|
Country
|
Belize | 
Israel |
|
Leader
|
Prime minister: Dean Barrow
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
|
Population
|
334,297
| 7,707,042
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
68.400 years
| 81.170 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Belmopan
| Jerusalem
|
|
Largest city
|
| Belize City (population: 61,461) | Jerusalem (population: 714,000) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.771
| 0.93
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,400 US
| $32,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
76.9%
| 97.1%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.9
| 6
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
11.1%
| 14.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
11.300%
| 6.300%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished except for special circumstances
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
21 September 1981 (from UK)
| 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
|
| 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)
| Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
|
| 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)
| Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
|
| Exports |
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
| machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
|
| External Debt |
$1,457,000,000 $
| $104,200,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008 est.), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
| new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.200%
| 7.400%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 1
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
| Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
|
| Area |
22,966 km sq
| 20,770 km sq
|
| Coastline |
386 km
| 273 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
| temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
|
|
|
|
