Belize-

conventional long form: none-
Capital:
Type of Government: -
Administrative Divisions: -
Age Structure: -
Agriculture:
Airports: 43 (2004 est.)-
With Paved Runways: -
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 22,966 sq km. slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Background: 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 increasing urban crime.-
Birth rate: -
Budget: -
Coastline: 386 km-
Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
Communications: -
Constitution:
Currency:
Current account balance: $-200.1 million (2005 est.)-
Death rate: -
Debt - external: -
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas: -
Diplomatic representation from the US: -
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Disputes - international: 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-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: NA
Economy - overview: In this small, essentially private enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 5% in 1999-2005. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.-
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Environment - current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal-
Environment - International Agreements: -
Ethnic groups: -
Exchange rates: -
Executive branch: -
Exports: -
Exports - partners: -
Fiscal year:
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 (official exchange rate): -
GDP (purchasing power parity): -
GDP - composition by sector: -
GDP - per capita: -
GDP - real growth rate:
Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Geography - note: only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean-
Government - note: -
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: -
HIV/AIDS - deaths: -
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: -
Heliports: -
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector-
Imports: -
Imports - partners: -
Independence: -
Industrial production growth rate: -
Industries: -
Infant mortality rate: -
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -
International organization participation: -
Internet country code: -
Internet hosts: -
Internet users:
Investment (gross fixed): 35.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)-
Judicial branch: -
Labor force: -
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 516 km
Land use: arable land: 2.85%-
Languages:
Legal system: English law-
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: -
Literacy:
Location: Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 60,750 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 41,368 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 3,209 (2005 est.)
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims: 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 negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala-
Median age:
Merchant marine: total: 295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT-
Military - note: -
Military branches: -
Military expenditures - dollar figure: -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: -
Military service age and obligation: -
National holiday: -
Nationality: -
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower-
Net migration rate: -
Oil - consumption: -
Oil - exports: -
Oil - imports: -
Oil - production: -
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: -
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Population: 279,457 (July 2005 est.)-
Population below poverty line: -
Population growth rate:
Ports and terminals: Belize City-
Public debt: -
Radio broadcast stations: -
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons: -
Religions:
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $90.45 million (2005 est.)-
Roadways: -
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: -
Telephone system: -
Telephones - main lines in use: -
Telephones - mobile cellular: -
Television broadcast stations:
Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south-
Total fertility rate: -
Transportation - note: -
Unemployment rate: -
Waterways: