Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Geography | |
Area | 22,966 km² |
Continent | North America |
Land area | 22,806 km² |
Water area | 160 km² |
Land boundaries | 542 km |
Border countries |
|
Coastline | 386 km |
Mean elevation | 173 m |
Lowest point | 0 m |
Highest point | 1,124 m |
People | |
Population | 399,598 |
Official languages |
|
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Government | |
Long country name | Add |
Short country name | Belize |
Long local name | Add |
Short local name | Add |
Former name |
|
Government type | Parliamentary democracy |
Capital | Belmopan |
Economy | |
GDP (PPP) | 3,218,000,000 USD |
GDP (OER) | 1,854,000,000 USD |
GDP (real growth rate) | 0.8 % |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | 8,300 USD |
Gross national saving | 11.3 % of GDP |
Labor force | 120,500 |
Unemployment rate | 9 % |
Population below poverty line | 41 % |
Budget revenues | 553,500,000 USD |
Budget expenditures | 572,000,000 USD |
Military expenditures | 1.26 % of GDP |
Taxes and other revenues | 29.9 % of GDP |
Budget surplus or deficit | -1 % of GDP |
Public debt | 99 % of GDP |
Inflation rate | 1.1 % |
Central bank discount rate | 9.58 % |
Commercial bank prime lending rate | 9.46 % |
Stock of narrow money | 768,800,000 USD |
Stock of broad money | 768,800,000 USD |
Stock of domestic credit | 1,323,000,000 USD |
Market value of publicly traded shares | Add |
Current account balance | -143,000,000 USD |
Exports | 457,500,000 USD |
Imports | 845,900,000 USD |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 312,100,000 USD |
External debt | 1,315,000,000 USD |
National currency | Belizean dollars |
National currency (code) | BZD |
National currency (symbol) | BZ$ |
National currency rate to USD | 2 |
Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1862. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Both nations have voted to send the dispute for final resolution to the International Court of Justice. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high crime rates, high unemployment combined with a majority youth population, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.