1985 Edition

Agriculture

main products — sugarcane, citrus fruits, corn, molasses, rice, beans, bananas, livestock products, honey; net importer of food

Aid

economic — authorized from US, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $25 million; bilateral ODA and OOF commitments from Western (non-US) countries (1970-82), $110 million

Airfields

41 total, 37 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

bicameral legislature (National Assembly— electoral redistricting in October 1984 expanded House of Representatives from 18 to 28 seats; eight-member appointed Senate; either house may choose its speaker or president, respectively, from outside its membership); Cabinet; judiciary

British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force, Police Department

Budget

revenues, $50 million; expenditures, $64 million (budget for April 1983 through March 1984)

Capital

Belmopan

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Communists

negligible

Elections

parliamentary elections held December 1984 Political parties and leaders: United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel Esquivel, Curl Thompson, Dean Lindo; People's United Party (PUP), George Price

Electric power

23,000 kW capacity (1984); 57 million kWh produced (1984), 360 kWh per capita •

Exports

$78 million (f.o.b., 1983); sugar, garments, fish, molasses, citrus fruits, wood and wood products

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March Communications

Fishing

catch 1,349 metric tons (1980)

GDP

$176 million (1983), $1,143 per capita (1983); real growth rate 2% (1983)

Government leaders

Manuel ESQUIVEL, Prime Minister (since December 1984); Dr. Elmira Minita GORDON, Governor General (since December 1981)

Highways

2,575 km total; 340 km paved, 1,190 km gravel, 735 km improved earth and 310 km unimproved earth

Imports

$113 million (c.i.f., 1983); machinery and transportation equipment, food, manufactured goods, fuels

Inland waterways

825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable

Legal system

English law

Major industries

sugar refining, garments, timber and forest products, furniture, rum, soap, beverages, cigarettes

Major trade partners

exports— US 36%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Canada 10%; imports— US 55%, UK 17%, Netherlands Antilles 8%, Mexico 7% (1983)

Member of

CARICOM, CDB, Commonwealth, GATT, IBRD, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, G-77, NAM, ISO, ITU, UN, UNESCO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 March 1984, $3.6 million; 7.1% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 39,000; 24,000 fit for military service; 1,700 reach military age (18) annually; the nucleus of the Belize Defense Force (BDF) is the former Special Force of the Belize Police, which was transferred intact to the new organization; the bulk of the early recruits were drawn from the Belize Volunteer Guard, a home guard force that had previously acted as a police reserve; currently, the BDF consists of full-time soldiers referred to as the "Regulars" and an essentially reserve group, which has maintained the "Volunteer Guard" name; recruitment is voluntary and the terms of service vary

Monetary conversion rate

2 Belize dollars=US$l (19 January 1984)

Official name

Belize

Organized labor

15% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

United Workers Union, which is connected with PUP

Ports

2 major (Belize City, Belize City Southwest), 5 minor

Railroads

none

Suffrage

universal adult at age 18

Telecommunications

8,650 telephones; (4.5 per 100 popl.); above average system based on radio-relay; 5 AM stations and 1 FM station; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT station Defense Forces

Type

parliamentary; independent state; a member of the Commonwealth

Voting strength

(December 1984) National Assembly— UDP 21 seats (25,785—54.1%), PUP 7 seats (20,971—44.0%); before redistricting, PUP held 13 seats, UDP 4 seats, and independents 1 seat