standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 2,207 km
electrified
Highways:
total:
137,876 km
paved:
129,603 km (including 1,631 km of limited access divided highway)
unpaved:
8,273 km (1989)
Inland waterways:
2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
Pipelines:
crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas 3,300 km
Ports:
Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge
Merchant marine:
21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 36,200 GRT/52,039 DWT, bulk 1,
cargo 9, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 1, oil tanker 5
Airports:
total:
42
usable:
42
with permanent-surface runways:
24
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
15
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
3
Telecommunications:
highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated
domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities;
extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network;
4,720,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV; 5
submarine cables; 2 satellite earth stations - Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile phone system

@Belgium, Defense Forces

Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,558,109; fit for military service 2,130,172; reach
military age (19) annually 61,710 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $3.8 billion, 1.8% of GDP (1993)

@Belize, Geography

Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Guatemala and
Mexico
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones
of the World
Area:
total area:
22,960 sq km
land area:
22,800 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total 516 km, Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south
note:
from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's
territorial sea is 3 miles; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act,
1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for
the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences
with Guatemala
International disputes:
maritime border with Guatemala in dispute; desultory negotiations to
resolve the dispute have begun
Climate:
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy s