The 1992 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

petroleum products 1,167 km; crude oil 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km

       Ports:

       Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge

       Merchant marine:

       23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,979 GRT/88,738 DWT; includes 10

       cargo, 4 petroleum tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 chemical tanker, 1 bulk, 2

       refrigerated cargo

       Civil air:

       47 major transport aircraft

       Airports:

       42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways

       over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

       Telecommunications:

       highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated

       domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; extensive

       cable network; limited radio relay network; 4,720,000 telephones; broadcast

       stations - 3 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV; 5 submarine cables; 2 satellite earth

       stations - Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile

       phone system

      :Belgium Defense Forces

      Branches:

       Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

       Manpower availability:

       males 15-49, 2,550,088; 2,133,483 fit for military service; 66,249 reach

       military age (19) annually

       Defense expenditures:

       exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1991)

      :Belize Geography

      Total area:

       22,960 km2

       Land area:

       22,800 km2

       Comparative area:

       slightly larger than Massachusetts

       Land boundaries:

       516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

       Coastline:

       386 km

       Maritime claims:

       Territorial sea:

       12 nm in the north and 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the

       Sarstoon River to Ranguana Caye, Belize's territorial sea is 3 miles;

       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 the Republic of Guatemala''

       Disputes:

       claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute have

       begun

       Climate:

       tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)

       Terrain:

       flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

       Natural resources:

       arable land potential, timber, fish

       Land use:

       arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and

       woodland 44%; other 52%, includes irrigated NEGL%

       Environment:

       frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding

       (especially in south); deforestation

       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:

       229,143 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)

       Birth rate:

       31 births/1,000 population (1992)

       Death rate:

       5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

       Net migration rate:

       4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

       Infant mortality rate:

       30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

       Life expectancy at birth:

       67 years male, 73 years female (1992)

       Total fertility rate:

       3.8 children born/woman (1992)

       Nationality:

       noun - Belizean(s); adjective - Belizean

       Ethnic divisions:

       Creole 39.7%, Mestizo 33.1%, Maya 9.5%, Garifuna 7.6%, East Indian 2.1%,

       other 8.0%

       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%, unknown 3%, other 3% (1980)

       Languages:

       English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Carib)

       Literacy:

       91% (male 91%, female 91%) age 15 and over having ever attended school

       (1970)

       Labor force:

       51,500; agriculture 30.0%, services 16.0%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%,

       manufacturing 10.3%; shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical

       personnel (1985)

       Organized labor:

       12% of labor force; 7 unions currently active

      :Belize Government

      Long-form name:

       none

       Type:

       parliamentary democracy

       Capital:

       Belmopan

       Administrative divisions:

       6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

       Independence:

       21 September 1981 (from UK; formerly British Honduras)

       Constitution:

       21 September 1981

       Legal system:

       English law

       National holiday:

       Independence Day, 21 September

       Executive branch:

       British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,

       Cabinet

       Legislative branch:

       bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower

       house or House of Representatives

       Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court

       Leaders:

       Chief of State:

       Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General

       Dame Elmira Minita GORDON (since 21 September 1981)

       Head of Government:

       Prime