constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 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)
Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language
Exports
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
External Debt
$1,457,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008 est.), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.200%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Area
22,966 km sq
181 km sq
Coastline
386 km
370 km
Climate
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt
