\BELIZE
BASIC INFO:
Population 2017 360,346
GDP per capita 2017 (PPI, US$)... 46,600
GDP 2017 (PPI, US$ billions) 3.211
Unemployment 2017 10.1%
Total Area 22,966 sq km
Urban Population 45.7%
Life expectancy at birth (years) 81.1
Mortality rate, (per 1,000 live births) 18.9
Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) 5%
History
The Mayan civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC and AD 300 and flourished until about AD 1200. Several major archeological sites -- notably Caracol, Lamanai, Lubaantun, Altun Ha, and Xunantunich -- reflect the advanced civilization and much denser population of that period. European contact began in 1502 when Columbus sailed along the coast. The first recorded European settlement was begun by shipwrecked English seamen in 1638. Over the next 150 years, more English settlements were established. This period was also marked by piracy, indiscriminate logging, and sporadic attacks by Indians and neighboring Spanish settlements.
Great Britain first sent an official representative to the area in the late 18th century, but Belize was not formally termed the Colony of British Honduras until 1840. It became a crown colony in 1862. Subsequently, several constitutional changes were enacted to expand representative government. Full internal self-government under a ministerial system was granted in January 1964. The official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973, and full independence was granted on September 21, 1981.
Government
Government type:
parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Belmopan
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:
previous 1954, 1963 (preindependence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981; amended several times, last in 2012 (2016)
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: 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:
elections: Senate (12 seats; 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, and the National Trade Union Congress
House of Representatives (31 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
note: House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020)
election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 50%, PUP 47.3%, other 2.7%; seats by party - UDP 19, PUP 12
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): 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 2 judges); note - in 2010, Belize ceased final appeals in civil and criminal cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) and acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice
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: Magistrate 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]
ECONOMICS
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
People
Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America; it is larger than El Salvador and compares in size to the state of Massachusetts. Slightly more than half of the people live in rural areas. About one-fourth live in Belize City, the principal port, commercial center, and former capital. Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent. About 44.1% of the population is of mixed Mayan and European descent (mestizo); 31% are of African and Afro-European (Creole) ancestry; about 9.2% are Mayan; and about 6.2% are Afro-Amerindian (Garifuna). The remainder, about 9.2%, includes European, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and North American groups.
English, the official language, is spoken by virtually all except the most recently arrived refugees.
BELIZE National Air Transport System
number of registered air carriers: 2
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 28
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 935,603
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,463,420 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
V3 (2016)
Airports:
47 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 92
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 29 (2013)
Roadways:
total: 2,870 km
paved: 488 km
unpaved: 2,382 km (2011)
country comparison to the world: 169
Waterways:
825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 70
Merchant marine:
total: 756
by type: bulk carrier 53, container ship 3, general cargo 373, oil tanker 55, other 272 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 29
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Belize City, Big Creek
Tourism
In 2015 1.3 million tourists visited Belize. Of those 957,000 were cruise ship visitors. The number of overnight vistors have been increasing. The number of tourist has doubled since 2000.
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