Gibraltar (2004) | Belize (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 18% (male 2,554; female 2,452)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 9,460; female 8,965) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 1,939; female 2,463) (2004 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 | none | bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp |
Airports | 1 (2003 est.) | 44 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 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: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 27 (2002) |
Area | total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
Background | Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. | 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 | 10.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 31.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $186 million
expenditures: $253 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
Capital | Gibraltar | Belmopan |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) |
Coastline | 12 km | 386 km |
Constitution | 30 May 1969 | 21 September 1981 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
Currency | Gibraltar pound (GIP) | Belizean dollar (BZD) |
Death rate | 9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | NA (2000 est.) | $500 million (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 | 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 | since Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum in 2003 against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement, talks between the UK and Spain over the fate of the 300-year-old UK colony have stalled; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy | 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 | NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. | 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 | 93 million kWh (2001) | 178.56 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 100 million kWh (2001) | 192 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant | 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% |
Exchange rates | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister 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) | $239.6 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
Exports - commodities | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood |
Exports - partners | Germany 25.6%, France 24.8%, UK 14.3%, Turkmenistan 9.4%, Switzerland 7.5%, Spain 5.6% (2003) | EU 45% (UK 33%), US 42%, Caricom 6%, Canada 1% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red 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 - $500 million (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $830 million (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 18%
industry: 24% services: 58% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 3% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 36 8 N, 5 21 W | 17 15 N, 88 45 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
Highways | total: 29 km
paved: 29 km unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
total: 2,880 km
paved: 490 km unpaved: 2,390 km (1998 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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 | NA (2001) | $505 million c.i.f. (2001 est.) |
Imports - commodities | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs | machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
Imports - partners | Spain 26.5%, UK 14.8%, Russia 8.2%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 6.5%, France 5.3%, Germany 4.6%, Romania 4.2% (2003) | US 51%, Mexico 12%, Central America 5%, UK 4% (1999) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 21 September 1981 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 4.6% (1999) (1999) |
Industries | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
24.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998) | 1.7% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau), UPU | 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) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) |
Labor force | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (1999) | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture negligible, industry 40%, services 60% | agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
total: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 2.81%
permanent crops: 1.1% other: 96.09% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
Legal system | English law | English law |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
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: 79.52 years
male: 76.65 years female: 82.54 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 71.46 years
male: 69.17 years female: 73.87 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA |
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 | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm | 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: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 980,636 GRT/1,254,661 DWT
by type: bulk 3, cargo 69, chemical tanker 14, container 27, multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, Estonia 1, France 1, Germany 92, Greece 11, Hong Kong 2, Iceland 1, Monaco 4, Norway 6, Spain 1, United Kingdom 6, United States 2 registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.) |
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 - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment | - |
Military branches | Royal Gibraltar Regiment | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $7.7 million (FY00/01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.87% (FY00/01) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 64,909 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | 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 | National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) |
Nationality | noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
Natural hazards | NA | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) |
Natural resources | none | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] | 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 | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] |
Population | 27,833 (July 2004 est.) | 262,999 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 33% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.19% (2004 est.) | 2.65% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gibraltar | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 133,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 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: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; 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 | 24,512 (2002) | 31,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 9,797 (2002) | 3,023 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.96 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2% (2001 est.) | 11.5% (2000) (2000) |
Waterways | - | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) |