Belize
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry information - Belize
Country name - conventional long form : none
Country name - conventional short form : Belize
Country name - local long form :
Country name - local short form :
Country name - former : British Honduras
Country code : BH
Government type : parliamentary democracy
Capital - name : Belmopan
Capital - time difference : UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 21 September (1981)
Population : 301,270 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Belizean(s)
Nationality - adjective : Belizean
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)
Currency (code) : Belizean dollar (BZD)
Currency code : BZD
Major infectious diseases - degree of risk : intermediate
Major infectious diseases - note :
Belize is located Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico. The climate is tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May). The terrain is flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.
