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| Belize |
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Geography
Belize is situated on the Caribbean
Sea, south of Mexico and east and
north of Guatemala in Central America.
In area, it is about the size of New
Hampshire. Most of the country is
heavily forested with various
hardwoods. Mangrove swamps and
cays along the coast give way to hills
and mountains in the interior. The
highest point is Victoria Peak, 3,681 ft
(1,122 m).
Government
Parliamentary democracy within the
British Commonwealth.
History
The Mayan civilization spread into the
area of Belize between 1500 B.C. and
A.D. 300 and flourished until about
1200. Several major archeological
sites—notably Caracol, Lamanai,
Lubaantun, Altun Ha, and
Xunantunich—reflect the advanced
civilization and much denser
population of that period. European
contact began in 1502 when Columbus
sailed along the coast. The first
recorded European settlement was
begun by shipwrecked English seamen
in 1638. Over the next 150 years,
more English settlements were
established. This period was also
marked by piracy, indiscriminate
logging, and sporadic attacks by
Indians and neighboring Spanish
settlements. Both Spain and Britain lay
claim to the land until Britain defeated
the Spanish in the battle of St.
George's Cay (1798). It became a
colony of Great Britain in 1840, known
as British Honduras, and a Crown
colony in 1862. Full internal self-
government was granted in Jan. 1964.
In 1973, the country changed its name
to Belize.
Belize became independent on Sept.
21, 1981. But Guatemala, which had
made claims on the territory since the
1800s, refused to recognize it. British
troops remained in the country to
defend it. Although the dispute
between Guatemala and Great Britain
remained unresolved, Guatemala
recognized Belize's sovereignty in
Sept. 1991. Guatemala, however, still
claims more than half of Belize’s
territory.
Prime Minister Said Musa was
reelected to a second term in 2003.
Belize is situated on the Caribbean
Sea, south of Mexico and east and
north of Guatemala in Central America.
In area, it is about the size of New
Hampshire. Most of the country is
heavily forested with various
hardwoods. Mangrove swamps and
cays along the coast give way to hills
and mountains in the interior. The
highest point is Victoria Peak, 3,681 ft
(1,122 m).
Government
Parliamentary democracy within the
British Commonwealth.
History
The Mayan civilization spread into the
area of Belize between 1500 B.C. and
A.D. 300 and flourished until about
1200. Several major archeological
sites—notably Caracol, Lamanai,
Lubaantun, Altun Ha, and
Xunantunich—reflect the advanced
civilization and much denser
population of that period. European
contact began in 1502 when Columbus
sailed along the coast. The first
recorded European settlement was
begun by shipwrecked English seamen
in 1638. Over the next 150 years,
more English settlements were
established. This period was also
marked by piracy, indiscriminate
logging, and sporadic attacks by
Indians and neighboring Spanish
settlements. Both Spain and Britain lay
claim to the land until Britain defeated
the Spanish in the battle of St.
George's Cay (1798). It became a
colony of Great Britain in 1840, known
as British Honduras, and a Crown
colony in 1862. Full internal self-
government was granted in Jan. 1964.
In 1973, the country changed its name
to Belize.
Belize became independent on Sept.
21, 1981. But Guatemala, which had
made claims on the territory since the
1800s, refused to recognize it. British
troops remained in the country to
defend it. Although the dispute
between Guatemala and Great Britain
remained unresolved, Guatemala
recognized Belize's sovereignty in
Sept. 1991. Guatemala, however, still
claims more than half of Belize’s
territory.
Prime Minister Said Musa was
reelected to a second term in 2003.
Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: Sir Colville Young
(1993)
Prime Minister: Said Musa (1998)
Land area: 8,803 sq mi (22,800 sq
km); total area: 8,867 sq mi (22,966 sq
km)
Population (2007 est.): 294,385
(growth rate: 2.3%); birth rate:
28.3/1000; infant mortality rate:
24.4/1000; life expectancy: 68.3;
density per sq mi: 33
Capital (2003 est.): Belmopan, 8,700
Largest city: Belize City, 52,600
Monetary unit: Belize dollar
Languages: English (official), Spanish,
Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Ethnicity/race: mestizo 48.7%, Creole
24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%,
other 9.7%
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%,
Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7%,
Anglican 5%, Seventh-Day Adventist
5%, Mennonite 4%, Methodist 4%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 2%), none 9%,
other 14% (2000)
Literacy rate: 94% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004
est.): $1.778 billion; per capita $6,800.
Real growth rate: 3.8%. Inflation: 3%.
Unemployment: 12.9% (2003). Arable
land: 3.05%. Agriculture: bananas,
coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured
shrimp; lumber; garments. Labor force:
90,000; note: shortage of skilled labor
and all types of technical personnel;
agriculture 27%, industry 18%,
services 55% (2001 est.). Industries:
garment production, food processing,
tourism, construction. Natural
resources: arable land potential,
timber, fish, hydropower. Exports:
$349.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): sugar,
bananas, citrus, clothing, fish
products, molasses, wood. Imports:
$622.4 million f.o.b. (2005 est.):
machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; food, beverages,
tobacco. Major trading partners: U.S.,
UK, Jamaica , Mexico, Guatemala,
Cuba, China, Japan (2004).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main
lines in use: 33,300 (2003); mobile
cellular: 60,400 (2003). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 12,
shortwave 0 (1998). Television
broadcast stations: 2 (1997). Internet
hosts: 2,613 (2003). Internet users:
30,000 (2002).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 2,872 km; paved: 488
km; unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.).
Waterways: 825 km (navigable only by
small craft) (2004). Ports and harbors:
Belize City. Airports: 43 (2004 est.).
International disputes: Guatemalan
squatters continue to settle in the
largely uninhabited rain forests of
Belize's border region; OAS is
attempting to revive the 2002 failed
Differendum that created a small
adjustment to land boundary, a
Guatemalan maritime corridor in
Caribbean, joint ecological park for
disputed Sapodilla Cays, and
substantial US-UK financial package.
Governor-General: Sir Colville Young
(1993)
Prime Minister: Said Musa (1998)
Land area: 8,803 sq mi (22,800 sq
km); total area: 8,867 sq mi (22,966 sq
km)
Population (2007 est.): 294,385
(growth rate: 2.3%); birth rate:
28.3/1000; infant mortality rate:
24.4/1000; life expectancy: 68.3;
density per sq mi: 33
Capital (2003 est.): Belmopan, 8,700
Largest city: Belize City, 52,600
Monetary unit: Belize dollar
Languages: English (official), Spanish,
Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Ethnicity/race: mestizo 48.7%, Creole
24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%,
other 9.7%
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%,
Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7%,
Anglican 5%, Seventh-Day Adventist
5%, Mennonite 4%, Methodist 4%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 2%), none 9%,
other 14% (2000)
Literacy rate: 94% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004
est.): $1.778 billion; per capita $6,800.
Real growth rate: 3.8%. Inflation: 3%.
Unemployment: 12.9% (2003). Arable
land: 3.05%. Agriculture: bananas,
coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured
shrimp; lumber; garments. Labor force:
90,000; note: shortage of skilled labor
and all types of technical personnel;
agriculture 27%, industry 18%,
services 55% (2001 est.). Industries:
garment production, food processing,
tourism, construction. Natural
resources: arable land potential,
timber, fish, hydropower. Exports:
$349.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): sugar,
bananas, citrus, clothing, fish
products, molasses, wood. Imports:
$622.4 million f.o.b. (2005 est.):
machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; food, beverages,
tobacco. Major trading partners: U.S.,
UK, Jamaica , Mexico, Guatemala,
Cuba, China, Japan (2004).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main
lines in use: 33,300 (2003); mobile
cellular: 60,400 (2003). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 12,
shortwave 0 (1998). Television
broadcast stations: 2 (1997). Internet
hosts: 2,613 (2003). Internet users:
30,000 (2002).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 2,872 km; paved: 488
km; unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.).
Waterways: 825 km (navigable only by
small craft) (2004). Ports and harbors:
Belize City. Airports: 43 (2004 est.).
International disputes: Guatemalan
squatters continue to settle in the
largely uninhabited rain forests of
Belize's border region; OAS is
attempting to revive the 2002 failed
Differendum that created a small
adjustment to land boundary, a
Guatemalan maritime corridor in
Caribbean, joint ecological park for
disputed Sapodilla Cays, and
substantial US-UK financial package.
We'll be adding more info as it
comes in so please be patient
while we build this page.
comes in so please be patient
while we build this page.