Belize

Wealth and National Well-Being

Country Comparisons: chart

World Factbook: "Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments."

Economic growth rate
2011: 2.5%
2010: 2.7%

Labor force in agricutlure
2007: 10.2%

Unemployment rate
2009: 13.1%.

Public debt
2011: 83.6%

Exports - commodities:

Export commodities
Sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil

Export partners
2010: US 30.3%, UK 20.8%, Costa Rica 12.7%, Cote dIvoire 4.6%, Nigeria 4.6%

Export/import ratio
2011: exports $511.7 million, imports $706.1 million

Health expenditures
2009: 3.3% of GDP

People

Living in an urban area
2008: 52%

Ethnic groups
2000 census: mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%

Religions
2000: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 25.5% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%), Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%, other 14%, none 9.4%

Net migration rate
2012: zero

Density measured in 2005: 12.6 persons per square kilometer.

Geography

East of Guatemala and just south of Mexico.

Government

Chief of state: Elizabeth II (queen, House of Windso) since 6 February 1952. Head of government: Dean Barrow (prime minister) since 8 February 2008, United Democratic Party (center-right).

Member of Commonwealth. A parliamentary democracy. Bicameral legislature. Capital: Belmopan.

Recent History

Independence from Britain in 1981.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/