|
Country
|
Belize | 
Ireland |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Dean Barrow
|
President: Michael D Higgins
|
|
Population
|
327,719
| 4,722,028
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
68.280 years
| 80.320 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Belmopan
| Dublin
|
|
Largest city
|
| Belize City (population: 61,461) | Dublin (population: 1,024,030) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.771
| 0.96
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,400 US
| $40,100 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
76.9%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.9
| 7.7
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
11.1%
| 15.5%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Pallonji Mistry ($2.5bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
13.100%
| 14.400%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| republic, parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
21 September 1981 (from UK)
| 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
|
| 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 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)
|
| 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)
| English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
|
| Exports |
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
| machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
|
| External Debt |
$1,079,000,000 $
| $2,352,000,000,000 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 - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.400%
| 0.900%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 3
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
| Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
|
| Area |
22,966 km sq
| 70,273 km sq
|
| Coastline |
386 km
| 1,448 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
| temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
|
|
|
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