Geography
Area: 22,966 sq. km. (8,867 sq. mi.); slightly larger than
Massachusetts.
Cities: Capital--Belmopan (2000 pop. est. 8,305) Other
cities and towns--Belize City (54,125), Corozal (8,075), Orange
Walk (13,795), San Ignacio & Santa Elena (13,545), Dangriga
(9.020), Punta Gorda (4,425), and San Pedro (4,965).
Terrain: Flat and swampy coastline, low mountains in interior.
Climate: Subtropical (dry and wet seasons). Hot and humid. Rainfall
ranges from 60 inches in the north to 200 inches in the south
annually.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Belizean(s).
Population (2003 est.): 266,440.
Annual growth rate (2003 est.): 2.44%.
Ethnic groups: Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Mayan.
Christian singles note-Religions: Roman
Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, other Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, and
Buddhist.
Languages: English (official), Creole, Spanish, Garifuna, Mayan.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--60%. Literacy--76%.
Health: (1998): Infant mortality rate—27.07/1,000. Life
expectancy—67.4 years.
Work force (April 2001, 96,100): Services--50.8%. Agriculture,
hunting, forestry, and fishing--27.2%. Industry and commerce--17.8%.
Other--4.2%.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy
Independence: September 21, 1981.
Constitution: September 21, 1981.
Branches: Executive--British monarch (head of state),
represented by a governor general; prime minister (head of government,
5-year term). Legislative--bicameral National Assembly. Judicial--Supreme
Court, Court of Appeal, district magistrates.
Subdivisions: Six districts.
Political parties: People's United Party (PUP), United Democratic
Party (UDP), National Alliance for Belizean Rights (NABR).
Suffrage: Universal adult.
Economy
GDP (2003): $1.28 billion.
Annual growth rate (2002): 4.4%; (2001): 4.6%.
Per capita income (2002): $3,237.
Avg. inflation rate (2002): 2.3%.
Natural resources: Arable land, timber, seafood, minerals.
Agriculture (12.7% of GDP): Products--sugar, citrus fruits and
juices, bananas, mangoes, papayas, honey, corn, beans, rice, cattle.
Industry (14% of GDP): Types--clothing, fruit processing,
beverages.
Tourism (22% of GDP): Tourist arrivals (2002)--199,493.
Trade: Exports (2002)--$294.5 million: cane sugar, clothing,
citrus concentrate, lobster, fish, banana, and farmed shrimp. Major
markets--U.S. (54.5%), U.K., CARICOM. Imports
(2002)--$526.8 million: food, consumer goods, building materials,
vehicles, machinery, petroleum products. Major suppliers--U.S.
(60%), Mexico, U.K. Official exchange rate: Since 1976 Belizean banks
have bought U.S. dollars at the rate of 2.0175 and sold them at
1.9825, making for an effective fixed rate of Belize $2=U.S. $1.
PEOPLE
Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America. It is
larger than El Salvador and compares in size to the State of
Massachusetts. Slightly more than half of the population lives in
rural areas. About one-fourth live in Belize City, the principal port,
commercial center, and former capital.
Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 46.4% of the
population is of mixed Mayan and European descent (Mestizo); 27.7% are
of African and Afro-European (Creole) ancestry; about 10% are Mayan;
and about 6.4% are Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna). The remainder, about
9.5%, includes European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and
North American groups.
English, the official language, is spoken by virtually all except
the refugees who arrived during the past decade. Spanish is the native
tongue of about 50% of the people and is spoken as a second language
by another 20%. The various Mayan groups still speak their indigenous
languages, and an English Creole dialect (or "Kriol" in the
new orthography), similar to the Creole dialects of the
English-speaking Caribbean Islands, is spoken by most. The rate of
functional literacy is 76%. Christian singles note-About
60% of the population is Roman Catholic; the Anglican Church and other
Protestant Christian groups account for most of the remaining 40%.
Mennonite settlers number about 7,160.
