Country
Belize Germany
Leader
Population
334,297 81,147,265
Life Expectancy
68.400 years 80.320 years
Capital City
Belmopan Berlin
Largest city
Belize City (population: 61,461) Berlin (population: 3,426,350)
Human Development Index
0.771 0.94 GDP per capita $8,400 US $39,100 US
Literacy Rate
76.9% 99%
Corruption Perception Index
2.9 7.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
11.1% 30.6% Wealthiest Citizens NA Karl Albrecht ($21.5bn US) Unemployment Rate 11.300% 6.500%
Death Penalty
Legal Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy federal republic
Independence date
21 September 1981 (from UK) 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991 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) Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% 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) German Exports sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles External Debt $1,457,000,000 $ $5,624,000,000,000 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 - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004) Military Budget as percentage of GDP 1.200% 1.500% Beijing Olympics Medal Count 0 41 Location Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark Area 22,966 km sq 357,022 km sq Coastline 386 km 2,389 km Climate tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
