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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

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Population: 294,385 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.9% (male 58,459/female 56,183) 15-64 years: 57.5% (male 85,686/female 83,717) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,979/female 5,361) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 19.9 years male: 19.7 years female: 20 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.258% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 28.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.024 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.929 male(s)/female total population: 1.027 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 24.38 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.25 years male: 66.44 years female: 70.16 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 3.52 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.4% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,600 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean

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

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Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (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% (2000)

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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)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.9% male: 76.7% female: 77.1% (2000 census)

In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by exports of marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2006. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. The government in 2006 announced it would seek a restructuring of its sovereign debt and has been negotiating with international creditors to find an acceptable formula for doing so. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.307 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $1.141 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,400 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22.5% industry: 14.8% services: 62.6% (2006 est.)

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

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 22.5% industry: 15.2% services: 62.3% (2005 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2006)

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Population below poverty line: 33.5% (2002 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 18.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $302.5 million expenditures: $357.5 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2006 est.)

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

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

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Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (1999)

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Electricity - production: 175 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 162.8 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 2,413 bbl/day (2006)

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Oil - consumption: 3,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - exports: 1,960 bbl/day (2006)

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$173.4 million (2006 est.)

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Exports: $359.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

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Exports - partners: US 32.8%, UK 32.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 3.6% (2006)

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Imports: $543 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

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Imports - partners: US 35.1%, Mexico 14.7%, Cuba 7.6%, Guatemala 7.1%, China 4.2% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $78.96 million (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $1.2 billion (June 2005 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $NA

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Currency (code): Belizean dollar (BZD)

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Exchange rates: Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002)

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Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March