Country
Kazakhstan Belize
Leader
Population
17,736,896 334,297
Life Expectancy
69.940 years 68.400 years
Capital City
Astana Belmopan
Largest city
Almaty (population: 2,000,900) Belize City (population: 61,461)
Human Development Index
0.807 0.771 GDP per capita $13,900 US $8,400 US
Literacy Rate
99.5% 76.9%
Corruption Perception Index
2.2 2.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
12.3% 11.1% Wealthiest Citizens Alijan Ibragimov ($1.2bn US) NA Unemployment Rate 5.200% 11.300%
Death Penalty
NA Legal
Political System
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch parliamentary democracy
Independence date
16 December 1991 (from Soviet Union) 21 September 1981 (from UK) Religions Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7% 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) Languages Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.) 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 oil and oil products 59%, ferrous metals 19%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001) sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood External Debt $105,500,000,000 $ $1,457,000,000 US Exchange Rate tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 120.25 (2008 est.), 122.55 (2007), 126.09 (2006), 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004) Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar - 2 (2008 est.), 2 (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004) Military Budget as percentage of GDP 1.100% 1.200% Beijing Olympics Medal Count 13 0 Location Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Area 2,724,900 km sq 22,966 km sq Coastline 0 km 386 km Climate continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
