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Compare Central African Republic (2001) - Belize (2002)

Compare Central African Republic (2001) z Belize (2002)

 Central African Republic (2001)Belize (2002)
 Central African RepublicBelize
Administrative divisions 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Age structure 0-14 years:
43.23% (male 778,885; female 767,414)

15-64 years:
53% (male 929,717; female 965,947)

65 years and over:
3.77% (male 59,364; female 75,557) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 41.6% (male 55,716; female 53,581)


15-64 years: 54.9% (male 73,068; female 71,368)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,511; female 4,755) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp
Airports 52 (2000 est.) 44 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
49

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
10

914 to 1,523 m:
23

under 914 m:
15 (2000 est.)
total: 38


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 27 (2002)
Area total:
622,984 sq km

land:
622,984 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 22,966 sq km


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Background The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993. 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 37.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 31.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues:
$638 million

expenditures:
$1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $888 million (1994 est.)
revenues: $186 million


expenditures: $253 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.)
Capital Bangui Belmopan
Climate tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 386 km
Constitution passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995 21 September 1981
Country name conventional long form:
Central African Republic

conventional short form:
none

local long form:
Republique Centrafricaine

local short form:
none

former:
Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

abbreviation:
CAR
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Belizean dollar (BZD)
Death rate 18.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $790 million (1999 est.) $500 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert C. PERRY

embassy:
Avenue David Dacko, Bangui

mailing address:
B. P. 924, Bangui

telephone:
[236] 61 02 00

FAX:
[236] 61 44 94
chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN


embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City


mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO AA 34025


telephone: [501] 227-7161


FAX: [501] 230-802
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY

chancery:
1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 483-7800

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-9893
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 the "Line of Adjacency" established in 2000 as an agreed limit to check squatters settling in Belize, remains in place while the Organization of American States (OAS) assists states to resolve Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize and Guatemalan maritime access to the Caribbean Sea; Honduras claims the Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize
Economic aid - recipient $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France $NA
Economy - overview Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. The government has set targets of 3.5% GDP growth in 2001 and 2002. As of January 2001, many civil servants were owed as much as 30 months pay, leading them to go on strike and further damaging the economy. The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.4% in 1999 and 10.5% in 2000. Growth decelerated in 2001 to 3% due to the global slowdown and severe hurricane damage to agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Major concerns continue to be the rapidly expanding trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.
Electricity - consumption 94.9 million kWh (1999) 178.56 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 102 million kWh (1999) 192 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
20.59%

hydro:
79.41%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 58%


hydro: 42%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Oubangui River 335 m

highest point:
Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Environment - current issues tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 1,500 French) mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
Executive branch chief of state:
President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)

head of government:
Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%
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 $166 million (f.o.b., 2000) $239.6 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999) EU 45% (UK 33%), US 42%, Caricom 6%, Canada 1% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
Flag description four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band 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 - $6.1 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $830 million (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
53%

industry:
20%

services:
27% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 18%


industry: 24%


services: 58% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.5% (2000 est.) 3% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 21 00 E 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Geography - note landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
Highways total:
23,810 km

paved:
429 km

unpaved:
23,381 km (2000)
total: 2,880 km


paved: 490 km


unpaved: 2,390 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
0.7%

highest 10%:
47.7% (1993)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; some money-laundering activity related to offshore sector
Imports $154 million (f.o.b., 2000) $505 million c.i.f. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999) US 51%, Mexico 12%, Central America 5%, UK 4% (1999)
Independence 13 August 1960 (from France) 21 September 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 4.6% (1999) (1999)
Industries diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Infant mortality rate 105.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2000 est.) 1.7% (2001 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 2 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (all judges appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
Labor force NA 90,000


note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total:
5,203 km

border countries:
Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km
total: 516 km


border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Land use arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
5%

forests and woodland:
75%

other:
17% (1993 est.)
arable land: 2.81%


permanent crops: 1.1%


other: 96.09% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Legal system based on French law English law
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)

elections:
last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

note:
the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres
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:
43.8 years

male:
42.17 years

female:
45.48 years (2001 est.)
total population: 71.46 years


male: 69.17 years


female: 73.87 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
60%

male:
68.5%

female:
52.4% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 70.3%


male: 70.3%


female: 70.3% (1991 est.)


note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%
Location Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Map references Africa Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive economic 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
Merchant marine - total: 315 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240,551 GRT/1,761,168 DWT


ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 204, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 12, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 39, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 2, Belgium 3, British Virgin Islands 6, Cambodia 1, China 38, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 1, Equatorial Guinea 1, Eritrea 1, Estonia 7, Germany 3, Greece 4, Grenada 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 20, Indonesia 6, Italy 2, Japan 4, Jordan 1, Lebanon 1, Liberia 5, Malaysia 3, Malta 2, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 13, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 12, Philippines 4, Portugal 1, Romania 1, Russia 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 22, South Korea 10, Spain 4, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, Thailand 6, Tunisia 1, Turkey 1, Ukraine 3, United Arab Emirates 9, United Kingdom 2, United States 4, Virgin Islands (UK) 6, Yemen 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Central African Armed Forces (includes Army, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, Police Force) Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $29 million (FY96) $7.7 million (FY00/01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.2% (FY96) 1.87% (FY00/01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
824,139 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 64,909 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
430,922 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 38,472 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 2,847 (2002 est.)
National holiday Republic Day, 1 December (1958) Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Nationality noun:
Central African(s)

adjective:
Central African
noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Natural resources diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Political parties and leaders Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Francois PEHOUA]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [leader NA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE] 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 3,576,884

note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
262,999 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 33% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 1.85% (2001 est.) 2.65% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Bangui, Nola Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 283,000 (1997) 133,000 (1997)
Railways 0 km 0 km
Religions indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11%

note:
animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
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:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 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: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
fair system

domestic:
network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: above-average system


domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (1997) 31,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 570 (1997) 3,023 (1997)
Television broadcast stations NA 2 (1997)
Terrain vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Total fertility rate 4.86 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.96 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 6% (1993) 11.5% (2000) (2000)
Waterways 900 km

note:
traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m
825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable)
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