Wayzata World Factbook 1994/World Factbook - 1994 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1994).iso/pc/text/txtfiles/belize.bkg

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#CARD:Belize:Background Notes
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES:  BELIZE

May 1990
OFFICIAL NAME:  BELIZE

PROFILE
Geography Area:  22,963 sq. km. (8,866 sq. mi.); slightly larger than
Massachusetts.  Cities:  Capital-Belmopan (pop. 4,500).  Other
city-Belize City (60,000).  Towns-Dangriga, Orange Walk, Corozal, Punta
Gorda, San Ignacio, and Santa Elena.  Terrain:  Flat and swampy
coastline, low mountains in interior.  Climate:  Hot and humid.

People Nationality:  Noun and adjective-Belizean(s).  Population (1988
est.): 203,000.  Annual growth rate: About 8% (due to high immigration
rate).  Ethnic groups:  Creole, African, mestizo, Amerindian.
Religions: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, other Protestant,
Muslim, and Buddhist.  Languages:  English (official), Spanish, Mayan.
Education:  Years compulsory-9.  Attendance-55%.  Literacy-more than
80%.  Health (1988):  Infant mortality rate-56/1,000.  Life
expectancy-60 years.  Work  force (58,000):  Agriculture-30%.  Industry
and commerce-27%.  Services-25%.  Government-16%.  Other-2%.

Government Type: Parliamentary.  Independence: September 21, 1981.
Constitution: September 21, 1981.
Branches: Executive-British monarch (head of state), represented by a
governor general; prime minister (head of government, 5-year term).
Legislative-bicameral National Assembly.  Judicial-Supreme Court, Court
of Appeal, district magistrates.
Subdivisions:  6 districts
Political parties:  People's United Party (PUP), United Democratic Party
(UDP).  Suffrage:  Universal adult.
Central government budget (1989-90):  $71.8 million current
expenditures, $45.2 million capital accounts.
Defense (1989 est.):  2% GDP.
Flag:  Blue field with red stripes at top and bottom.  Centered in the
blue field is the national coat of arms consisting of two workers and
symbols of agriculture, industry, and maritime trade on a white circular
background.

Economy
GDP (1988 est. current prices): $247 million.  Annual growth rate
(1988): 7.6%.  Per capita income: $1,220.  Avg. inflation rate (1988):
5%.
Natural resources:  Arable land, timber, seafood.
Agriculture (19% of GDP):  Products-sugar, citrus fruits and juices,
bananas, mangoes, papayas, honey, corn, beans, rice, cattle, and winter
vegetables.
Industry (15% of GDP):  Types-clothing, beverages.
Tourism (1988, 11% of GDP):  Visitor arrivals 132,000.
Trade (1989 est.):  Exports-$100 million; sugar, clothing, citrus
concentrate, lobster, fish, and bananas.  Major markets-US, UK, CARICOM.
 Imports-$148.5 million: food, consumer goods, building materials,
vehicles, machinery, petroleum products.  Major suppliers-US, Mexico,
UK.
Official exchange rate:  The Belize dollar is tied to the US dollar at a
fixed rate of Belize $2=US$1.
Economic aid received (grant and concessional loan):  US aid (FY
1988)-$8.4 million.  Aid from other countries and international agencies
(1989)-$15.8 million.

Membership in International Organizations
 UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, including the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF); Caribbean
Community (CARICOM); Caribbean Development Bank (CDB); International
Development Agency (IDA); International Finance Corporation (IFC);
Commonwealth; Nonaligned Movement.  Will join the OAS in 1990.

PEOPLE
  Belize is the most sparsely populated nation in Central America.
Slightly more than half of the people live in six urban areas, primarily
along the coast.  About one-fourth live in Belize City, the former
capital and principal port.  Population has increased dramatically in
the last few years from the inflow of Central American
refugees-estimated at up to 30,000 in 1988-mostly from El Salvador and
Guatemala, more than balancing the heavy emigration of the Creole
population to North America.
 Most Belizeans are of multiracial descent.  About 40%-45% are of
African ancestry.  More than 25% of the population is of mixed local
Indian and European descent (mestizo).  Another one-fifth is composed of
Carib, Mayan, or other Amerindian ethnic groups.  The remainder, about
10%, includes Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, and Lebanese.
 English, the official language, is spoken by virtually all except the
most recently arrived refugees.  Spanish is the native tongue of about
50% of the people and is spoken as a second language by another 20%.
The various Indian groups still speak their original languages, and an
English Creole dialect, similar to the Creole dialects of the
English-speaking Caribbean islands, is spoken by many.  The rate of
functional literacy is more than 80%.  About half the people are Roman
Catholic; the Anglican Church and Protestant Christian groups account
for most of the other half.  Mennonite settlers number about 3,000.

HISTORY
 The Mayan civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BC
and AD 300 and flourished until about AD 1000.  Several major
archeological sites, notably Caracol, Lamanai, Labaantun, Altun Ha, and
Xunantunich, reflect the advanced civilization and much denser
population of that period.  European contact began in 1502 when Columbus
sailed along the coast.  The first recorded European settlement was
begun by shipwrecked English seamen in 1638.  Over the next 150 years,
more English settlements were established.  This period was also marked
by piracy, indiscriminate logging, and sporadic attacks by Indians and
neighboring Spanish settlements.
 Great Britain first sent an official representative to the area in the
late 18th century, but Belize was not formally termed the "Colony of
British Honduras" until 1840.  It became a crown colony in 1862.
Subsequently, several constitutional changes were enacted to expand
representative government.  Full internal self-government under a
ministerial system was granted in January 1964.  The official name of
the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973,
and full independence was granted on September 21, 1981.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
 Belize is a parliamentary democracy on the Westminster model and is a
member of the Commonwealth.  Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is
represented in the country by Governor General Dame Dr. Minita E.
Gordon, a Belizean.  The primary executive organ of government is the
cabinet, led by a prime minister (head of government).  Cabinet
ministers are members of the majority political party in parliament and
usually hold elected seats in the National Assembly concurrently with
their cabinet positions.
 The National Assembly consists of a House of Representatives and a
Senate.  The 28 members of the House are popularly elected to a maximum
5-year term.  Of the Senate's eight members, five are selected by the
prime minister, two by the leader of the opposition, and one by the
governor general.
 The Belize government is controlled by the People's United Party (PUP),
which won 15 of the 28 seats in the House of Representatives on
September 4, 1989.  The United Democratic Party (UDP) won the other 13
seats.  The UDP had governed Belize from December 1984 until September
1989.  Before 1984, the PUP had dominated the electoral scene for over
30 years.  Prime Minister George Price was Premier from 1961 until the
granting of independence in 1981 when he became Prime Minister, a post
he held until the 1984 election and regained in 1989.
 Members of the independent judiciary are appointed.  The judicial
system includes local magistrates, the Supreme Court, and the Court of
Appeal.  Cases may, under certain circumstances, be appealed to the
Privy Council in London.  The country is divided into six districts:
Corozal, Orange Walk, Cayo, Belize, Stann Creek, and Toledo.

Principal Government Officials
Head of State-Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General-Dame Dr. Minita E. Gordon
Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Home Affairs and
Defence, and Minister of Commerce-George C. Price
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Natural Resources and
Forestry-Florencio Marin
Chief Justice-T. S. Cotran
Speaker of the House-Robert Clifton Swift
President of the Senate-Jane Usher
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economic Development, and
Minister of Education-Said Musa Minister of Energy, Transportation and
Communications -Carlos Diaz
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries-Michael Espat
Minister of Social Services and Community Development- Remijio Montejo
Minister of Housing and Cooperatives-Valdemar Castillo
Attorney General and Minister of Tourism and Environment- Glenn Godfrey
Minister of Health and Minister of Urban Development-Dr. Theodore Aranda
Minister of Works-Leopoldo Briceno Minister of Labor and Local
Government-Samuel Waight
Ambassador to the United States-Edward Laing
Ambassador to the United Nations-Lindbergh Rogers

 Belize maintains an embassy in the United States at 3400 International
Drive NW, #2J, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. [phone]).

ECONOMY
 Forestry was the only economic activity of any consequence in Belize
until well into the 20th century when the supply of accessible timber
began to dwindle.  Sugar then became the principal export, but recently
has been augmented by expanded production of citrus, bananas, seafood,
and apparel, as well as a booming tourism industry.  The country's major
natural resource is about 809,000 hectares of arable land, only a small
fraction of which is under cultivation.  To curb land speculation, the
government enacted legislation in 1973 that requires non-Belizeans to
complete a development plan on land they purchase before obtaining title
to plots of more than 10 acres of rural land or more than one-half acre
of urban land.
 Domestic industry is limited, constrained by relatively high-cost labor
and energy and a small domestic market.  Belize is a member of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which provides assured access to a large
market for potential grain and livestock surpluses.  Belize hopes that
it will help stimulate the growth of commercial agriculture, although
Belizean trade with the rest of the Caribbean is limited compared to
that with the United States and Europe.  The country is a beneficiary of
the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). The CBI is a US Government program
to stimulate investment in Caribbean nations by providing duty-free
access to the US market for most Caribbean products.  Significant US
private investments have been made in Belize in citrus and shrimp farms
under CBI.  US trade preferences allowing for duty-free re-import of
finished apparel cut from US textiles have recently doubled the apparel
industry to 22% of merchandise exports.  European Community and UK
preferences have been vital for the expansion and prosperity of the
sugar and banana industries.
 Belize's well-established policy of encouraging new foreign investment
has been an important factor attracting capital for these ventures.
Promising opportunities for growth and investment in Belize include
citrus, bananas, beef, winter fruits and vegetables, aquaculture,
tourism, forest products, and apparel.
 A combination of natural factors-climate, the longest barrier reef in
the Western Hemisphere, numerous islands, excellent fishing, safe waters
for boating, jungle wildlife, and Mayan ruins-support a thriving tourist
industry.  Development costs are high, but the government of Belize has
designated tourism as its second development priority after agriculture.
 Visitors totaled 132,000 in 1988, and the tourist industry is worth $47
million per year.  The 1989 Tourism Sector Policy/Strategy Statement
reserves the lower end of tourism development for Belizeans but welcomes
foreign investor interest in larger projects.
 Economic performance is fragile, and although outstanding growth has
been achieved in recent years, the achievements are vulnerable to world
commodity price fluctuations and continuation of trade preferences.
Economic growth is constrained by a number of factors, including the
lack of infrastructure.  No roads exist to service large tracts of
potentially arable land and timber.  Some roads, including sections of
major highways, are subject to damage or closure during the rainy
season.  Electric service is costly at $.205 per kilowatt hour and
unavailable in many rural areas.  Inadequate roads and ports limit
external marketing.  Expansion of port handling facilities is underway
in Belize City, and a new deep water port is being dredged in Big Creek
to complement facilities in Belize City and Commerce Bight.  Barges and
lighters are used for sugar, bananas, and other shipments.
 Several areas are being improved through the efforts of the government
of Belize, US assistance projects, and other donors.  The US Agency for
International Development (USAID), the European Community, and the
United Kingdom have projects to upgrade the quality of the Belizean road
system.  Steel and concrete bridges are being constructed to ensure
year-round passage to remote portions of the country.  Rural
electrification is moving forward, and urban electric power is becoming
more dependable.  The USAID program is designed to enable Belize to plan
the best use of its resources in agriculture, forestry (including
tropical forestry and biodiversity protection), and tourism development.
 It includes technical assistance and training in these areas to help
the government of Belize plan agriculture and tourism growth in a
rational and ecologically sound manner.  Under aid agreements with the
United Kingdom and the Caribbean Development Bank, the international
airport terminal is being replaced and the runway lengthened.  A new
water and sewer system is almost completed in Belize City with the help
of the Canadian International Development Agency, and construction plans
have been announced for a new 100-bed hospital for Belize City with the
assistance of the European Community.  A Ramada Inn hotel is under
construction in Belize City with significant financing from the US
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).
 The government recognizes the need to develop the country and has
budgeted $45.2 million in fiscal year 1989-90 for capital expenditure.
Much of the government's operating expenses are derived from customs
duties and taxes, but most of the capital expenses are met through
foreign assistance.
 Belize has consistently run a substantial trade deficit, reaching $48.4
million in 1988.  The deficit is financed primarily by foreign aid,
foreign investment, and remittances from Belizeans working in the United
States.  Merchandise imports in 1988 totaled $148.5 million, while
exports were only $100.1 million.  In 1988, the United States accounted
for 52% of Belize's imports and 47% of exports.  Other major trading
partners are the European Community (17.5% of imports, of which the
United Kingdom accounts for 8.2%), and Mexico (8.8% of imports).

FOREIGN RELATIONS
 Belize's principal external concern has been the dispute involving the
Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory and unwillingness to recognize

Belizean independence.  This dispute originated in imperial Spain's
claim to all "New World" territories west of Portuguese colonization on
the bulge of South America.  Nineteenth century efforts to resolve the
problems led to later differences over interpretation and implementation
of an 1859 treaty intended to establish the boundaries between Guatemala
and British Honduras.  Guatemala holds that the 1859 treaty is void
because the British failed to comply with all of its economic assistance
clauses.  Neither Spain nor Guatemala ever exercised effective
sovereignty over the area.
 Negotiations proceeded for many years, including one period in which
the US Government sought unsuccessfully to mediate a solution.  A 1981
trilateral "Heads of Agreement"-Belize, Guatemala, and the United
Kingdom-was never implemented due to disagreements.  Thus, Belize became
independent on September 21, 1981, with the territorial dispute
unresolved.  Significant negotiations between Belize and Guatemala, with
the United Kingdom as an observer, resumed in 1988.  To date, however,
differences have not been resolved sufficiently to lead to a treaty.
 In order to strengthen its potential for economic and political
development, Belize has sought to build closer ties with the
Spanish-speaking countries of Central America to complement its
historical ties to the English-speaking Caribbean states.  Belize is a
member of CARICOM.  In 1990, it will be eligible to join the
Organization of American States (OAS)-due to changes in the OAS
charter-and intends to do so as soon as possible.  Heretofore,
Guatemalan objections have kept Belize out of the OAS and some other
regional bodies.

US-BELIZEAN RELATIONS
 The United States and Belize traditionally have had close and cordial
relations since they were established in the 1930s.  The United States
is Belize's principal trading partner and major source of investment
funds and is also home to the largest Belizean community outside Belize
(an estimated 35,000 Belizeans live in the United States).  Because
Belize's economic growth and accompanying democratic political stability
are important US objectives in an often troubled region, Belize benefits
from the Central American and Caribbean Basin Initiatives.  Through an
active USAID program, the United States is now the largest provider of
economic assistance to Belize.  The Peace Corps has more than 100
volunteers in country.  American investment and tourism are growing
rapidly.  Excellent air and shipping links to the United States
facilitate trade and travel.  The US Government cooperates with the
government of Belize against illicit narcotics.  In Punta Gorda, Voice
of America operates a medium-wave radio relay station which broadcasts
to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

DEFENSE
 The Belize Defence Force (BDF), established in January 1973, consists
of an infantry force of regulars and reservists along with small air and
maritime wings.  A British Loan Service Officer now commands the BDF but
will be replaced by a Belizean officer in 1990.  A British military
garrison of 1,800 troops remains in Belize under an external defense
agreement concluded with the United Kingdom at the time of independence.
 The BDF receives military training assistance from the United States
and the United Kingdom.  The United States established a military
assistance office in Belize in 1983 and, in addition to training, has
provided some grant funds for the purchase of materiel, primarily
transport, communications, and individual equipment.

Principal US Officials
Ambassador-designate-Eugene L. Scassa
Deputy Chief of Mission-Joseph Hayes
AID Director-Mosina Jordan
Economic/Commercial Officer-Katherine Christensen
Political Officer-Alexander Featherstone
Consul-Rudolph Boone
Administrative Officer-Charles Grover
Defense Attache-LtC. Randall Parish, Jr.
Chief, Military Liaison Office-Maj. Jerry Croghan
Peace Corps Director-Gary Arnold
Voice of America Manager-Fred Haney

 The US Embassy is located in Belize City at the corner of Gabourel Lane
and Hutson Streets.  The mailing address is PO Box 286, Belize City,
Belize, Central America.  Telephone [phone] from the United
States, or 77161 locally.  FAX to Embassy 011-501-2-30802 (24-hour
coverage).

TRAVEL NOTES
 Customs and immigration:  Passports are required of US citizens wishing
to enter Belize.  Travelers arriving by car may be required to post a
customs bond equivalent to the import duty value of the car, but this
requirement can be waived upon proof of visitor status.  Travelers must
demonstrate that they have sufficient funds for a visit ($30 per person
per day) and onward travel.  The government enforces a strict policy of
refusing admittance to those whom an immigration officer suspects of
drug use.
 Health:  Medicines and care for ordinary needs are available in Belize
City and the larger district towns.  Tapwater is sometimes contaminated.
 Food served in local restaurants is generally safe.
 Telecommunications:  Local and international telephone, telegraph, and
telefax service is available in Belize.  Belize time is the same as US
Central Standard or Mountain Daylight time.
 Transportation:  Belize is served by one US and two Central American
airlines with connections to Central America and the United States (New
Orleans, Miami, and Houston).  Buses, taxis, light aircraft, and boats
provide internal transportation.  Buses and taxis are available in
Belize City, and shopping areas are close to hotels.
 Local holidays:  Businesses and shops may be closed on the following
holidays:
New Year's Day     Jan. 1
Baron Bliss Day     Mar. 9
Good Friday     date varies
Holy Saturday     date varies
Easter Monday     date varies
Labor Day              May 1
Commonwealth Day    May 24
National Day     Sept. 10
Independence Day         Sept. 21
Pan American Day Oct. 13
Garifuna Day     Nov. 19
Christmas Day     Dec. 25
Boxing Day              Dec. 26

Published by the United States Department of State --  Bureau of Public
Affairs  -- Office of  Public Communication -- Washington, DC -- May
1990 -- Editor:  Marilyn J. Bremner. Department of State Publication
8332 -- Background Notes Series  -- This material is in the public
domain and may  be reprinted without permission; citation of this source
is appreciated. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC  20402.(###)


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