bt - external:
$1.362 billion (June 2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency (code):
Belizean dollar (BZD)

Currency code:
BZD

Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2
(2001), 2 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Belize

Telephones - main lines in use:
33,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
60,400 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
133,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
41,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bz

Internet hosts:
2,613 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
30,000 (2002)

Transportation Belize

Highways:
total: 2,872 km
paved: 488 km
unpaved: 2,384 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Belize City

Merchant marine:
total: 295 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,015,270 GRT/1,336,890 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 207, chemical tanker 9, container 6,
passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 17, roll
on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 142 (Australia 2, Belgium 1, China 50, Cuba 1, Cyprus
1, Estonia 9, Germany 4, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 3, Italy 2, Japan 5,
Latvia 4, Malaysia 1, Nigeria 1, Pakistan 1, Poland 2, Russia 23,
Singapore 5, South Korea 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 2,
Ukraine 4, UAE 3, United States 2) (2005)

Airports:
43 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)

Military Belize

Military branches:
Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and
Volunteer Guard

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for
conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has
never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available
positions by 3:1 (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-