(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $199 million

_#_Currency: Belizean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Belizean dollar
(Bz$) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1--2.00 (fixed rate)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

_*_Communications
_#_Highways: 2,710 km total; 500 km paved, 1,600 km gravel, 300 km
improved earth, and 310 km unimproved earth

_#_Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft;
seasonally navigable

_#_Ports: Belize City; additional ports for shallow draught craft
include Corozol, Punta Gorda, Big Creek

_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft

_#_Airports: 42 total, 32 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

_#_Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on
radio relay; stations--6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force (including
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 53,184; 31,790 fit for military
service; 2,545 reach military age (18) annually

_#_Defense expenditures: $4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1990 est.)
_%_
_@_Benin
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

_#_Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km,
Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

_#_Coastline: 121 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Territorial sea: 200 nm

_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

_#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low
mountains

_#_Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone,
marble, timber

_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures
4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%

_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in
winter; deforestation; desertification

_#_Note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal
agriculture in north; no natural harbors

_*_People
_#_Population: 4,831,823 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#