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Area: total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km
water: 160 sq km

Climate: tropical very hot and humid rainy season [May to November] dry season [February to May]

Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain low mountains in south

Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Population: 301,270 [July 2008 est.]

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.4% [male 58,987/female 56,674]
15-64 years: 58.1% [male 88,521/female 86,450]
65 years and over: 3.5% [male 5,095/female 5,543] [2008 est.]

Nationality: noun: Belizean[s]
adjective: Belizean

Ethnic groups: mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%

Languages: Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% [official], Garifuna 3.4% [Carib], German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% [2000 census]

Capital: name: Belmopan
geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
time difference: UTC-6 [1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time]

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September [1981]

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21.3%
industry: 13.7%
services: 65% [2007 est.]

Labor force: 113,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel [2006 est.]

Budget: revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $344 million [2007 est.]

Agriculture - products: bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar fish, cultured shrimp lumber garments

Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil

Exports: $415 million f.o.b. [2007 est.]

Exports - commodities: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Exports - partners: US 33.9%, UK 33.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 3.7% [2006]

Imports: $641 million f.o.b. [2007 est.]

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals food, beverages, tobacco

Imports - partners: US 35.7%, Mexico 13%, Cuba 7.7%, Guatemala 7.2%, China 4.3% [2006]

Currency (code): Belizean dollar [BZD]

Exchange rates: Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 [2007], 2 [2006], 2 [2005], 2 [2004], 2 [2003]

Airports: 44 [2007]

Merchant marine: total: 261 ships [1000 GRT or over] 940,852 GRT/1,275,111 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 36, cargo 190, chemical tanker 5, container 5, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 217 [China 107, Croatia 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Hong Kong 5, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Japan 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 14, Norway 3, Peru 1, Philippines 1, Russia 39, Singapore 3, Spain 2, Turkey 11, Ukraine 10, UAE 4, US 3] [2007]

Ports and terminals: Belize City, Big Creek