ernational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize
City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; only country in Central
America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

People

Population: 235,789 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 49,991; female 48,074)
15-64 years: 55% (male 65,507; female 63,796)
65 years and over: 3% (male 4,129; female 4,292) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.42% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 30.22 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 31.57 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.2 years
male: 67.23 years
female: 71.26 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.74 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups: mestizo 44%, Creole 30%, Maya 11%, Garifuna 7%,
other 8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%,
Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal
2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980)

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib)

Literacy:
definition: age 14 and over has ever attended school
total population: 70.3%
male: 70.3%
female: 70.3% (1991 est.)
note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras

Data code: BH

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Belmopan

Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal,
Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981)

Constitution: 21 September 1981

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years