Compare Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003) - Belize (2004)

Compare Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003) z Belize (2004)

	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003)	Belize (2004)

Administrative divisions	6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick	6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.2% (male 16,755; female 16,163) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 39,308; female 37,149) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,215; female 4,222) (2003 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	bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish	bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments
Airports	6 (2002)	43 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	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 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative	twice the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Background	Disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.	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	17.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	29.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $94.6 million expenditures: $85.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)	revenues: $222 million expenditures: $300 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (2003 est.)
Capital	Kingstown	Belmopan
Climate	tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)	tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Coastline	84 km	386 km
Constitution	27 October 1979	21 September 1981
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras
Currency	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	Belizean dollar (BZD)
Death rate	6.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$167.2 million (2000)	$475 million (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	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	chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York	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	protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea	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	$47.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (1998)	NA
Economy - overview	Bananas and other agricultural products remain the staple of this lower-middle income country's economy. Although tourism and other services have been growing moderately in recent years, the government has been ineffective at introducing new industries. Unemployment remains high, and economic growth hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector, but its restrictive secrecy laws have come under international review. As of June 2001, it remained on the Financial Action Task Force's list of noncooperative jurisdictions. Saint Vincent is also the largest producer of marijuana in the Eastern Caribbean and is increasingly being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.	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	86 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	92.48 million kWh (2001)	199.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 69.3% hydro: 30.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Environment - current issues	pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive	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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol	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 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%	mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%
Exchange rates	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)	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 General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister	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	bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets	sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners	France 25.2%, Greece 19.1%, Spain 16.4%, UK 9.5%, US 7.1% (2002)	US 39.1%, UK 25%, France 4% (2003)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern	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 - $339 million (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1.28 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 22.7% industry: 24.5% services: 52.8% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-0.5% (2002 est.)	3.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	13 15 N, 61 12 W	17 15 N, 88 45 W
Geography - note	the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays	only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
Highways	total: 1,040 km paved: 320 km unpaved: 720 km (1999 est.)	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 drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation	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	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
Imports - partners	France 32.7%, US 11.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.4%, Singapore 10.1%, Spain 7.9%, Greece 4.3% (2002)	US 41.9%, Mexico 12.4%, UK 5.9%, Cuba 5.5% (2003)
Independence	27 October 1979 (from UK)	21 September 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-0.9% (1997 est.)	4.6% (1999)
Industries	food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch	garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Infant mortality rate	total: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 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)	-0.4% (2001 est.)	2.6% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO	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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	15 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	10 sq km (1998 est.)	30 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)	Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
Labor force	67,000 (1984 est.)	90,000 note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 26%, industry 17%, services 57% (1980 est.)	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: 10.26% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 71.79% (1998 est.)	arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 1.71% other: 95.44% (2001)
Languages	English, French patois	English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Legal system	based on English common law	English law
Legislative branch	unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3	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: 73.08 years male: 71.3 years female: 74.92 years (2003 est.)	total population: 67.43 years male: 65.11 years female: 69.86 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.)
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago	Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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: 769 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,365,887 GRT/9,665,937 DWT ships by type: bulk 133, cargo 376, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 7, container 58, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 4, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 5, petroleum tanker 43, refrigerated cargo 46, roll on/roll off 45, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Anguilla 1, Argentina 1, Australia 2, The Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 2, Belgium 4, Bulgaria 14, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 1, China 135, Colombia 1, Croatia 12, Cyprus 6, Denmark 16, Egypt 7, Estonia 6, France 27, Germany 12, Greece 156, Guyana 7, Hong Kong 23, Iceland 1, India 11, Indonesia 3, Israel 2, Italy 19, Japan 1, Kenya 4, Latvia 5, Lebanon 9, Liberia 5, Lithuania 1, Malta 1, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Monaco 6, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3, Norway 33, Pakistan 5, Panama 2, Poland 2, Portugal 2, Puerto Rico 2, Russia 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 4, Slovenia 7, South Korea 4, Spain 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland 10, Syria 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 8, UAE 45, UK 16, US 25, Vietnam 1 (2002 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 branches	Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard	Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	$18 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%	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	Independence Day, 27 October (1979)	Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Nationality	noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian	noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean
Natural hazards	hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat	frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Natural resources	hydropower, cropland	arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate	-7.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders	National Reform Party or NRP [Joel MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [leader NA]; United People's Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)	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	116,812 (July 2003 est.)	272,945 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	33% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate	0.34% (2003 est.)	2.39% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Kingstown	Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant	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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 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: adequate system domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines international: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia	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	20,500 (1998)	33,300 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA	60,400 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)	2 (1997)
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous	flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Total fertility rate	1.95 children born/woman (2003 est.)	3.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	22% (1997 est.)	9.1% (2002)
Waterways	none	825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004)

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