LOCATION:
Central America, bordering
the Caribbean Sea,
between Guatemala and Mexico
AREA:
total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km
water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
POPULATION:
279,457
(July 2005 est.)
AGE STRUCTURE:
0-14 years:
40.1% (male 57,114/female 54,877)
15-64 years: 56.4% (male 79,694/female
77,881)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,768/female 5,123) (2005 est.)
MEDIAN AGE:
total: 19.35 years
male: 19.21 years
female: 19.49 years
(2005 est.)
POPULATION GROWTH:
2.33%
Birth rate:
29.34 births/1,000 population
Death rate:
6.04 deaths/1,000 population
(2005 est.)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE:
total: 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.25 deaths/1,000 live births
(2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:
HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate
1.9 %
HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :
Ages 15-49:
3500
low estimate:
1200
high estimate:
9800
HIV/AIDS-DEATH
Adults and Children deaths:
low estimate:
less than 200
high estimate:
greater than 400
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Ethnic groups:
mestizo 48.7%,
Creole 24.9%,
Maya 10.6%,
Garifuna 6.1%,
other 9.7%
RELIGIONS:
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:
English (official),
Spanish, Mayan,
Garifuna (Carib), Creole
LITERACY:
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over
can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 94.1%
female: 94.1%
(2003 est.)
GOVERNMENT TYPE:
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
CAPITAL:
Capital:
Belmopan
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Administrative divisions:
6 districts; Belize, Cayo,
Corozal, Orange Walk,
Stann Creek, Toledo
INDEPENDENCE:
Independence:
21 September 1981
(from UK)
ECONOMY:
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 6% in 1999-2004. 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.
GDP:
GDP:
purchasing power parity -
$1.778 billion
(2004 est.)
POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:
Population below poverty line:
33%
(1999 est.)
INFLATION RATE:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9%
(2004 est.)
UNEMPLOYMENT:
Unemployment rate:
12.9%
(2003)
EXCHANGE RATES:
Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars per US dollar
- 2 (2004),
2 (2003),
2 (2002),
2 (2001),
2 (2000)
ILLICIT DRUGS:
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 .
