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Introduction to Belize - General Information

Belize is a diverse, peaceful, English speaking democracy. Situated on the northeastern tip of Central America with more than 300 miles of Caribbean coastline, this former British colony is a trade crossroads between the Caribbean and Latin America.

A former British colony, Belize gained independence in 1981 and offers US, UK and Canadian investors a familiar business environment where English is the official language, and the political, economic, legal and educational systems are based on familiar British models.

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Geography - Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Guatemala and Mexico

Map References:
Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:

• Total area: 22,960 sq km
• Land area: 22,800 sq km
• Comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts
• Land boundaries: total 516 km, Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
• Coastline: 386 km

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Climate:
Tropical; hot and humid; cooling trade winds on coast; rainy season (May 15 - November 15)

Terrain:
Flat, fertile coastal plain; pine savannas; low mountains in south.

Land Use:

• Arable land: 2%
• Permanent crops: 0%
• Meadows and pastures: 2%
• Forest and woodland: 44%
• Other: 52%
• Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est)

Environment:

• Current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff
• Natural hazards: occasional hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south) Note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of Hurricane Hattie; only country in Central America without a coastline on the Pacific Ocean.

International Agreements:

• Party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Whaling
  Signed, but not ratified: Climate Change

People:

• Population: 208,949 (July 1994 est)
• Population growth rate: 2.42% (1994 est)
• Birth rate: 34.74 births/1,000 population (1994 est)
• Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est)
• Net migration rate: *4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est)
• Infant mortality rate: 35.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est)
• Life expectancy at birth:
  • Total population: 68.08 years
• Male: 66.14 years
• Female: 70.12 years (1994 est)
• Total fertility rate: 4.39 children born/woman (1994 est)
• Nationality:
  • Noun: Belizean(s)
  • Adjective: Belizean
• Ethnic divisions: mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 7%, other 8%
• Religions: 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)
• Languages: English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)
• Literacy: Age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
  • Total population: 91%
  • Male: 91%
  • Female: 91%
• Labor force: 51,500
  • By occupation: agriculture 30%, services 16%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%,
    manufacturing 10.3%

Government:

• Names:
  • Conventional short form: Belize
  • Former: British Honduras (A UK Colony)
• Digraph: BH
• Type: parliamentary democracy
• Capital: Belmopan
• Administrative divisions: 6 districts (see map above) Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
• Independence & Constitution: 21 September 1981
• National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
• Legal system: English law
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Executive branch:
• Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
• Head of government: Prime Minister Said (pronounced SA-EED) MUSA (since Sept 1998)
• Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice from the prime minister
• Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
• Senate: consists of an 8-member body, 5 are appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 2 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 after consultation with the Belize Advisory council National Assembly
• Elections: last Aug. 27 1998 (next to be held Aug 2003); results: percent of vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) PUP 26 UDP 2
• Judicial branch: Supreme Court
• Political parties and leaders:
• People's United Party (PUP), Said MUSA
• United Democratic Party (UDP), Dean BARROW
• National Alliance for Belizean Rights (NABR), Philip GOLDSON
• Other political or pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR), Assad SHOMAN; United Workers Front, leader NA
• Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
• Diplomatic representation in US:
  • Chief of mission: Ambassador James MURPHY
  • Chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

  Telephone: (202) 332-9636, FAX: (202) 332-6888

Consulates:

• Consulate(s) general: Miami
• US diplomatic representation: Ambassador Carolyn Curiel
• Embassy: Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City

Mailing address:

P. O. Box 286, Belize City
Telephone: [501] (2) 77161 through 77163, FAX: [501] (2) 30802

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

Economy:

Overview:
The economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and
merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming increasing importance.
Agriculture accounts for about 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.

National product:
- GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $550 million (1993 est)
- National product real growth rate: 5.3% (1992)
- National product per capita: $2,700 (1993 est)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1991)
- Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est)

Budget:
- Revenues: $126.8 million
- Expenditures: $123.1 million, including capital expenditures of $44.8 million (FY91 est)
- Exports: $116 million (FOB, 1992)
- Commodities: sugar, citrus, clothing, fish products, bananas, molasses, wood
- Partners: US 51%, UK, other EC (1992)- Imports: $273 million (c.i.f., 1992 est)
- Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
- Partners: US 57%, UK 8%, other EC 7%, Mexico (1992)

- External debt: $143.7 million (1991)
- Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1990); accounts for 12% of GDP

Electricity:
- Capacity: 34,532 kW
- Production: 90 million kWh
- Consumption per capita: 393 kWh (1992)
- Industries: garment production, citrus concentrates, sugar refining, rum, beverages,
tourism
- Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fish and forestry); commercial crops
include sugar cane, bananas, coca, citrus fruits; expanding output of lumber and
cultured shrimp; net importer of basic foods

• Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $215 million

Currency: 1 Belizean dollar (BZ$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (BZ$) per US$1 - 2.00 (Official fixed rate)

• Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
• Highways:
  - Total: 2,710 km
  - Paved: 500 km
  - Unpaved: gravel 1,600 km; improved earth 300 km; unimproved earth 310 km
  - Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable
  - Ports: Belize City; additional ports for shallow draught craft include Corozol, Punta Gorda, Big Creek
  - Merchant marine: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,509 GRT/80,345 DWT, bulk 6, cargo 11, container 2, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
• Airports:
  - Total: 47
  - Usable: 38
  - With permanent-surface runways: 3
  - With runways over 3,659 m: 0
  - With runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1
  - With runways 1,229-2,439 m: 3
• Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on microwave radio
  relay; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
  earth station.

Defense Forces:

• Branches:
  • British Forces Belize withdrawn by the end of 1993 except for a small training detachment
  • Belize Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard)
• Belize National Police Manpower availability:
  • Males age 15 - 49: 48,789;
    
  • Fit for military service: 29,040
  • Reach military age (18) annually: 2,175 (1994 est)
• Defense expenditures:
  • Exchange rate conversion - $4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1992)