|
Country
|
Belize | 
New Zealand |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Dean Barrow
|
Prime minister: John Key
|
|
Population
|
327,719
| 4,327,944
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
68.280 years
| 80.710 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Belmopan
| Wellington
|
|
Largest city
|
| Belize City (population: 61,461) | Auckland (population: 417,910) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.771
| 0.944
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,400 US
| $28,000 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
76.9%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.9
| 9.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
11.1%
| 33.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Graeme Hart ($4.5bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
13.100%
| 6.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
21 September 1981 (from UK)
| 26 September 1907 (from UK)
|
| 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)
| Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 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), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)
|
| Exports |
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
| dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery
|
| External Debt |
$1,079,000,000 $
| $85,650,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008 est.), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
| New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.4151 (2008 est.), 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.400%
| 1.000%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 9
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
| Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
|
| Area |
22,966 km sq
| 267,710 km sq
|
| Coastline |
386 km
| 15,134 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
| temperate with sharp regional contrasts
|
|
|
|
