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Compare Saint Martin (2007) - Belize (2006)

Compare Saint Martin (2007) z Belize (2006)

 Saint Martin (2007)Belize (2006)
 Saint MartinBelize
Administrative divisions - 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Age structure - 0-14 years: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678)


15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products - bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
Airports 1 43 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1
total: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 38


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 26 (2006)
Area total: 54.4 sq km


land: 54.4 sq km


water: NEGL
total: 22,966 sq km


land: 22,806 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative more than one-third the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Background Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. 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 high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increasing urban crime.
Birth rate - 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget - revenues: $262 million


expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2005 est.)
Capital name: Marigot


geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)


daylight savings: +1 hour
name: Belmopan


geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is the hurricane season tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Coastline 58.9 km (for entire island) 386 km
Constitution 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) 21 September 1981
Country name conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin


conventional short form: Saint Martin


local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin


local short form: Saint-Martin
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Belize


former: British Honduras
Death rate - 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external - $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas collectivity of France) chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER


embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City


mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City


telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163


FAX: [501] 223-0802
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas collectivity of France) 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 - Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS seeks to revive the 2002 failed Belize-Guatemala Differendum that created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial US-UK financial package
Economic aid - recipient - $NA
Economy - overview The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by 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 5% in 1999-2005. 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 - 111.6 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production - 120 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Environment - current issues fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water 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 creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)


head of government: President of the Territorial Council Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council


election: French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term


election results: Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
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 bbl/day
Exports - commodities - sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners - US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005)
Fiscal year - 1 April - 31 March
Flag description the flag of France is used 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 - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000)
agriculture: 14.2%


industry: 15.2%


services: 61.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 05 N, 63 57 W 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Geography - note the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - 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 bbl/day
Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactured items machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners US, Mexico (2006) US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005)
Independence none (overseas collectivity of France) 21 September 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.6% (1999)
Industries tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Infant mortality rate - total: 24.89 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation UPU ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, 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 - 30 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
Labor force - 90,000


note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation 85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry agriculture: 27%


industry: 18%


services: 55% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 15 km


border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km
total: 516 km


border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Land use - arable land: 3.05%


permanent crops: 1.39%


other: 95.56% (2005)
Languages French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles) English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Legal system the laws of France, where applicable, apply English law
Legislative branch unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012)


election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 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; 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 March 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 68.3 years


male: 66.43 years


female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 94.1%


male: 94.1%


female: 94.1% (2003 est.)
Location island 300 km southeast 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: 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
Merchant marine - total: 285 ships (1000 GRT or over) 985,464 GRT/1,322,629 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 203, chemical tanker 7, container 4, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 225 (China 103, Croatia 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 3, Germany 3, Greece 2, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 2, Indonesia 2, Italy 4, Japan 2, North Korea 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 6, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 1, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Poland 2, Russia 36, Singapore 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 11, UAE 5, Ukraine 7, US 5) (2006)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of France -
Military branches - Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $19 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.7% (2005 est.)
National holiday Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848) Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Nationality - noun: Belizean(s)


adjective: Belizean
Natural hazards - frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Natural resources salt arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET] 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 - Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM]
Population 33,102 (October 2004 census) 287,730 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line - 33% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.31% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations FM 3 (2007) AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu 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)
Sex ratio - 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: 0.93 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age, universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: fully integrated access


domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems


international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe
general assessment: above-average system


domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay


international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use - 33,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 93,100 (2005)
Television broadcast stations - 2 (1997)
Terrain - flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Total fertility rate - 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Transportation - note nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten -
Unemployment rate - 12.9% (2003)
Waterways - 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005)
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