|
Country
|
Belize | 
Belgium |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Dean Barrow
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
|
Population
|
327,719
| 10,438,353
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
68.280 years
| 79.650 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Belmopan
| Brussels
|
|
Largest city
|
| Belize City (population: 61,461) | Brussels (population: 1,019,020) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.771
| 0.948
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,400 US
| $38,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
76.9%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.9
| 7.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
11.1%
| 36.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
13.100%
| 7.700%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
21 September 1981 (from UK)
| 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
|
| 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)
| Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
|
| 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)
| Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
|
| Exports |
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
| machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
$1,079,000,000 $
| $1,399,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008 est.), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
| euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.400%
| 1.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 2
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
| Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
|
| Area |
22,966 km sq
| 30,528 km sq
|
| Coastline |
386 km
| 67 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
| temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
|
|
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