Background:
|
| Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Guatemala and Belize are gearing up for a simultaneous referendum to determine if this dispute will go before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS. |
|
|
|
Location:
|
| Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
|
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
|
17 15 N, 88 45 W
|
|
|
Map references:
|
|
|
Area:
|
|
total: 22,966 sq km
country comparison to the world: 158
land:
22,806 sq km
water:
160 sq km
|
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
|
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
|
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
|
total: 516 km
border countries:
Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
|
|
|
Coastline:
|
|
386 km
|
|
|
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
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
|
|
|
Climate:
|
|
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
|
|
|
Terrain:
|
|
flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
|
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
|
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Doyle's Delight 1,160 m
|
|
|
Natural resources:
|
|
arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
|
|
|
Land use:
|
|
arable land: 3.05%
permanent crops:
1.39%
other:
95.56% (2005)
|
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
|
30 sq km (2003)
|
|
|
Total renewable water resources:
|
|
18.6 cu km (2000)
|
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
|
total: 0.15 cu km/yr (7%/73%/20%)
per capita:
556 cu m/yr (2000)
|
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
|
frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
|
|
|
Environment - current issues:
|
|
deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal
|
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
|
|
|
Geography - note:
|
|
only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean |
|
|
|
Population:
|
| 307,899 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
|
|
|
Age structure:
|
|
0-14 years: 37.9% (male 59,462/female 57,117)
15-64 years:
58.6% (male 91,298/female 89,170)
65 years and over:
3.5% (male 5,185/female 5,667) (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Median age:
|
|
total: 20.4 years
male:
20.3 years
female:
20.6 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
|
2.154% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
|
|
|
Birth rate:
|
|
27.33 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
|
|
|
Death rate:
|
|
5.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
|
|
|
Net migration rate:
|
|
NA (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Urbanization:
|
|
urban population: 52% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.92 male(s)/female
total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
|
total: 23.07 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 94
male:
26 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
19.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
|
total population: 68.2 years
country comparison to the world: 151
male:
66.44 years
female:
70.05 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
|
3.36 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
|
2.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
|
3,600 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
|
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
|
|
|
Major infectious diseases:
|
|
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease:
leptospirosis (2009)
|
|
|
Nationality:
|
|
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective:
Belizean
|
|
|
Ethnic groups:
|
|
mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% (2000 census)
|
|
|
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 dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna 3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census)
|
|
|
Literacy:
|
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
76.9%
male:
76.7%
female:
77.1% (2000 census)
|
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
|
|
total: 13 years
male:
13 years
female:
13 years (2004)
|
|
|
Education expenditures:
|
|
5.3% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 55
|
|
|
|
|
