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Country Guide > Central America > Belize | |
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General Information Area 22,965 sq km (8867 sq miles).
Population 282,600 (2004). Population Density 31.9 per sq km. Capital Belmopan City. Population: 12,300 (2004). Belize City (the former capital) has a population of 59,400. Geography Belize is situated at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America and borders Mexico and Guatemala, with the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country’s area includes numerous small islands (Cayes) off the coast. The coastal strip is low and swampy, particularly in the north, with mangroves, many salt and freshwater lagoons and some sandy beaches crossed by a number of rivers. To the south and west rises the heavily forested Maya mountain range, with the Cockscomb range to the east and the Mountain Pine Ridge in the west. More than 65 per cent of the area of the country is forested. The land to the west along the borders with Guatemala is open and relatively scenic compared to much of the interior. The shallow offshore Cayes straddle a coral reef second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Government Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence from the UK in 1981. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II represented locally by Governor-General Sir Colville Young since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Said Musa since 1998. Language English is the official language, but Spanish is spoken to some extent by over half the population. Garifuna (Carib), Maya and Creole are also spoken as well as a German dialect (by the Mennonites). Religion The people of Belize are mainly Roman Catholic (approximately 60 per cent of the population). Other small groups practice Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Bahai, as well as other Christian denominations. Time GMT - 6. Electricity 110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style two-pin plugs. Communications Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 501. Outgoing international code: 00. Mobile telephone Coverage is available in all six districts. Belize Telecommunications Ltd (website: www.digicell.bz) has a GSM 1900 network. Handsets can be hired from Belize Telecommunications Ltd (BTL) at US$5 per day, plus a deposit of US$150. Fax BTL public booth in Belize City and some government and company offices have facilities available. Internet ISPs include BTL (website: www.btl.net) and Belize Web (website: www.belizeweb.com). There is an e-mail service centre in the BTL office in central Belize City and Internet cafes in urban centres and popular tourist centres. Telegram Full services are available from BTL public booth and post offices and major hotels in Belize City, Belmopan and San Ignacio. Post Mail to Europe takes up to five days. Press The major weeklies include Amandala, The Belize Times, The Reporter and The San Pedro Sun. Belize Today is a monthly official paper published in English. The Guardian is a United Democratic Party-affiliated paper. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |
