Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Dean Barrow
Population
61,261,254
327,719
Life Expectancy
81.860 years
68.280 years
Capital City
Rome
Belmopan
Largest city
Rome (population: 2,563,240)
Belize City (population: 61,461)
Human Development Index
0.945
0.771
GDP per capita
$30,900 US
$8,400 US
Literacy Rate
98.4%
76.9%
Corruption Perception Index
4.8
2.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
20.2%
11.1%
Wealthiest Citizens
Michele Ferrero & family ($9.5bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
8.400%
13.100%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Legal
Political System
republic
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
21 September 1981 (from UK)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
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)
Exports
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
External Debt
$2,684,000,000,000 $
$1,079,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008 est.), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.800%
1.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
28
0
Location
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Area
301,340 km sq
22,966 km sq
Coastline
7,600 km
386 km
Climate
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
