Belize

Introduction

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 1862. 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. Both nations have voted to send the dispute for final resolution to the International Court of Justice. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high crime rates, high unemployment combined with a majority youth population, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.

Geography

Location

Central 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: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km
water: 160 sq km
country comparison to the world: 152

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries

total: 542 km
border countries (2): Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 276 km

Coastline

386 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm 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: 200nm

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

mean elevation: 173 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Doyle's Delight 1,124 m

Natural resources

arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Land use

agricultural land: 6.9% (2011 est.)
arable land: 3.3% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 1.4% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 2.2% (2011 est.)
forest: 60.6% (2011 est.)
other: 32.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

35 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

Natural hazards

frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)

Environment - current issues

deforestation; water pollution, including pollution of Belize's Barrier Reef System, from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; inability to properly dispose of solid waste

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

People and Society

Population

385,854 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Nationality

noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups

mestizo 52.9%, Creole 25.9%, Maya 11.3%, Garifuna 6.1%, East Indian 3.9%, Mennonite 3.6%, white 1.2%, Asian 1%, other 1.2%, unknown 0.3% (2010 est.)
note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin

Languages

English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.3%, none 0.2% (cannot speak) (2010 est.)
note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Religions

Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, Rastafarian, Salvation Army), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Migration continues to transform Belize's population. About 16% of Belizeans live abroad, while immigrants constitute approximately 15% of Belize's population. Belizeans seeking job and educational opportunities have preferred to emigrate to the United States rather than former colonizer Great Britain because of the United States' closer proximity and stronger trade ties with Belize. Belizeans also emigrate to Canada, Mexico, and English-speaking Caribbean countries. The emigration of a large share of Creoles (Afro-Belizeans) and the influx of Central American immigrants, mainly Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans, has changed Belize's ethnic composition. Mestizos have become the largest ethnic group, and Belize now has more native Spanish speakers than English or Creole speakers, despite English being the official language. In addition, Central American immigrants are establishing new communities in rural areas, which contrasts with the urbanization trend seen in neighboring countries. Recently, Chinese, European, and North American immigrants have become more frequent.Immigration accounts for an increasing share of Belize's population growth rate, which is steadily falling due to fertility decline. Belize's declining birth rate and its increased life expectancy are creating an aging population. As the elderly population grows and nuclear families replace extended households, Belize's government will be challenged to balance a rising demand for pensions, social services, and healthcare for its senior citizens with the need to reduce poverty and social inequality and to improve sanitation.

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.61%(male 66,207 /female 63,466)
15-24 years: 18.74%(male 37,184 /female 35,127)
25-54 years: 37.43%(male 70,222 /female 74,187)
55-64 years: 5.88%(male 11,397 /female 11,284)
65 years and over: 4.35%(male 8,293 /female 8,487) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 56.8 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 50.9 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 17 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 23.7 years (2018 est.)
male: 23.2 years
female: 24.4 years
country comparison to the world: 168

Population growth rate

1.8% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57

Birth rate

22.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63

Death rate

4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206

Net migration rate

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Population distribution

approximately 25% to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east

Urbanization

urban population: 45.9% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 2.32% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

23,000 BELMOPAN (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104

Infant mortality rate

total: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 114

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.7 years (2018 est.)
male: 73.1 years
female: 76.3 years
country comparison to the world: 122

Total fertility rate

2.8 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

Contraceptive prevalence rate

51.4% (2015/16)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.9% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 99.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

6.1% (2016)

Physicians density

1.13 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 93.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 88.2% of population (2015 est.)
total: 90.5% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 6.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 11.8% of population (2015 est.)
total: 9.5% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.9% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

4,900 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<200 (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.1% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 60

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.6% (2015)
country comparison to the world: 85

Education expenditures

7.4% of GDP (2017)
country comparison to the world: 9

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2017)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 15.3%
male: 9.5%
female: 24.8% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras
etymology: may be named for the Belize River, whose name possibly derives from the Maya word "belix," meaning "muddy-watered"

Government type

parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Belmopan
geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology:  the decision to move the capital of the country inland to higher and more stable land was made in the 1960s; the name chosen for the new city was formed from the union of two words: "Belize," the name of the longest river in the country, and "Mopan," one of the rivers in the area of the new capital that empties into the Belize River

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

21 September 1981 (from the UK)

National holiday

Battle of St. George's Caye Day (National Day), 10 September (1798); Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Constitution

history: previous 1954, 1963 (preindependence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981
amendments: proposed and adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the National Assembly House of Representatives except for amendments relating to rights and freedoms, changes to the Assembly, and to elections and judiciary matters, which require at least three-quarters majority vote of the House; both types of amendments require assent of the governor general; amended several times, last in 2018 (2019)

Legal system

English common law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Colville Norbert YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Patrick FABER (since 7 June 2016)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Assembly
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch

description: bicameral National Assembly consists of:
Senate (14 seats, including the president); members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, non-governmental organizations in good standing, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; Senate president elected from among the Senate members or from outside the Senate; term of appointment NA
House of Representatives (31 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections:
Senate -  last appointed 13 November 2015 (next appointments NA)
House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020)
election results:
Senate - composition as of June 2019 - men 11, women 3, percent of women 21.4%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - UDP 50%, PUP 47.3%, other 2.7%; seats by party - UDP 19, PUP 12; composition - men 29, women 2; percent of women 6.5%; note - total National Assembly percent of women as of June 2019 - 11.1%
 

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 10 justices); note - in 2010, Belize acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75; in 2013, the Supreme Court chief justice overturned a constitutional amendment that had restricted Court of Appeal judge appointments to as short as 1 year
subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Family Court

Political parties and leaders

Belize Progressive Party or BPP [Patrick ROGERS] (formed in 2015 from a merger of the People's National Party, elements of the Vision Inspired by the People, and other smaller political groups)
People's United Party or PUP [Johnny BRICENO]
United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean Oliver BARROW]
Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Hubert ENRIQUEZ]

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Francisco Daniel GUTIEREZ (since 21 July 2017)
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Keith R. GILGES (since 24 July 2018)
telephone: [011] (501) 822-4011
embassy: 4 Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District
mailing address: P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize
FAX: [011] (501) 822-4012

Flag description

royal blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize
note: Belize's flag is the only national flag that depicts human beings; two British overseas territories, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands, also depict humans

National symbol(s)

Baird's tapir (a large, browsing, forest-dwelling mammal), keel-billed toucan, Black Orchid; national colors: red, blue

National anthem

name: Land of the Free
lyrics/music: Samuel Alfred HAYNES/Selwyn Walford YOUNG
note: adopted 1981; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

Economy

Economy - overview

Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of sugar, bananas, citrus, marine products, and crude oil.The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2007, but GPD growth has averaged only 2.1% from 2007-2016, with 2.5% growth estimated for 2017. Belize’s dependence on energy imports makes it susceptible to energy price shocks.Although Belize has the third highest per capita income in Central America, the average income figure masks a huge income disparity between rich and poor, and a key government objective remains reducing poverty and inequality with the help of international donors. High unemployment, a growing trade deficit and heavy foreign debt burden continue to be major concerns. Belize faces continued pressure from rising sovereign debt, and a growing trade imbalance.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.218 billion (2017 est.)
$3.194 billion (2016 est.)
$3.21 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 187

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.854 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.8% (2017 est.)
-0.5% (2016 est.)
3.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,300 (2017 est.)
$8,500 (2016 est.)
$8,800 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 149

Gross national saving

11.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
13.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
14.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 75.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 15.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 22.5% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 49.1% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -63.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 10.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 21.6% (2017 est.)
services: 68% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber

Industries

garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

Labor force

120,500 (2008 est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel
country comparison to the world: 180

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 18.1%
services: 71.7% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate

9% (2017 est.)
8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Population below poverty line

41% (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Budget

revenues: 553.5 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: 572 million (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75

Public debt

99% of GDP (2017 est.)
95.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.1% (2017 est.)
0.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55

Central bank discount rate

9.58% (1 November 2017)
9.14% (1 November 2016)
country comparison to the world: 26

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.46% (31 December 2017 est.)
9.84% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Stock of narrow money

$768.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$735.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Stock of broad money

$768.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$735.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Stock of domestic credit

$1.323 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.278 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

Market value of publicly traded shares

NA

Current account balance

-$143 million (2017 est.)
-$163 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Exports

$457.5 million (2017 est.)
$442.7 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

Exports - partners

UK 33.9%, US 22%, Jamaica 6.7%, Italy 6.4%, Barbados 5.9%, Ireland 5.5%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017)

Exports - commodities

sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil

Imports

$845.9 million (2017 est.)
$916.2 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Imports - partners

US 35.6%, China 11.2%, Mexico 11.2%, Guatemala 6.9% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$312.1 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$376.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

Debt - external

$1.315 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.338 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

NA

Exchange rates

Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar -
2 (2017 est.)
2 (2016 est.)
2 (2015 est.)
2 (2014 est.)
2 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 92.2% (2016)
electrification - urban areas: 97.1% (2016)
electrification - rural areas: 88.4% (2016)

Electricity - production

280 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

Electricity - consumption

453 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity - imports

243 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92

Electricity - installed generating capacity

198,000 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

Electricity - from fossil fuels

51% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

27% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73

Electricity - from other renewable sources

22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Crude oil - production

2,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

Crude oil - exports

1,220 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95

Crude oil - proved reserves

6.7 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Refined petroleum products - production

36 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Refined petroleum products - consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Refined petroleum products - imports

4,161 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

556,700 Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 23,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 227,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181

Telephone system

general assessment: govt telecom company, Belize Telemedia Ltd. (BTL), continues to hold a monopoly in fixed-line services and mobile and broadband fixed-line teledensity; small market, underinvestment with lack of competition, yet BTL reports stable telecom revenue for fiscal 2017 (2018)
domestic: mobile sector accounting for over 90% of all phone subscriptions; 6 per 100 fixed-line; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 65 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 501; landing points for the ARCOS and SEUL fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2019)

Broadcast media

8 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV provides access to foreign stations; about 25 radio stations broadcasting on roughly 50 different frequencies; state-run radio was privatized in 1998 (2019)

Internet country code

.bz

Internet users

total: 157,735
percent of population: 44.6% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 22,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149

Military and Security

Military expenditures

1.26% of GDP (2018)
1.58% of GDP (2017)
1.17% of GDP (2016)
1.09% of GDP (2015)
1.06% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 98

Military and security forces

Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Air Wing; Belize Coast Guard (2019)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1; initial service obligation 12 years (2012)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 28 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 935,603 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,463,420mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V3 (2016)

Airports

47 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 91

Airports - with paved runways

total: 6 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)
under 914 m: 3 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 41 (2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 11 (2013)
under 914 m: 29 (2013)

Roadways

total: 3,281 km (2017)
paved: 601 km (2017)
unpaved: 2,680 km (2017)
country comparison to the world: 156

Waterways

825 km(navigable only by small craft) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 70

Merchant marine

total: 764
by type: bulk carrier 54, container ship 4, general cargo 383, oil tanker 57, other 266 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 29

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Belize City, Big Creek

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

Guatemala persists in its territorial claim to approximately half of Belize, but agrees to the Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interior; both countries agreed in April 2012 to hold simultaneous referenda, scheduled for 6 October 2013, to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution, but this vote was suspended indefinitely; Belize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Belize is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the coerced prostitution of women and children by family members has not led to arrests; child sex tourism, involving primarily US citizens, is on the rise; sex trafficking and forced labor of Belizean and foreign women and LGBT individuals occurs in bars, nightclubs, brothels, and domestic service; workers from Central America, Mexico, and Asia may fall victim to forced labor in restaurants, shops, agriculture, and fishing
tier rating: Tier 3 – Belize does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; authorities did not initiate any new trafficking investigations of prosecutions, and cases from previous years remain pending; law enforcement efforts to use informal means to identify and refer victims were ineffective and draft procedures for referring victims to services are still not finalized; trafficking victims were more commonly arrested, detained, or deported based on immigration violations than provided with assistance; the government did not make progress in implementing the 2012-14 anti-trafficking national strategic plan (2015)

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes

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