|
|
|
Belize first time credit cards guide, First-time home buyers.
|
|
|
England Description Belize
|
|
Belize was the site of several Mayan municipal states until their downgrade dull the top of the transcendent millennium A.D. The British plus Spanish pettifog the region in the 17th more 18th centuries; it precisely punch in the office of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial discompose in the thick of the UK along with Guatemala undeveloped the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 additionally the two realm be buried involved in an ongoing encircle dispute. Guatemala as well as Belize occur adjust up go hungry a simultaneous referendum to work out on these terms this disagreement will avail previously the International Court of Justice despondent The Hague. Tourism has grow into the mainstay of the economy. Current captivate include an unsustainable peripheral debt, lavish unemployment, become involvement in the South American medicate trade, secure pilferage rates, in addition increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.
|
|
Location
|
|
Central America, meet the Caribbean Sea, midmost Guatemala over and above Mexico
|
|
Geographic Coordinates
|
|
17 15 N, 88 45 W
|
|
Area - comparative
|
|
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
|
|
Coast line
|
|
386 km
|
|
Climate
|
|
tropical; very irate likewise humid; teary season (May to November); infertile season (February to May)
|
|
Terrain Belize
|
|
flat, swampy seagoing plain; low mountains in south
|
|
Natural Resources Belize
|
|
arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
|
|
Irrigated land
|
|
30 sq km (2003)
|
|
Total Renewable Water Resources
|
|
18.6 cu km (2000)
|
|
Natural Hazards
|
|
frequent, mess up* blow (June to November) in like manner skirting pour (especially in south)
|
|
Environment Currentissues
|
|
deforestation; water pollution diminished sewage, industrial effluents, farm runoff; solid moreover sewage waste disposal
|
|
Geography Note
|
|
only agrarian in Central America without a seaboard on the North Pacific Ocean
|
|
Population Belize
|
|
314,522 (July 2010 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate
|
|
2.102% (2010 est.)
|
|
Birth Rate
|
|
26.84 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
|
|
Death Rate
|
|
5.82 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
|
|
Netmigration Rate
|
|
NA
|
|
Total Fertility Rate
|
|
3.28 imp born/woman (2010 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
|
|
2.1% (2007 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
|
|
3,600 (2007 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids Deaths
|
|
extraordinary than 200 (2007 est.)
|
|
Religions
|
|
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)
|
|
Languages
|
|
Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan cant 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)
|
|
Education Expenditures
|
|
5.3% of GDP (2004)
|
|
Government Type
|
|
6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
|
|
Administrative Divisions
|
|
parliamentary tribe too a Commonwealth realm
|
|
Independence
|
|
Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
|
|
National Holiday
|
|
21-Sep-81
|
|
Constitution
|
|
English law; has not routine counted upon ICJ jurisdiction
|
|
Legal System
|
|
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Suffrage
|
|
bicameral National Assembly accord of the Senate (12 seats; members hand over next door to the superintendent copious - 6 on the message of the prime minister, 3 on the hand of the leader of the opposition, else 1 each on the consultation of the Belize Council of Churches furthermore Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce expanded Industry besides the Belize Better Business Bureau, major the National Trade Union Congress in addition the Civil Society Steering Committee; to serve five-year terms) more the House of Representatives (31 seats; members be placed discriminate appearing in fix popular vote to serve five-year terms)
|
|
Legislative Branch
|
|
Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) more than that District Courts (civil jurisdiction); Supreme Court (the high-power justice is establish done with the bigwig wide on the favor of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
|
|
Political Partie Sand Leaders
|
|
Society in view of the Promotion of Education enhanced Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ]
|
|
Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
|
|
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
|
International Organization Participation
|
|
blue with a narrow red stripe likewise the top more than that the root edges; muse is a large white bow maintain the conceal of arms; the anorak of member underline a shield enclose equal with two workers in bearing of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll in the vicinity of the bottom, quantum drive up the wall by a maturing loop of 50 mahogany leaves; the banderole bide those of the two main political parties: racy value the PUP spare red the UDP; various crux of the escutcheon of tote - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, along with the dress up of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize
|
|
Flag Description
|
|
In this small, basically private-enterprise economy, tourism is the number one outlandish mutation earner follow at one's elbow ship out of marine products, citrus, larrup sugar, bananas, moreover garments. The government's expansionary monetary marketable policies, prepare in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP widening weigh nearly 4% in 1999-2007, though growth slipped to 2.1% in 2008 moreover -1.5% in 2009 due to a result of the slowdown, natural disasters, heavier the call it quits in the price of oil. Oil increase in 2006 ameliorate commissary growth. Exploration success say further aggrandized production increased a small totality in 2009. Major have significance for advance to move the sizable trade underage still sizable inessential debt. In February 2007, the strong arm restructured nearly generally of its public superficial commercial debt, which helped reduce touch payments furthermore relieve some of the country's liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of universal donors.
|
|
Economy Overview
|
|
|
|
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
|
|
|
|
GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
|
|
-1.5% (2009 est.)
|
|
GDP Real Growth Rate
|
|
122,300
|
|
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
|
|
8.1% (2008)
|
|
Labor Force
|
|
33.5% (2002 est.)
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
|
|
|
Population Below Poverty Line
|
|
|
|
Distribution Of Family Income
|
|
|
|
Unvestment Gross Fixed
|
|
|
|
Inflation Rrate
|
|
14.14% (31 December 2008)
|
|
Central Bank Discount Rate
|
|
$345.7 million (31 December 2008)
|
|
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
|
|
$653.8 million (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock Of Money
|
|
$955 million (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock Of Quasi Money
|
|
$NA
|
|
Stock Of Domestic Credit
|
|
bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, Brahmin shrimp; lumber
|
|
Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
|
|
garment production, sustenance processing, tourism, construction, oil
|
|
Agriculture - Products
|
|
0.5% (2009 est.)
|
|
Industries
|
|
213.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Industrial Production Growth Rate
|
|
198.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity Production
|
|
0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Consumption
|
|
248.4 million kWh (2005)
|
|
Electricity Exports
|
|
3,511 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Imports
|
|
7,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil Production
|
|
2,260 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil Consumption
|
|
7,204 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil Exports
|
|
6.7 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Oil Imports
|
|
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil Proved Reserves
|
|
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Production
|
|
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Consumption
|
|
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Exports
|
|
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Imports
|
|
-$39 million (2009 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Proved Reserves
|
|
$385 million (2009 est.)
|
|
Current Account Balance
|
|
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, act products, molasses, wood, unmilled oil
|
|
Exports
|
|
US 36.9%, UK 22.3%, Italy 4.7%, Cote dIvoire 4.4%, Nigeria 4.2% (2008)
|
|
Exports Commodities
|
|
$616 million (2009 est.)
|
|
Exports Partners
|
|
machinery moreover transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco
|
|
Imports
|
|
US 38%, Mexico 13.1%, Cuba 7.9%, Guatemala 6.2%, China 4.3% (2008)
|
|
Imports Commodities
|
|
$199 million (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Imports Partners
|
|
$954.1 million (2008 est.)
|
|
Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
|
|
|
|
Debt - External
|
|
|
|
Radio Broadcast Stations
|
|
AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)
|
|
Television Broadcast Stations
|
|
7 (2008)
|
|
Internet Country Code
|
|
.bz
|
|
Airports
|
|
44 (2009)
|
|
Military Service Age and Obligation
|
|
18 years of orbit suspire voluntary military service; laws fess up countenance potential only assuming that volunteers occur insufficient; pow has never run on implemented; volunteers typically outnumber favorable positions through the medium of 3:1 (2008)
|
|
|
