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total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15–49 : 2,559,951 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 2,122,673 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 63,005 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4.6 billion (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe ______________________________________________________________________
BELIZE
@Belize:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Guatemala and Mexico
Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total : 22,960 sq km land: 22,800 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: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm 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 the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala
Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m
Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 92% other: 3% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (September to
December) and coastal flooding (especially in south)
Environment - current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
@Belize:People
Population: 224,663 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 43% (male 48,921; female 47,057) 15–64 years: 54% (male 61,133; female 59,466) 65 years and over: 3% (male 3,965; female 4,121) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.42% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 31.91 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.61 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: −2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15–64 years : 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 33.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.75 years male: 66.8 years female: 70.81 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.99 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean
Ethnic groups: mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 7%, other 8%
Religions: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980)
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib)
Literacy: definition: age 14 and over has ever attended school total population: 70.3% male: 70.3% female: 70.3% (1991 est.) note : other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%
@Belize:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras
Data code: BH
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Belmopan
Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange
Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Constitution: 21 September 1981
Legal system: English law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG (since 17 November 1993) head of government : Prime Minister Manuel ESQUIVEL (since July 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Dean BARROW (since NA July 1993) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (8 members; members are appointed for five-year terms, five on the advice of the prime minister, two on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one after consultation with the Belize Advisory Council - this council serves as an independent body to advise the governor general with respect to difficult decisions such as granting pardons, commutations, stays of execution, the removal of justices of appeal who appear to be incompetent, etc.) and the National Assembly (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 30 June 1993 (next to be held no later than September 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 13, UDP 15, NABR 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
Political parties and leaders: People's United Party or PUP [Said
MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean BARROW];
National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR [Philip GOLDSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Society for the Promotion of
Education and Research or SPEAR [Assad SHOMAN]; United Workers Front
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,