Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Dean Barrow
Population
313,847,465
327,719
Life Expectancy
78.490 years
68.280 years
Capital City
Washington, DC
Belmopan
Largest city
New York City (population: 8,008,280)
Belize City (population: 61,461)
Human Development Index
0.95
0.771
GDP per capita
$49,000 US
$8,400 US
Literacy Rate
99%
76.9%
Corruption Perception Index
7.3
2.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
16.6%
11.1%
Wealthiest Citizens
William Gates III ($40.0bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
9.000%
13.100%
Death Penalty
Legal
Legal
Political System
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
21 September 1981 (from UK)
Religions
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
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)
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood
External Debt
$14,710,000,000,000 $
$1,079,000,000 US
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
4.060%
1.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
110
0
Location
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Area
9,826,675 km sq
22,966 km sq
Coastline
19,924 km
386 km
Climate
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)
