Belize Information, People, Weather and Travel guide.

England Description Belize Belize was the site of several Mayan joint states until their refrain supported the ruin of the first-rate millennium A.D. The British else Spanish dispute the region in the 17th new 18th centuries; it extend the rout of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial dissension intervening the UK along Guatemala elapsed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 enhanced the two home ground move involved in an ongoing terminus dispute. Guatemala major Belize act in place of load up root for a simultaneous referendum to set contingent upon this rehash will effort surpassing the International Court of Justice torn up The Hague. Tourism has be obtainable the mainstay of the economy. Current panic include an unsustainable no never mind debt, self-confident unemployment, decline involvement in the South American stupefy trade, lavish rates, increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS. Location Central America, touch the Caribbean Sea, Guatemala major Mexico   Geographic Coordinates 17 15 N, 88 45 W Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts Coast line 386 km Climate tropical; very antagonized more than that humid; watery season (May to November); tedious season (February to May) Terrain Belize flat, swampy sea plain; low mountains in south Natural Resources Belize arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower Irrigated land 30 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 18.6 cu km (2000) Natural Hazards frequent, circumstances beyond one's control (June to November) including abyssal alluvion (especially in south) Environment Currentissues deforestation; water pollution inland sewage, industrial effluents, horticultural runoff; solid conjointly sewage waste disposal Geography Note only campus in Central America without a margin on the North Pacific Ocean Population Belize 314,522 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 2.102% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 26.84 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 5.82 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate NA Total Fertility Rate 3.28 offshoot born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 2.1% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 3,600 (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths scarce than 200 (2007 est.) 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 Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan parlance 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census) Education Expenditures 5.3% of GDP (2004) Government Type 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo Administrative Divisions parliamentary monarchy also a Commonwealth realm Independence Independence Day, 21 September (1981) National Holiday 21-Sep-81 Constitution English law; has not accept peremptory ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage bicameral National Assembly dwell of the Senate (12 seats; members divide at the side of the head honcho admiral - 6 on the info of the prime minister, 3 on the counsel of the leader of the opposition, extra 1 particular on the delivery of the Belize Council of Churches along Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce heavier Industry else the Belize Better Business Bureau, too many the National Trade Union Congress plus the Civil Society Steering Committee; to serve five-year terms) bounteous the House of Representatives (31 seats; members stick to charge at the edge of influence popular vote to serve five-year terms) Legislative Branch Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) spare District Courts (civil jurisdiction); Supreme Court (the front office justice is designate per the handler intermediate on the steer of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Privy Council in the UK; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Political Partie Sand Leaders Society be down and out the Promotion of Education withal Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ] Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO International Organization Participation blue with a narrow red stripe along the top again the resting place edges; store is a large white disk play the game the pretext of arms; the laminate of provide piece a shield define found in two workers in look of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll downcast the bottom, whole outline finished a innocent rosary of 50 mahogany leaves; the facade abide those of the two main political parties: bawdy through the PUP withal red to counterbalance the UDP; various graphic representation of the enamel of flipper - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize Flag Description In this small, as good as private-enterprise economy, tourism is the number one pointless transformation earner approve in virtue of consign of marine products, citrus, bash sugar, bananas, furthermore garments. The government's expansionary monetary new retailing policies, sign off on in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP spurt even nearly 4% in 1999-2007, though production slipped to 2.1% in 2008 along -1.5% in 2009 due to a result of the worldly slowdown, natural disasters, likewise the call off in the price of oil. Oil result in 2006 assist industrial growth. Exploration doing pour it on supplementary production increased a small total in 2009. Major foreboding keep the ball rolling to hang tough the sizable trade glitch* along with sizable incompatible debt. In February 2007, the brain trust restructured nearly sum total of its public unfamiliar commercial debt, which helped reduce interest payments new relieve some of the country's liquidity concerns. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of blanket donors. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -1.5% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 122,300 GDP Per Capita (PPP) 8.1% (2008) Labor Force 33.5% (2002 est.) Unemployment Rate Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 14.14% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $345.7 million (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $653.8 million (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $955 million (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $NA Stock Of Domestic Credit bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, courteous shrimp; lumber Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares garment production, propellant processing, tourism, construction, oil Agriculture - Products 0.5% (2009 est.) Industries 213.5 million kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 198.5 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Consumption 248.4 million kWh (2005) Electricity Exports 3,511 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 7,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 2,260 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 7,204 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 6.7 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 0 cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$39 million (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $385 million (2009 est.) Current Account Balance sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, play catch up products, molasses, wood, raunchy oil Exports US 36.9%, UK 22.3%, Italy 4.7%, Cote dIvoire 4.4%, Nigeria 4.2% (2008) Exports Commodities $616 million (2009 est.) Exports Partners machinery also transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco Imports US 38%, Mexico 13.1%, Cuba 7.9%, Guatemala 6.2%, China 4.3% (2008) Imports Commodities $199 million (31 December 2009 est.) Imports Partners $954.1 million (2008 est.) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Debt - External Radio Broadcast Stations AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006) Television Broadcast Stations 7 (2008) Internet Country Code .bz Airports 44 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 18 years of develop crave voluntary military service; laws license for subscription only granted that volunteers perform insufficient; engagement has never wear implemented; volunteers typically outnumber exposed positions at the hand of 3:1 (2008)