|
Belize is a Northeastern country in Central America. It
is bordered by Mexico to the north and northwest,
Guatemala to the south and west, and the Caribbean Sea
to the east. It is an essentially mountainous country,
covered by a tropical forest. It has a surface of 22,966
km2. The main cities are Belize City, 53 000
inhabitants (1996), Orange Walk (15 000 inhab.), San
Inacio / Santa Elena (11 000 inhab.), Corozal (8000
inhab.) and Belmopan, the capital (6500 inhab. ). The
climate is tropical, generally hot and humid, with a dry
season, from February to May, and with a rainy season,
from June to November. The country often suffers from
hurricanes.
Economy
Belize has an economy that is based on agriculture,
trade and industry. The main products grown are sugar
cane, orange, banana, corn, rice, beans, coconut and
cocoa. The industry produces molasses, fertilizers,
flour, orange concentrate, beer, cigarettes and
clothing. Charcoal is also produced, using the felling
of forests. Belize's main trading partners are the USA,
the UK, Canada and Mexico.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide
emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 2.7.
Population
The population is 287,730 inhabitants (est. 2006), which
corresponds to a density of 12.17 inhab./km2. The
birth and death rates are, respectively, 28.84% and
5.72%. Average life expectancy reaches 68.3 years. The
value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.776 and
the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG)
is 0.756 (2001). It is estimated that in 2025 the
population will be 432,000 inhabitants. Mestizos
represent 48.7% of the population, followed by Creoles
(24.9%), Indians (10.6%), blacks from the Caribbean
(6.1%) and others (9.7% ). The majority religions are
Catholic, with 58%, and Protestant, with 34%. The
official language is English, although Spanish is also
spoken.
History
From 1964, Belize had an autonomous government. In 1981
Britain granted independence to the territory. In the
same year, English troops stationed in the country in
order to protect it from Guatemala's territorial claims,
which date back to 1821. Military forces also limited
the traffic in marijuana, which at the time was one of
the country's largest sources of income. But they were
also a kind of barrier to arms smuggling that was made
from Cuba to El Salvador through Belize. As part of the
British Commonwealth, the head of state is the British
monarch, represented by a governor-general, with the
government of the country headed by a prime minister,
with the support of the Senate and the House of
Representatives. |
