|
Country
|
Belize |
|
|
Leader
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Dean Barrow
|
President: Paul Kagame
|
|
Population
|
327,719
| 11,689,696
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
68.280 years
| 58.440 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Belmopan
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| Belize City (population: 61,461) | Kigali (population: 745,261) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.771
| 0.435
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,400 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
76.9%
| 70.4%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.9
| 3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
11.1%
| 50.9%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
13.100%
|
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| republic; presidential, multiparty system
|
|
Independence date
|
21 September 1981 (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)
| Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)
|
| 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)
| Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
|
| Exports |
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
|
|
| External Debt |
$1,079,000,000 $
|
|
| 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 |
1.400%
|
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
| Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
| Area |
22,966 km sq
| 26,338 km sq
|
| Coastline |
386 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
| temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
|
|
|
|
