Belize

parliamentaryIndependence 21 September 1981 (from UK

Belize as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBelmopan

Area22,960 km2

Populationas each edition published it

219,737 people July 1990 · 421,960 in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.42% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 67.85 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.8 children per woman 1990 · 2.02 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

35 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 11.3 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,635 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 10% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 22,960 km2

meadows and pastures 2%forest and woodland 44%other 52%arable land 2% in allNEGL% permanent crops; includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

22,960km2

land area: 22,800 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Coastline

386km

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

516km total

Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Disputes

claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations are under way

Climate

tropical;
very hot and humid;
rainy season (May to February)

Terrain

flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Environment

frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south); deforestation

Note

national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes;
only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

People

14 fields

Population

219,737

(July 1990), growth rate 3.7% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

38Death

6Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Creole 39.7%Mestizo 33.1%Maya 9.5%Garifuna 7.6%East Indian 2.1%other 8.0%

Religion

Roman Catholic 60%Protestant (Anglican 40%Seventh-Day Adventist; Methodist; Baptist; Jehovah's Witnesses; Mennonite)

Literacy

93%

(est.)

Language

English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)

Labor force

51,500;
30.0% agriculture, 16.0% services, 15.4% government, 11.2% commerce, 10.3% manufacturing;
shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)

Organized labor

30% of labor force; 11 unions currently active

Government

Parliamentary

18 fields

Administrative divisions

6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Independence

21 September 1981 (from UK; formerly British Honduras)

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Elmira Minita GORDON (since 21 September 1981);
Head of Government--Prime Minister George Cadle PRICE (since 4 September 1989)

Political parties and leaders

People's United Party (PUP), George Price, Florencio Marin, Said Musa;
United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel Esquivel, Curl Thompson, Dean Barrow;
Belize Popular Party (BPP), Louis Sylvestre

Suffrage

universal at age 18 National Assembly--last held 4 September 1989 (next to be held September 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(28 total) PUP 15 seats, UDP 13 seats;
note--in January 1990 one member expelled from UDP joined PUP, making the seat count 16 PUP, UDP 12

Other political or pressure groups

Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR) headed by former PUP minister; United Workers Front

Member of

ACP, CARICOM, CDB, Commonwealth, FAO, GATT, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, G-77, ISO, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Edward A. LAING;
Chancery at Suite 2J, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 363-4505;
US--Ambassador Robert G. RICH, Jr.;
Embassy at Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City (mailing address is P. O. Box 286, Belize City);
telephone [501] 77161 through 77163

Flag

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 with a mahogany tree at the top and the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Economy

The economy is based primarily on agriculture and merchandising.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$225.6million

per capita $1,285; real growth rate 6% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(1988)

Unemployment rate

14%

(1988 est.)

External debt

$140million

(December 1988)

Budget

Revenues

$94.6 millionExpenditures

$74.3 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $33.9 million (1988 est.)

The economy is based primarily on agriculture and merchandising. Agriculture accounts for more than 30% of GDP and provides 75% of export earnings, while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for almost 40% of hard currency earnings. The US, Belize's main trading partner, is assisting in efforts to reduce dependency on sugar with an agricultural diversification program.

In 1987 the drop in income from sugar sales to the US because of quota reductions was almost totally offset by higher world prices for sugar.

Exports

$120 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--sugar, clothing, seafood, molasses, citrus, wood and wood products;
partners--US 47%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada (1987)

Imports

$176 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners--US 55%, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico (1987)

Industrial production

growth rate 6% (1988)

Electricity

34,000 kW capacity; 88 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

sugar refining, clothing, timber and forest products, furniture, rum, soap, beverages, cigarettes, tourism

Agriculture

accounts for 30% of GDP (including fish and forestry);
commercial crops include sugarcane, bananas, coca, citrus fruits;
expanding output of lumber and cultured shrimp;
net importer of basic foods

Illicit drugs

an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
eradication program cut marijuana production from 200 metric tons in 1987 to 66 metric tons in 1989;
transshipment point for cocaine

Communications

6 fields

Airports, 38 total, 30 usable

permanent-surface runways

4runways over 2,439 m

nonerunways 1,220-2,439 m

8,650 telephones;
above-average system based on radio relay;
stations--6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force, Coast Guard, Police Department

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

50,988fit for military service

30,502reach military age (18) annually

2,500

Defense expenditures

2.0%of GDP

or $4.6 million (1989 est.)

Branches