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Compare West Bank (2004) - Belize (2001)

Compare West Bank (2004) z Belize (2001)

 West Bank (2004)Belize (2001)
 West BankBelize
Administrative divisions - 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Age structure 0-14 years: 43.8% (male 518,470; female 493,531)


15-64 years: 52.8% (male 623,785; female 595,376)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 34,226; female 45,816) (2004 est.)
0-14 years:
42.04% (male 54,876; female 52,780)

15-64 years:
54.43% (male 70,534; female 68,837)

65 years and over:
3.53% (male 4,403; female 4,632) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp
Airports 3 (2003 est.) 44 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
40

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
29 (2000 est.)
Area total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
total:
22,966 sq km

land:
22,806 sq km

water:
160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Delaware slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Background The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external and internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank that began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor Mahmud ABBAS in January 2005 could bring a turning point in the conflict. 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 33.21 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 31.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $676.6 million


expenditures: $1.155 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (includes Gaza Strip) (2003 est.)
revenues:
$157 million

expenditures:
$279 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Capital - Belmopan
Climate temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 386 km
Constitution - 21 September 1981
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Belize

former:
British Honduras
Currency new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD) Belizean dollar (BZD)
Death rate 4.07 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.) $338 million (1998)
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission:
Ambassador Carolyn CURIEL

embassy:
29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City

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

telephone:
[501] (2) 77161

FAX:
[501] (2) 30802
Diplomatic representation in the US - 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 West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation Guatemala periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize; to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala
Economic aid - recipient $2 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2001-02 est.) $NA
Economy - overview Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment, which in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures during the next three years decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Including Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israel, in Israeli settlements, or in joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. In addition, about 80,000 Palestinian workers inside the Territories are losing their jobs. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank and Gaza Strip prevented the complete collapse of the economy. In 2004, on-going border issues and the death of Yasser ARAFAT continued to complicate the economic situation. 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 tough austerity program in 1997 resulted in an economic slowdown that continued in 1998. The trade deficit has been growing, mostly as a result of low export prices for sugar and bananas. The tourist and construction sectors strengthened in early 1999, supporting growth of 6% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. Aided by international donors, the government's key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 172.1 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 185 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
56.76%

hydro:
43.24%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:
Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid 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 Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% mestizo 43.7%, Creole 29.8%, Maya 10%, Garifuna 6.2%, other 10.3%
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996) 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 General Sir Colville YOUNG (since 17 November 1993)

head of government:
Prime Minister Said MUSA (since 27 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; governor general appoints the member of the House of Representatives who is leader of the majority party to be prime minister
Exports $603 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip $235.7 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) US 42%, UK 33%, EU 12%, Caricom 4.8%, Canada 2%, Mexico 1% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year (since 1 January 1992) 1 April - 31 March
Flag description - 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 - $1.7 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $790 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 9%


industry: 28%


services: 63%


note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
agriculture:
18%

industry:
24%

services:
58% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -22% (2002 est.) 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 244 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts(August 2003 est.) only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
Highways total: 4,500 km


paved: 2,700 km


unpaved: 1,800 km


note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements (1997 est.)
total:
2,872 km

paved:
488 km

unpaved:
2,384 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - minor transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center
Imports $1.9 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip $413 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) US 58%, Mexico 12%, UK 5% EU 5%, Central America 5%, Caricom 4% (1998)
Independence - 21 September 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA 4.6% (1999)
Industries generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers garment production, food processing, tourism, construction
Infant mortality rate total: 20.16 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 22.28 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
25.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.) 2% (2000 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), 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 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister)
Labor force NA 71,000

note:
shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 13%, industry 21%, services 66% (1996) agriculture 38%, industry 32%, services 30% (1994)
Land boundaries total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
total:
516 km

border countries:
Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Land use arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
arable land:
10%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
2%

forests and woodland:
84%

other:
3% (2000 est.)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Legal system - English law
Legislative branch - bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (eight members, five appointed on the advice of the prime minister, two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one by the governor general; 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 27 August 1998 (next to be held by NA August 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - PUP 59.2%, UDP 40.8%; seats by party - PUP 26, UDP 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.88 years


male: 71.14 years


female: 74.72 years (2004 est.)
total population:
71.19 years

male:
68.91 years

female:
73.57 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA


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 Middle East, west of Jordan Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Map references Middle East 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:
402 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,575,851 GRT/2,241,731 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 27, cargo 265, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 14, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 56, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3

note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cuba 1, Singapore 1, US 1 (2000 est.)
Military branches - Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA $17 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2.4% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
62,698 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
37,174 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
2,847 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Nationality noun: NA


adjective: NA
noun:
Belizean(s)

adjective:
Belizean
Natural hazards droughts frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Natural resources arable land arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate 2.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders - People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW, Doug SINGH]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Diane HAYLOCK]; United Worker's Front
Population 2,311,204


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
256,062 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 60% (2003 est.) 33% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 3.21% (2004 est.) 2.7% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors none Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0


note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000)
AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 133,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 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 (2001 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: NA


note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
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 301,600 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2002) 31,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 480,000 (cellular subscribers in both West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2003) 3,023 (1997)
Television broadcast stations NA 2 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Total fertility rate 4.52 children born/woman (2004 est.) 4.05 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.) 12.8% (1999)
Waterways - 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable)
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