Constitution | 1 June 1977 | 21 September 1981 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | Belizean dollar (BZD) |
| Death rate | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $475 million (2001 est.) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163 FAX: [501] 2-30802 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 |
| Disputes - international | none | Guatemalan squatters continue to settle along the border region; an OAS brokered Differendum in 2002 created a small adjustment to the land boundary, a large Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, a joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and a substantial US-UK financial package, but agreement was not brought to popular referendum leaving Guatemala to continue to claim the southern half of Belize |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA | NA |
| Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. | In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by cane sugar, citrus, marine products, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.5% in 1999, 10.8% in 2000, 4.6% in 2001, and 3.7% in 2002. 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | 35.43 million kWh (2001) | 185.5 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 38.1 million kWh (2001) | 199.5 million kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal |
| 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 | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
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 |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
| Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | US 39.1%, UK 25%, France 4% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | 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 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.28 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 24.5% services: 52.8% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2002 est.) | 3.7% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 17 15 N, 88 45 W |
| Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
| Highways | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total: 2,872 km
paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering | major 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 (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco |
| Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | US 41.9%, Mexico 12.4%, UK 5.9%, Cuba 5.5% (2003) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 21 September 1981 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | 4.6% (1999) |
| Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 26.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2002) | 2.6% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, 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 |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) |
| Labor force | 4,911 (1980) | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA | agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
| Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2001) |
arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001) |
| Languages | English (official) | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
| Legal system | English law | English law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members appointed by the governor general - six on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one 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 NA March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.27 years
male: 75.24 years female: 77.36 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 67.43 years
male: 65.11 years female: 69.86 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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 the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Norway 1 registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.) |
total: 336 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT
by type: bulk 13, cargo 240, chemical tanker 11, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 10, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: Bahamas 2, Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 11, Cambodia 6, China 67, Cuba 2, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Estonia 8, Germany 5, Greece 2, Grenada 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 27, Indonesia 4, Italy 2, Japan 5, Jordan 1, South Korea 13, Latvia 5, Liberia 2, Malaysia 4, Malta 1, Isle of Man 1, Marshall Islands 16, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Nigeria 2, Panama 15, Philippines 4, Portugal 1, Russia 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 9, Spain 6, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 3, Tunisia 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 3, United Kingdom 1, United States 3, Yemen 1 registered in other countries: 25 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| Military branches | - | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $18 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2% (2003) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 68,518 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 40,619 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 3,122 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) |
| Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
| Natural resources | NEGL | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] |
| Population | 22,187 (July 2004 est.) | 272,945 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | 33% (1999 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.06% (2004 est.) | 2.39% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Road Town | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) | Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda |
general assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 11,700 (2002) | 33,300 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,000 (2002) | 60,400 (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) | 2 (1997) |
| Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
| Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.77 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3% (1995) | 9.1% (2002) |
| Waterways | - | 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004) |
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